tallgrassworship

A Little Further Explanation

2009-10-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

I posted a video last Sunday that was pretty shocking. I know it doesn't exactly go with the usual postings I have here about more pleasant things- family, gardening, my job as a church musician, or the general musings of an ordinary person.

I did receive one comment about the video, from Rose, who always seems to respond so thoughtfully, and a couple of comments from friends in person, and I wanted to respond myself. I thought what I wanted to say, in clarification of my reasons for posting it, would be a little longer than usual for the comment section, so I'll just turn it into today's post.

I try to read blogs written by ministry people from all over the country, and of many different denominational perspectives, as a way of broadening and deepening my understanding of Scripture and experience of the Christian life. It's been a tremendous blessing. What I receive at my own church is outstanding, no question, but I still think reading widely (and reading blogs is no different from reading anything else) is just part of keeping one's self sharp in ministry. So, first of all, I would encourage everyone to to do this. Don't just focus on the ones you are most aligned with. Read widely.

Once in while, as in the case of this particular video, some truth just leaps out and jars my world.

When Mark Driscoll talked about the stinking Roman sponge, like Rose, I had to spend a few days processing that new information. I thought about whether I should post the video; it was gross. Would people find it beyond offensive?

Then I thought, "I should schedule this post for Good Friday next spring, when it would really be most appropriate." I still might do that- repeat the post, I mean. I thought about compartmentalizing this new insight into the Passion of Christ into that short season, when Christians allow themselves to let their guard down for a few days (or weeks, if you reflect on Lent).

In the end, I felt that it was something that maybe others would see the way I was coming to see it: a reminder that there is a program running quietly in the background of my life, that affects everything about my life, every day of my life, through the life I will live here on Earth and on into the future eternity- that Christ allowed himself to be tortured and killed for my sake.

Shame on me for going days, or maybe, sometimes, weeks, without thinking about that. Thank you, Pastor Mark Driscoll, for making this insight available to all of us via one of the most blessed and cursed of human instruments, the internet.

I Never Knew This...

2009-09-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday Silliness

2009-09-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday Silliness

2009-09-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

Back to the Blog World

2009-08-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

This evening, one of my faithful readers said, "Mom! You never write anything on your blog any more!" Not wanting to lose this reader, who may be the ONLY reader I have, I decided to post again.

First, I will give you all my lame excuses for going a month without writing:

1. I was busy. Or, at least, distracted. I was serving as general contractor for a big household make-over, involving siding, gutters, demo of a rotting back porch, rebuilding of said porch, and the very sad removal of our huge tulip tree that was deseased and threatening to fall on either the roof or the car. Although I did not do this work myself, it was surprisingly challenging to coordinate the many people who did.

2. It's hard to maintain the pretense of being a "garden blogger" when there are concrete mixers driving over your lawn and ladderjacks in your flower beds. The best I could muster up in the way of gardening was to walk around the property every evening clucking about the damage the workmen had unwittingly done.

3. Additionally, the aforementioned faithful reader moved out. I was to be the helper with this move, but within minutes of arriving at the new location I managed to fall down the rain-slicked porch steps, requiring a trip to the ER and a month of rehab on an injured rotator cuff. I don't know why, but that kind of threw me off my stride, so to speak.

All that is now behind me. The school year and choir season have resumed. There are no more excuses! It's time to get this blog going again! You can expect posts about the hymn of the week, the rehabilitation of my gardens, and the usual general musings, along with some Saturday Silliness and Sunday Strolling. I will amuse at least myself, and perhaps that one other reader.

Choral Singing Is Still Alive and Well

2009-08-02T19:33:00.000-07:00

HT: my friend Mindy

Saturday Silliness

2009-07-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that a wedding is a celebration!

HT:Kelli

Hymn of the Week- Leaning On The Everlasting Arms

2009-07-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago we watched the excellent movie "United 93". The movie takes place on September 11, 2001, and it's director tried to stay as completely faithful to the events regarding that flight as possible, down to the exact words of the various passengers, as recorded or recollected by their relatives. As you may remember, United flight 93 was the airliner on which the passengers chose to attack the terrorists who had hijacked the plane, resulting in it crashing in a field in Pennsylvania rather than into Washington, D.C.

One of the most memorable scenes in the movie involved a very young woman calling home on her cell phone. She had just comprehended that the plane was destined to crash, one way or another, and that she was facing certain death. At her parent's home, her stepmother answered the phone. The young woman, in a panicked voice, explained to her stepmother the circumstances she was in. The older woman had already seen news coverage of the other three planes crashing, and quickly understood the situation. She drew a deep breath, and, in the calmest of voices, began to guide the younger woman through her final moments. They expressed their love for each other. Then, the stepmother, seeking to calm the panicked girl, said something like,"I have my arms around you. Do you feel them?" With that, the demeanor of the younger woman changed. She relaxed. "Yes, I feel them," she replied.

Ever since then, that scene has come to mind when we use the hymn "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms" in a worship service. When the refrain lyrics were written by A.J. Showalter in 1887, he was inspired by Deuteronomy 33:26-27: "There is none like the God of Jerusalem- he descends from the heavens in majestic splendor to help you. The eternal God is your Refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Showalter had just received word from two different friends on the same day, that their young wives had died. In writing his condolences, he had added this verse in his notes to them.

Showalter then wrote to another friend, Elisha Hoffman. Hoffman was an Evangelical Presbyterian pastor in the Cincinnati area, and associated with that denomination's publishing house. Showalter suggested that Hoffman compose a hymn based on his suggestions about this verse. Though both of these men would be considered amateur hymn writers, between them they wrote what has become a favorite standard hymn. (Hoffman also wrote another popular hymn, "I Must Tell Jesus".)

Though the tune is rousing and joyous, the reassuring message that was illustrated by the scene in "United 93" is there. Believers can "rest" in the finished work of Jesus Christ on their behalf. In times of struggle, we can relax into the everlasting arms of our Lord.

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

refrain:

Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

O, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
O, how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
(refrain)

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
(refrain)

Elisha Albright Hoffman (1839-1929)

Forty Years Ago

2009-07-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

Here's what I remember of July 20, 1969:

My parents invited my grandparents over for the evening to watch the moon landing, because we had a better TV. My grandfather came reluctantly. It was always his contention that the space program was a waste of the tax-payer's money. However, my grandmother talked him into coming.

We all, parents, grandparents, sisters, and myself, gathered in the family room. Of course, watching space launches and capsule reentries always meant waiting through a lot of NASA rigamarole that I didn't understand, and there was a long lead-up to the actual event. We filled the time with hopping up and down to make popcorn and other snacks. Eventually, we could see the actual live footage from the lunar module itself as it eased down, down, down to the surface of the brightly sunlit, but lifeless, moon. Just thinking about the transmission of the images, coming from 3,000+ miles away, through the airless void of space and the layers of the atmosphere I had learned about in school, had us marveling and exclaiming to each other.

We perhaps had not realized we were holding our breath until the module was safely down, unscathed. It could have crashed, but it didn't. The video transmission could have fritzed out, but it didn't.

And then, a fuzzy image of a bulky figure could be seen descending slowly down a little ladder. He put his foot down, causing a small puff of dust, and his muffled voice, coming from the moon, said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

I remember that the astronauts behaved a little like kids as they muddled about in their awkward suits on the surface of the moon. I remember recognizing the joy and excitement in their voices, seeing them playfully bound around in the lower gravity. They made footprints in the moon dust, just as I did in winter when there was a fresh snow. I remember thinking that it was both exciting and sad that their footprints would never go away, never be muted by rain or wind.

At one point, late in the evening, I got up from where I was sitting cross legged on the floor, and went out the door into our backyard. I looked up at the moon in the sky. Alone, I stood there, staring, knowing that the distance was too great, but wishing none-the-less that I could somehow see something on the face of the moon. Somewhere up there, gamboling like children, were two men who were the very first humans to set foot on any heavenly orb but our own. I stood there a long time.

It was a long evening, and, unlike the adults in the room, I was less concerned about lifting off the moon and reconnecting for the journey home. The dangers were a little beyond me.

I went to bed thinking about the serious, scientific astronauts frisking like children. I thought about the footprints. Though I understood it but dimly, the universe had shifted just a bit that night.

An Older Chapter in the "Worship Wars"

2009-07-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

"I Sing the Mighty Power of God"
"O God, Our Help in Ages Past"
"Joy to the World, The Lord Has Come"
"Alas, And Did My Saviour Bleed"
"When I Survey the Wondrous Cross"
"At the Cross"
"We're Marching to Zion"

What do all these wonderful old traditional hymns have in common? They are all written by an eighteenth century English pastor named Isaac Watts. This is but a very abbreviated list. If you have any familiarity with traditional hymnody, you would recognize dozens of his contributions to the world of Christian worship!

Though we think of these hymns as traditional, or tried and true, songs of the church, it might surprise you to know that Watts was a cutting-edge, and much maligned, creator of contemporary worship in his day and time. Here is a short biographical video produced by Mars Hill Church of Seattle, that gives you a sense of his role in the history of Christian music.

Saturday Silliness

2009-07-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

HT: Ray Ortlund

For Tough Times

2009-06-29T05:24:00.000-07:00

Unbelief says:

Some other time, but not now;
some other place, but not here;
some other people, but not us.

Faith says:

Anything He did elsewhere He will do here;
anything He did any other time He is willing to do now;
anything He ever did for any other people He is willing to do for us!

With our

Feet on the ground,
and our head cool,
but with our hearts ablaze with the love of God,
we walk out in this fullness of the Spirit, if we will yield and obey.

A.W.Tozer

HT: Justin Taylor

Saturday Silliness

2009-06-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine posted this on FaceBook, titled "Are Women Just Born This Way?".

HT: Kellie

Shuffle

2009-06-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

Article #1:

Here's a short interview with a pastor who is revitalizing a dying church in a place where people "don't do God".

Andrew Baughen – St. James Clerkenwell from Mars Hill Church on Vimeo.

Article #2:

If you are interested in the Christian debate about Global Warming you might like Dean Ohlman's excellent article.

Article #3:

Finally, here's a wonderful post from local blogger, Rose, about volunteering with her grandchildren. What a great idea!

Sunday Stroll-June 14, 2009

2009-06-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my husband finished removing the tough roots of an old yew hedge, in anticipation of workmen coming this week to tear off our old porch and rebuild a new one. He's not a very big guy, and I think he pried them out by sheer force of will. Fortunately, my dire warnings that he was going to kill himself doing this did not come true. The workmen could have removed them for us, but doing it ourselves was going to save $150 dollars. But only because he didn't wind up in the emergency room!

I wanted to really savor my stroll around the back yard today, because I know it will be a mess most of the rest of the summer from all the construction. I was glad to see there are a few things that had bloomed for the first time within the last twenty-four hours.

These are the first hollyhocks of the season. I love hollyhocks! Some are growing from seeds my sister gave me; others are from seeds I scavenged from a stand of hollyhocks that are self-sown on drainage district property, along a ditch. I had driven by those several times, admiring them. One day in the fall I just pulled over and took some seed pods and put them in my pocket. I just couldn't help myself!

Purple loosestrife has started to bloom. Now, before you call the police, let me tell you I know they're invasive and no longer available to plant. This is the last of a very old planting of them. They have gradually died out in my garden. I think the fact that they are much loved by Japanese beetles has a lot to do with that. I'm not too worried that my particular plant is causing any problems. I don't think it ever has a chance to set seed, since it is so thoroughly eaten down by the beetles each summer.

The first day lilly! This one came from my brother-in-law's garden.

This was the first week of bloom for the oak leaf hydrangeas.

Finally a plant I know the real name of: penstemon "Husker Red", developed, I believe, at Nebraska State University. I planted them because I'm trying to gradually shift to prairie natives throughout my garden, or, at least, go that direction when I plant new things. The goal is to make the garden tolerant of our climate and welcoming to our particular birds and butterflies. I like the wine red of the stems and early foliage on these.

To see who else is strolling today, visit The Quiet Country House.

Saturday Silliness

2009-06-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

God texts the ten commandments

1. no1 b4 me. srsly.
2. dnt wrshp pix/idols
3. no omg’s
4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)
5. pos ok - ur m&d r cool
6. dnt kill ppl
7. :-X only w/ m8
8. dnt steal
9. dnt lie re: bf
10. dnt ogle ur bf’s m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.

M, pls rite on tabs & giv 2 ppl.
ttyl, JHWH.

ps. wwjd?

HT:Shannon

Hymn of the Week- "Lo, He Comes With Clouds Descending"

2009-06-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

I've always loved to study music history; it was one of my favorite classes at the University of Illinois, where I got my degree in Music Education.

I also love to study the sources of the music we use in church, both old and new, and find out a little about what specifically inspired the composers and lyricists in each case.

I thought it might be interesting to post about music that will be used in an upcoming service, so that those attending will perhaps enjoy the piece more. If you are reading this from a distance, maybe you'll also find some of this background interesting. Even if you're not a church attender, it can be fascinating to have a peek into the historical roots of some of our most influential musicians and poets, and perhaps gain insight into what Christians are reflecting on, whether you agree with it or not. This research is really for my own benefit, but I'll just put it out there anyway. I can't promise that I'll post something weekly, but I'm going to shoot for that as a goal.

This Sunday, the topic of the sermon is The Second Coming of Christ, as it is described in Luke's Gospel, chapter 17, verses 20-37. It's a subject that is endlessly debated, and I have no intention of going into the theology of it here. However, I, and the planning committee I meet with, was responsible for coming up with the music for the service that would support that sermon.

One hymn the congregation will sing is "Lo, He Comes With Clouds Descending". Though it's words are attributed to the great hymn writer Charles Wesley, it was actually based on a poem written by an eighteenth century land surveyor from Reading, England, named John Cennick. He eventually became a Moravian preacher. However, Wesley and two others, Martin Madan and a London cobbler named Thomas Olivers, adapted it for use in the Methodist movement.

Don't you love that? A surveyor, a cobbler, and one of the most famous hymn writers of that time, all contributing to this hymn! It's great poetry, too, based primarily on the first chapter of Revelation.

Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
Once for favored sinners slain;
Thousand, thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of His train;
Halleluiah! Halleluiah!
God appears on earth to reign.

Every eye shall now behold Him,
Robed in dreadful majesty;
Those who set at naught and sold Him,
Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing
Shall the true Messiah see.

The dear tokens of His passion
Still His dazzling body bears;
Cause of endless exultation
To His ransomed worshippers;
With what rapture, with what rapture,
Gaze we on those glorious scars!

Yea, Amen! Let all adore Thee,
High on Thy eternal throne;
Savior, take the power and glory,
Claim the kingdom for Thine own;
Halleluiah! Halleluiah!
Everlasting God come down!

Saturday Silliness

2009-06-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

This was titled "Jesus Saves"

No disrespect intended:)

HT: Fail Blog

The Fifth Sunday Family Gathering

2009-06-04T07:49:00.000-07:00

Our church has kind of a unique arrangement for our multiple services. We have an 8:15am contemporary style service, followed by Sunday School at 9:30am (with a coffee time in between), and then we have two 10:45 am services, one contemporary and one traditional. That means that Pastor Randy preaches three times each Sunday, and that at 10:45 we "share" him. He preaches early in the 10:45 contemporary service, and then walks to the other side of the building to give his sermon in the traditional service.

Three years ago, when we first started doing this I, with my gift of encouragement, predicted disaster. I was wrong, thank goodness. Though there are challenges for the staff in this schedule, it has worked out pretty well, and our attendance has grown steadily. All three services are well attended.

One thing we all wanted to prevent, since we are an almost 145 year-old congregation, and have many multi-generational families, was the development of three "congregations" that had no sense of connection with each other. One way we did that was to keep our very strong Sunday School system untouched. Most people can remain connected through those classes even if they attend different services.

Another thing we did was institute our Fifth Sunday Family Gatherings. Four times a year, when there is a fifth Sunday in a month, we scrap our usual schedule and meet for a joint service. Sheer numbers means we have to meet in the room that is used for the contemporary service, as we won't all squeeze into the sanctuary. Unfortunately, this means we can't use the pipe organ, but when we plan this service we work very hard to make sure the music is a blend of old and new, and that we use worship elements that feel accessible to every age group. We use musicians from both "sides". We use those services to highlight "family" celebrations: welcoming new members, giving the children entering fourth grade their first Bibles, hearing from the youth about their mission trip, and recognizing those who are graduating from high school or college. These are things the whole congregation likes to unite in celebrating.

This past week was the Sunday we met together, and we recognized the graduates. No, graduating from school is not a particularly "spiritual" thing, but we want to offer encouragement and prayer for those who are moving on to a new stage in their lives. That thought led me to choose a fairly contemporary choral piece for the choir, "Be Strong, and Take Courage", by Basil Chaisson. Before singing it, four of the choir members read these verses:

"Yes I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5, NLT)

"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowlege and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation-the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ-for this will bring much praise and glory to God." (Phil. 1:9-11, NLT)

"So we keep on praying for you, asking God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Thess. 1:11-12, NLT)

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jer. 29:11, NLT)

It was meaningful to the choir to give this benediction to the graduates on this special Sunday, the Fifth Sunday Family Gathering.

And then, being Baptists, we just had to follow that with a potluck!

Are You Incurable?

2009-06-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

The following are excerpts from a letter from a governor named Pliny to the Roman emperor Trajan on the growth of Christianity less than one hundred years after the crucifixion of Christ:

I have never been present at any of the Christians’ trials, and I am unaware of the methods and limits used in our investigation and torture. Do we show any regard to age or gender? If a Christian repents of his religion, do we still punish him or pardon him?
Currently, I am proceeding thus—I question them as to their religion; if they state they are Christian, I repeat the questioning, adding the threat of capital punishment. If they still persist, I order them to be executed. I do not believe that their stubbornness should go unpunished.
I recently questioned a group of Christians who, after interrogation, denied their faith. From this event, I could see more than ever the importance of extracting the real truth, with the assistance of torture, from two female prisoners. But I was able to discover nothing except depraved and excessive superstition.
I therefore thought it wise to consult you before continuing with this matter. The matter is well worth referring to you, especially considering the numbers endangered. This contagious superstition is not confined to the cities only, but has also spread throughout the villages.
Nevertheless it still seems possible to check and cure it.

HT:Stacy

This is worth pondering; I hope and pray I would be found "incurable".

Sunday Stroll- May 31, 2009

2009-05-31T13:44:00.000-07:00

I didn't post a Sunday Stroll last week, but that doesn't mean I wasn't running- er, strolling! It's important to take time to stroll with a 22-month-old, so that you can be reminded of how thrilling it is to stand on the water-main cover, or drop gravel down the storm sewer grate, or giggle at each bit of cottonwood "fluff" that floats past on the the breeze. Every so often she would stop in her tracks and lift her face to the sky and say, "feelthewind?" or "hearthebird?". And, suddenly, I did feel the wind, or hear the bird. Miraculous!

But this weekend I was on my own to notice things. We have a woodpecker living on our block, now. I can hear it, but haven't yet seen it. I couldn't help thinking about how fast it hammers on the tree trunks, or how strong it's beak and skull must be to take that pounding. It's really one of the wonders of the universe, don't you think?

And, while we were gone, everything decided to burst into bloom. It was all out there for our enjoyment today.

If you go for a stroll, be sure to stop and feelthewind, and hearthebird. Oh, and throw some more gravel in the sewer grate for me will you?

To see what other strollers are noticing, visit The Quiet Country House.

Put Him First

2009-05-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

Excellent points from Ray Ortlund:

"If our functional purpose in church is to connect with one another and build community, that's what we'll get -- one another. And we'll end up angry. Only Jesus gives us rest. If we will put him first and come to him first, we'll have something to give one another.

If our functional purpose in church is outreach and mercy and justice and all those good missional things, we'll end up exhausted and empty. Only Jesus gives us rest. If we will put him first and come to him first, we'll be renewed for endless mission."

Why We Sing

2009-05-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

"And the duty of singing praises to God, seems to be appointed wholly to excite and express religious affections. No other reason can be assigned, why we should express ourselves to God in verse, rather than in prose, and do it with music, but only, that such is our nature and frame, that these things have a tendency to move our affections. "

Jonathan Edwards

Saturday Silliness

2009-05-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

I know this may only appeal to ministry geeks, but it cracked me up. I'm dedicating this Saturday Silliness to my son Matt, who actually learned Koine Greek on his own in high school. Which prompted some eye rolling among his fellow youth group members, as you may well imagine.

Sunday Stroll- May 17, 2009

2009-05-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

After a week of intense storms, we're having a perfect May Sunday. It's graduation weekend at the University of Illinois, as well as prom weekend for my family's high school. Those events, celebrated by several generations of my family, are forever associated with "iris time" in local gardens.

All of my irises are pass-alongs from family members. My grandmother, who was an ace gardener, made sure that when we moved to this house we would have all the beautiful flowers we wanted from her divisions. Forsythia, iris, lambs-ears, jonquils- all unnamed but much loved, have flourished in my flower beds. Now, I'm ready to share with my children as they get their own homes.

These beautiful lavender iris are from Grandma H. I've divided them and sent some on to my sisters. There are also some pale beige-y ones that you can just see in the left corner of the picture. They are not a very pretty color, I'll admit, but they have sentimental value to me, so I keep growing them. No one wants to take divisions of them, though!

These royal purple iris are from my sister's garden. She got them from a neighbor. Who needs garden stores? These are very tall and stately, and my very favorites.

Finally, there are some shorter gold and brown iris that contrast wonderfully with the purple. These are also Grandma's, and she told me they came from her mother-in-law's garden, so they are a cultivar that goes back to the late nineteenth century. It's just fun to think about the way all that gardening knowledge is passed down in the family.

To see who else is strolling, and what else is blooming, visit The Quiet Country House.

Saturday Silliness

2009-05-16T04:00:00.001-07:00

Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

Sunday Stroll-May 10, 2009

2009-05-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

It's "almost" time in my garden. The peonies are almost blooming.

The irises are sooooo close!

The serviceberries are forming, and almost ready to be feasted on by the birds.

The climbing rose is covered with hundreds of small buds. It will be a treat to see in a week or two.

I had a wonderful Mother's day, with half my children here for lunch (Robin, Grant, and Grant's wife Traci). The other two sons live elsewhere, but we had nice visits on the phone.

To see who else is strolling on Mother's Day, pop over to The Quiet Country House.

Saturday Silliness

2009-05-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

Yep, all creation does praise His Name!

How Can the Church Ride the Crest of the Wave?

2009-05-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

We had a very interesting discussion in staff meeting last week about how best to communicate with the congregation. I'm sure a lot of people in the congregation have no idea how much we think about this! We've been analyzing the use of the newsletter that gets mailed monthly, how information is accessed on our website, whether folks are picking up the Weekly Happenings on Sunday mornings, etc.

As the congregation has grown, it's been an ongoing quest to find the perfect way to communicate with a congregation that ranges the full spectrum of ages. A church that has been planted in the last 30 years or so would probably have far fewer problems in this area. Such a church would have very few members that were not tech savvy enough to use online communication easily. In our case, we must respect the fact that our most elderly members are not necessarily using computers at all (although I'm actually proud of our retirees, many of whom are pretty with it when it comes to computers- after all, this community is the home of HAL!).

Here's a little example from my area of ministry. My choir consists of members ranging in age from 14 to 82. Now, the 82 year old is the retired dean of the U of I college of engineering, so he actually knows the developers of, say, Mosaic, and he's a proud technology whiz. I have several people who live in the country and are still using dial-up. I have a couple of retirees who check e-mail only occasionally- it's still not the main way they communicate. I have young 20-somethings who do everything online. Some of us are even FaceBook friends!

When I need to communicate quickly with this group (say, we're cancelling rehearsal due to snow) I use e-mail, and then also call about half of them, because I'm not sure they'll check their e-mail on time. If it's something that isn't immediate, I still send out a postcard by snail-mail. We are a classic example of the transition our whole society is in with communication.

It's even more glaringly disparate when you view the whole congregation. What about the shut-ins? What about the families from other churches who send their children to our AWANA program? If we push everything to our website, or use e-mail alerts for informing people about deaths in our church family, we are bound to miss someone. If we rely on paper, there are people who don't read those publications. And then there's cost. We're paying a web administrator, but we're also paying a lot in postage. So much to think about.

I saw this video on several ministry blogs today, and I thought it was very thought provoking in light of our staff discussions. No matter how you look at it, how we serve our people, how we reach the wider community with the unchanging Truth of the Gospel, is going to change radically in the next couple of years.

Saturday Silliness

2009-05-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

Wish I'd been there!

Shuffle

2009-05-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

I fixed these links as of 8:30am Saturday!

Article #1:

We had the Ebertfest here in C-U last week, and the town had it's annual influx of film afficionados. The city of Urbana honored Roger Ebert by placing a plaque on the sidewalk in front of his childhood home. In response, he wrote a marvelous article about the influence Urbana, and the university, had on his life. I am shamelessly proud to post this; I agree with him wholeheartedly that there is no better place to live.

Article #2:

Not really an article, but if you have an interest in sacred music, Soli Deo Gloria"s website is an interesting place to visit. They are a group of highly competent professional musicians who promote the performance of existing sacred music, and the comissioning of new sacred music on an international level. The short video clips are quite informative about the state of contemporary sacred music (poor), and the importance of promoting sacred works as a way for people to connect with God.

Article #3:

This was an interesting post about, well, thinking.

Article # 4:

I'm not a pastor, but reading blogs by pastors and theologians is still very helpful to me in my position as Music Coordinator. It's all about working with people!

I liked this post from Indiana pastor Rob Harrison about the difference between "doing" pastoral work and "being" a pastor. What Math Class Taught Me About Pastoral Ministry

"Are You Friend or Foe?"

2009-04-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man stading in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, "Are you friend or foe?"

"Neither one," he replied. "I am the commander of the Lord's army."

At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. "I am at your command," Joshua said. "What do you wnat your servant to do?"

(Joshua 5:13-14, NLT)

I was reading along this week and found this incident again- one of my favorites. I would so like something like this to happen to me! I want to see the guy with the sword.

It's such a great reminder. God isn't on anyone's side but His own!

Then, of course, Joshua leads the people into the "battle" of Jericho, where they clearly did not take the city by their own force. God wanted it to fall, so it fell. They really couldn't claim that victory as their own in any way. Love it!

For a Rainy Day

2009-04-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

From one of my favorite Ned Rorem art songs, "Rain In Spring":

There fell a beautiful clear rain,
with no admixture of fog or snow,
and this was, and no other thing,
the very sign of the start of spring.

Not the longing for a lover;
nor the sentiment of starting over;
just that clear and refreshing rain,
falling without haste or strain.

I was so struck by that poetry, set by Rorem to a calm, contemplative melody, and had it on the program for my junior recital when I was in college. It's perfect for today.

Saturday Silliness

2009-04-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Who Controls The Conversation In Your Head?

2009-04-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

"Since no one is more influential in my life than me, and because no one talks to me more than I do, what I say to myself about myself is very important. The little kingdom, being more dominated by my internal conversation than by God's revelation, does not encourage a humble and accurate view of self."- Paul Tripp, "The Quest For More: Living For Something Bigger Than Yourself"

This is so true, isn't it? Our internal conversation, when controlled by self, elevates and defends self. It proves the old saying "The opposite of love is not hate; the opposite of love is self."

When, on the other hand, the internal conversation is controlled by the Accuser, it demeans and destroys self- that very self which God lovingly created.

I thought of all that today as I read this:

"Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. That's why those who are under control of the sinful nature can never please God.

"But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you."

Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter 8, verses 9-11 (NLT)

Life and peace are ours if we let the Spirit of Christ control our minds.

Expanding On Yesterday's Sermon Topic

2009-04-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

Luke 14:27-"...if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple."

Forget the "prosperity gospel".

(HT:Desiring God)

Sunday Stroll-April 10, 2009

2009-04-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

Despite a steady drizzle, everything outside looked so fresh and green, and I had to go out for a damp stroll around my yard, and record what spring was offering us today. Above are the lily-of-the-valley that have sprung up in only the last four or five days, and are already developing flower buds. These were originally transplants from my grandmother's place. She gave me strict planting instructions: put them in the bed that is surrounded by concrete sidewalks and the house; if they escape, you will never see the end of them in the lawn! I took her at her word, and have been able to confine them and enjoy them for years, though, if I'm not vigilant, they will actually try to advance toward the lawn by way of the sidewalk cracks!

We had a remarkably long, cold winter, with some long spells of single-digit temperatures, and unfortunately that means that there were no forsythia blooms this year, and possibly we won't get our pink cloud of crab apple blossoms, either. I also noticed as I worked yesterday that we've lost two rose bushes.

That means we'll just have to enjoy the other, more subtle blooms and foliage that go with April, such as the soft, pale green of the oak leaf hydrangeas.

The Japanese spurge is blooming, and smells heavenly

Wrapped around the foot of the crab apple is a skirt of violets.

The peonies are not only robust, but have far and away outgrown the cages I use for them.

This is a clump of Moonbeam coreopsis, something that also seems to have sprung up over night. I love that soft, feathery foliage.

In the shade garden, chartreuse hostas are proliferating. These were also pass-along plants from a friend, so I can't tell you their name, despite scouring hosta sites to try to identify them.

It would hardly be April without daffodils. I need to remember to divide these poor things next fall; they're looking pretty crowded!

I have a favorite green glade, where the maple and Ye Olde Yew compete for space, and purple wintercreeper is sending out it's new bright leaves. I keep this groundcover trimmed at about four feet up the tree or it would climb to the top, I think! I saw that way of pruning it in a couple of English gardening books, and liked the effect. I think English gardeners value mature plantings and contrasting greens perhaps a bit more than most American gardeners, while we tend to go for color more. I'm glad I have this little spot near the patio.

There is also a "view" that appeals to me through an opening in this area. It would be even more striking on a sunny day. I'll try to remember to capture that on film sometime soon.

That's the end of my stroll; I needed to get back in out of the rain.

To see who else is strolling, visit Aisling at The Quiet Country House.

Okay. I'm Back. I Think.

2009-04-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

Well, that was certainly a longer blog hiatus than I had planned on. Just to update you, if I had been blogging over the last month it would have been something like this:

Today I laid on the couch and coughed.

Today I laid on the couch and coughed, and also watched a little HGTV.

Today I slept on the couch, even though HGTV was on in the background.

And so on, for about three weeks, until I finally got over pneumonia. Then the posts would have suddenly switched to this:

AAAACK!! I HAVE TO GET EVERYTHING READY FOR EASTER!!

That would have been good for about another two weeks.

Now, Easter is over (and everything went well, which just proves that panicking works!), and I am back in my regular routine again, meaning I will be conjuring up blog posts while I stand at the crossing or do my yard work. I'm not guaranteeing anything interesting, mind you, but you know that's the way this blog goes anyway.

So if any of you are still stopping by, thanks for hanging in there with me, and let's get some conversation going!

Dealing With Guilt On Good Friday

2009-04-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

THAT'S EASTER Life to Death from St Helen’s Church on Vimeo.

Saturday Silliness

2009-04-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

I'm dedicating this one, with highest respect, to the guys who came to our house a couple of Christmas Eves ago and rodded out our sewer so that we could have Christmas dinner at our house the next day.

Saturday Silliness-Kafka-esque Vacationing

2009-03-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

Prague's Franz Kafka International Named World's Most Alienating Airport

Shuffle

2009-03-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

Article #1:

Some of you who live in my area may remember Brant Hansen, a U of I grad who was a radio host for a local Christian radio station, WBGL. Brant was also a member of Koinonia Christian Cooperative House at the Baptist Student Foundation, where my sons lived in college. Anyway, he is now in Texas, and has his own radio show on a Christian station down there. As you may see, if you read his post "Can Jesus and Christian Radio Coexist", he is not you average bland CCM guy, and he likes to push the buttons of the Bible Belt establishment.

Article #2:

Someone else is rocking the boat. Check out this article and video about a New England pastor who's efforts to be obedent to the Gospel have raised a firestorm of community anger.

Article #3:

Speaking of anger, Mike Rowe of Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" wonders "is it really about the AIG bonuses??"

Article #4:

In important reporting on the "slippery slope" issues, Ryan T. Anderson writes:

"President Bush was, in fact, the first president in history to fund embryonic stem cell research. The compromise Bush reached, however, put restrictions in place that prevented the further destruction of human embryos. It is these restrictions protecting human life that Obama has lifted."

As Lenin said "There are no morals in politics; there is only expedience."

Spring, So Far

2009-03-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to enjoy the spring weather as best I can, and be done with whining about having walking pneumonia, so yesterday I headed outside with my camera. It shouldn't contradict medical orders too much to take photos, should it?

The above picture is of a squirrel's nest in a hollow spot in our tulip poplar. Living as it does just a few feet from our front window, this critter has been endlessly entertaining over the years. I don't know if we see the same one all the time, or if we are seeing a succession of squirrels. I looked online, and found that they live for 7-8 years, so I think we've had this one for a while, which explains it's complete unconcern for us and our (now deceased) cats. I'd love to know if it's male or female! Are there babies up in the tree? Is that the reason for the major housecleaning it is apparently undertaking, judging by all the junk it has tossed out of it's hole? I learned that the nests are called "dreys", and they usually make two or three in the same tree. When one gets too flea-ridden, they change nests for a few weeks. I guess that's one way to deal with a dirty house!

Here are the daffodils, heroically pushing up through the heavy mulch of leaves that should have been removed last week by the gardener. Poor things! But I suppose they have to do this in the wild.

A previous owner of this house planted these tulips, which now come up through the oak-leaf hydrangeas as a spring underplanting. I love it! I couldn't have planned this if I tried. They bloom before the hydrangeas leaf out, giving a nice shot of color to that spot, and then their dying leaves are hidden by the shrubs. I'll try to remember to post a picture of them in bloom.

Finally, I've got snow drops blooming all through the Japanese spurge. Again, they will do their thing and then be hidden by the groundcover when blooming is done.

I hope your spring is going well, and you take time to enjoy all the signs of life bursting out around us.

A Concert Opportunity

2009-03-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

I promise I will post something original soon! In fact I have three posts in the works, but haven't finished them just yet.

Still, I thought I would pass on a clip that was sent to me by Babara Hedlund of the little 6-year-old girl, Emily Bear, from Rockford, IL, who will be playing with the C-U Symphony on April 11th. If you can get over to Krannert and buy a ticket, I think you would be delighted by her.

Enjoy!

2009-03-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

Not Doing Much Walking

2009-03-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

Thursday I finally went to the doctor, and was diagnosed with walking pneumonia, which I am re-naming "laying on the couch in sweatpants" pneumonia. I was sent home with over $100 worth of medicine, and I'm trying to follow orders, but everyone says this lasts a month or so. I am not a happy camper right now! Tomorrow, for the first time in the five years I've been the music director, I'm going to miss church due to sickness. Hopefully that will help me get over this sooner so we can go into Holy Week full speed ahead.

Taking a Little Break

2009-03-11T05:54:00.000-07:00

I'm on my annual unplanned vacation-from-everything-while-battling-bronchitis blog hiatus. Be back soon, I hope!

Displaced Humility

2009-03-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

"What we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place. Modesty has moved from the organ of ambition. Modesty has settled upon the organ of conviction, where it was never meant to be. A man was meant to be doubtful about himself, but undoubting about the truth; this has been exactly reversed. Nowadays the part of a man that a man does assert is exactly the part he ought not to assert -- himself."

G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, chapter three, "The Suicide of Thought."

HT:Ray Ortlund

Saturday Silliness-"Rod Blagojevitch, Author"

2009-03-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

Here's the News Gazette's Thursday editorial take on our ex-governor:

David McCullough and Doris Kearns Goodwin probably have nothing to fear from the most recently proclaimed political author, Rod Blagojevich. The former Illinois governor, who could be indicted by federal officials any day now, probably will be devoting more time to staying out of prison than writing the great American novel.

And you thought that Rod Blagojevich's only talent was talking about himself.

It turns out that he likes to write about himself too. At least that's the plan. Phoenix Books, a Beverly Hills-based publisher, reportedly has offered the former Illinois governor a "six-figure book deal." And the governor has taken it, promising to complete a book with the working title "The Governor" this year.

Not clear yet is whether it will be fiction or nonfiction. Knowing Blagojevich, we'd suggest it will be fiction even if it isn't labeled as such.

"It's the insider's view of not only Chicago politics, but politics in general," said Michael Viner, president of Phoenix Books. "How the horses are traded, the options that are looked at."
Obviously, it won't address a governor's chief responsibility: governing. Blagojevich had little interest in that.

There were some people in high places who didn't want the governor to write this book and worked to try to squash a book deal," Blagojevich's agent, Glenn Selig, told the Chicago Sun-Times.

We have no doubt that a lot of people – in low places, high places and everywhere in between – don't want Blagojevich to write a book. It's not that they fear anything. It's just that they want Blagojevich to go away. But like his pal, Roland Burris, he won't. At least not until after his anticipated federal trial.

The ex-governor better not suffer from writer's block. There likely isn't much time before he'll need to begin planning his defense. In any case, he'd be advised to be a better defendant and a better author than he was a governor.

Shuffle

2009-03-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Article #1:

Christopher Cannucciari decided to video his great-grandmother as she cooked some of the meals her family ate during the Great Depression. The results were so interesting, he created a website for others to learn her cheap and simple cooking tricks. This is lots of fun, and you get to meet a wonderful lady to boot.

Article #2:

Yet another way to try to grasp how much we are getting into with the bailouts: "What Does A Trillion Dollars Look Like?"

Follow Up On Our Green Remodel

2009-03-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

As I wrote two weeks ago, we've been in the middle of a bathroom remodel. I loaded a picture of the "before" bathroom, and then really couldn't post it; it was just too awful! But I will show you some of the rubble that was hauled out.

Remodelling, is very difficult to do in a "green" way, though we did the best we could. We reused two mirrors in the new bathroom. We recycled every bit of cardboard, plastic and metal we could. It's truly amazing how much cardboard there was from the packing for the new elements. I purchased low-VOC paint from Home Depot that I was very pleased with, and thankful not to have that intense paint smell in the house during a week when we had to keep the house closed up tight.

Still, a lot of stuff went to the landfill: old ceramic flooring with it's cement sub-floor, some rotted wood sub-flooring (so glad we found that and could get it repaired!), wall tile and sheet rock, and the dilapidated cabinet. A lot of heat energy was lost from the house on those cold days as the remodellers ran in and out to their truck and to the back yard, where they were sawing things.

There are a lot of things I love about the "new" bathroom, but I think my favorite is the Solatube skylight. All day long the bathroom is bathed in warm light, even on the cloudiest days, and it is unnecessary to turn on a light in there at all if the sun is up.

I also am kind of amazed by the new water-saver toilet. We had one from the first generation of water-savers and it... didn't really do the job, if you know what I mean. This one is tremendously better. I did a little rough calculating and I think it should pay for itself in reduced water bills within about 15 months. Toilets are relatively inexpensive. If you can possibly do it, I would encourage you to think about replacing your current one with one of the new ones, for both financial and environmental reasons.

I learned another interesting thing during this process. It is not recommended that a Formica-type laminate counter top be used in a bathroom any more. The glues used to make them have been reformulated to make them safer, and they don't stand up to the warm, steamy environment of a bathroom. That meant I had to look at solid surface counters. I had some crazy luck- there was a pre-drilled granite counter top that was on sale so cheap (and included the sinks) that it cost less than other more plebeian choices. This was a sort of embarrassment of riches!

In the end, we wound up with this:

Our daughter, currently the main user of this bathroom, says it looks like it belongs in someone else's house, because it's "so trendy". Of course, ten years from now it will be passe and outdated, but we're not exactly slaves to fashion, so this is probably how it will look until Mike and I can't live in a house with stairs anymore. Fortunately, I'm pretty happy with it.

Wintley Phipps-Amazing Grace

2009-03-02T07:04:00.000-08:00

One of my choir members, Hilary S., sent me this over the weekend, and I thought you'd love it as much as I did:

Saturday Silliness-Recession Religion

2009-02-28T04:00:00.001-08:00

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Turning to Religion - Jim Martin

Colbert Report Full Episodes
Funny Political News

Christian Bale Parody
Joke of the Day

Eyes Open, Conscience Engaged

2009-02-27T17:49:00.000-08:00

When there is a news story that someone wants to bury, typically the information is released on Friday afternoon, as was this one, found in the LA Times.

"Reporting from Washington -- Taking another step into the abortion debate, the Obama administration today will move to rescind a controversial rule that allows healthcare workers to deny abortion counseling or other family planning services if doing so would violate their moral beliefs, according to administration officials...

"Last month without official ceremony, Obama overturned a controversial ban on U.S. funding for international aid groups that provide abortion services.

"The move by the Department of Health and Human Services to throw out the conscience rule is being made equally quietly as most of Washington focuses on the president's blockbuster budget plan."

Read the whole story. This original ruling was supported most strongly by Catholic physicians, pharmacists, and hospitals, who do not want to be forced to counsel women that abortion is an option, or fill prescriptions for the morning after pill.

Just fulfilling my role as a member of the loyal opposition.

Shuffle

2009-02-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

Article #1:

I liked my blog-friend Rose's essay on farming and family life in Central Illinois.

Article #2:

There was much discussion this week about the need for dialog about race in the U.S., so this article was interesting to me:

"The real fights within the black community — our internal culture wars — have been over which face we show white America. The legendary battle of ideas between Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois at the dawn of the 20th century was also a battle over masks: should we seem humble and modest or prideful and outraged? This “mask war” was vicious because group masks are mutually exclusive; each nullifies the other. Can’t be humble and outraged at the same time. One mask had to die so that the other might live. So the battle between Washington and Du Bois was winner-take-all. One man emerged the leader of his race; the other became a symbol of Uncle Tomism. "

This is an fascinating editorial by Shelby Steele that revisits the life of Booker T. Washington, and a debate that I, as a white person, never knew existed.

Article #3:

Finally, I'm having a great time reading the blog posts by Slate's David Plotz, Blogging the Bible. Plotz, attending a bat mizvah for a relative, picked up a Hebrew Bible (Genesis through the Chronicles), and, while thumbing through it, discovered stories he had never learned about in Hebrew school. He decided to actually read the Hebrew Bible, and blog about what he found there. The perspective is Jewish, and refreshing because it is just an ordinary person's gut response to what he reads. Always thought-provoking.

It's An Award!!

2009-02-24T18:08:00.000-08:00

Judy at My Freezer Is Full has been kind enough to give me an award! This award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his/her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary and personal values every day.

The rules for this award are as follows:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog, together with the name of the person that has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to another (up to) 15 blogs that are worthy of the acknowledgement. Remember to contact each of them to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

There a so many wonderful bloggers out there, and I learn from them every day. There are two that stand out to me for this award, though.

Nan, at Letters From a Hill Farm

Rose, at Prairie Rose's Garden

Our Own Stimulus Package-A Green Bathroom Remodel

2009-02-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

Today my main bathroom is being completely gutted. Over the course of the next week, it will be transformed from a very dilapidated and dated original 1961 bathroom into something I'm actually not embarrassed to have a guest see.

I know that right now most people are pulling in their horns financially and building projects are few and far between. We did think hard before committing to the project. Our reasoning went something like this:

1. We've been planning and saving for this project for a long time, and unless something major is encountered, we should be able to complete it for cash.

2. It's not frivolous. That bathroom was truly in bad condition, with sinks and a tub that were so pitted they could not be kept clean, a water-inefficient toilet, a vanity cabinet with the veneer peeling off, medicine cabinets that wouldn't shut all the way, and an old Formica counter top that had been scrubbed so many times the finish was completely worn off. And don't even get me started on the dated colors, etc. I really don't think our home would sell at all without redoing it. We aren't planning to sell, but it's always wise to keep a house, which for most people is a one of their largest assets, in marketable condition.

3. We can keep two terrific remodelers in work, add some sales tax into our local coffers, and help keep our lumber yard, hardware store, and housewares store in business.

4. If we do our research, we could make this room more energy and water-use efficient, as well. For instance, it's a windowless room in the middle of our upstairs. My research led me to plan the instalation of a Solatube sky-light, which will bring daylight in, reducing the need for electric lighting in both the bathroom and, when the door is open, the hallway. We are also getting one of the most water-efficient toilets available (which I found on sale at a bargain-basement price!), as well as a more efficient showerhead and faucets. Even the exhaust fan will be more efficient and much more quiet.

We are also trying to send as little to the landfill as possible. We are reusing the two mirrors- they are really good ones, and new high quality mirrors are expensive. We simply removed them from the front of the old medicine cabinets, and will remount them with a frame around them. The current faucets will be used by a local mission that refurbishes substandard housing because they are only about five years old and in great condition (but won't fit in the pre-drilled holes in the new counter top). All metal items will be taken to a scrap metal yard to be recycled, and we may even get a few bucks for our trouble. All plastic will go into the recycling bin. The old shower curtain will become a drop cloth for painting. The faded old towels will be given to the homeless shelter for the men to use when they shower.

I plan to post on this project again as it finishes, to let you know how these sustainable changes go. Hopefully, I can give you a good idea that you might be able to use if you are undertaking a project like this yourself. I might even get brave enough to post "before and after" photos!

Saturday Silliness- Who Needs A Soul Patch?

2009-02-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

This is just funny on so many levels:

Shuffle

2009-02-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a lot of time for reading and posting this week, but here are two things you might find interesting:

Article #1:

This is why I love high school and college sports, despite my disinterest in professional sports.

Article #2:

Bill Mounce posts an absolutely wonderful article on the importance of guarding one's speech, even in e-mail and blogging.

Happy "Real" Birthday, Robin!

2009-02-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

When Robin was little, she sometimes had a joint birthday party with her brother, whose special day was only four days earlier. This was confusing to her. She would ask, "Is this my real birthday or my fake birthday?" If it was her real one, she was pretty darned excited, because when you're the fourth kid in the family, you can sometimes get lost in the shuffle.

So today, I just want to make sure she gets a little recognition on her real birthday:

Everyone looks up to you (and not just because you're so tall.) You have that natural something that makes school boards come and beg you to be their band teacher (even when you didn't apply for the job!), their favorite aunt (so willing to be led all over the house by the finger), and lifelong buddy (with good friends you've kept since middle school).

You make us all better for knowing you, Robin. Thanks for being our very best daughter!
Happy birthday!

Saturday Silliness-Post-season Speculation

2009-02-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

Tom Coughlin Retires From Family To Spend More Time With Team

Shuffle

2009-02-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

Article #1:

A 79 year old Chinese lady sends a letter of thanks to Christians all over the world. This one made me cry.

Article #2:

Here's another perspective on Abraham Lincoln, from another reader of "Team of Rivals" We don't really disagree.

Article #3:

Apparently, the public believes that any random sampling of folks from the white pages could do a better job than Congress. This one made me chuckle.

Article #4:

Then again, maybe no one knows what to do. This left me incredulous.

In the end, I think Article #1 is the one I'll choose to focus on.

What Christ Is Up To Right Now-"Think on These Things"

2009-02-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

Facing The End of the World As We Know It

2009-02-10T19:22:00.000-08:00

I have so many friends, both blogging friends and "real life" friends, that are anxious now. They are mostly anxious about the economy, but many are also worried about global warming or other ecological problems. The hardest thing for all of us right now is the sense that there isn't much that we can control about our future.

I saw this great little article by John Piper today, and I thought I would share it in hopes that it gives you some peace:

Jesus wants his followers to be free from worry. In Matthew 6:25-34 he gives at least seven arguments designed to take away our anxiety.

One of them lists food and drink and clothing, and then says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” (Matthew 6:32).

Do not be anxious, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. (vv. 31-32).

Jesus must mean that God’s knowing is accompanied by his desiring to meet our need. He is emphasizing we have a Father. And this Father is better than an earthly father.

I have five children. I love to meet their needs. But my knowing falls short of God’s in at least three ways.

Right now I don’t know where any of them is. I could guess.

*They’re in their homes or at work or school, healthy and safe. But they might be lying on a sidewalk with a heart attack.

*I don’t know what is in their heart at any given moment. I can guess from time to time. But they may be feeling some fear or hurt or anger or lust or greed or joy or hope. I can’t see their hearts.

*I don’t know their future. Right now they may seem well and steady. But tomorrow some great sorrow may befall them.

This means I can’t be for them a very strong reason for not worrying. There are things that may be happening to them now or may happen tomorrow that I do not even know about.

But it is totally different with their Father in heaven. He knows everything about them now and tomorrow, inside and out. He sees every need.

Add to that, his huge eagerness to meet their needs (the “much more” of Matt. 6:30). Add to that his complete ability to do what he is eager to do (he feeds billions of birds hourly, Matt. 6:26).

So join me and my children in trusting the promise of Jesus to meet our needs. That’s what Jesus is calling for when he says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”

Living With Lincoln

2009-02-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

"Lincoln the Lawyer", by Laredo Taft, located in Carle Park, Urbana, IL

Just in time for the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, I've finished reading "Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin. It's a long book, and I spent the better part of a month reading it. It is absolutely worth the time, and I would rank it among the very best of the biographies and histories I have read. I loved Carl Sandburg's poetic Lincoln biography. This is totally different, in that Goodwin is essentially focused on a character study not only of Lincoln, but the men he chose to serve in his cabinet. It is a thesis on leadership.

Here's the thing: I still feel immersed in this book; I still feel I am being shaped by what Goodwin revealed about these men. I feel, more than ever, that my own character will be formed by reflecting on the character of Lincoln. I'm convinced that this one individual is the greatest leader this nation has had so far.

Marker outside the Champaign County Courthouse

I say that I feel this "more than ever", because, to some degree, like many native Central Illinoisians, Lincoln has always been part of my life. Just as multi-generational New Englanders surely feel the presence and influence of those early Puritan settlers as they look around their towns, we can hardly go more than a few miles without a recognition, in some way, that Abraham Lincoln was present in our county courthouses, boarding in homes and taverns all over the area while he rode the circuit, debating Stephen Douglas at our fairgrounds, and giving campaign speeches from the back of a rail car at every little whistle-stop in the middle of the prairie.

I'm sure my fiery abolitionist ancestors here in Champaign County must have been present when he spoke at the courthouse that sits just three miles across town from my house. I'm almost certain they would have known him personally, meeting him when he was living in Urbana arguing cases, as there are records stating that they ardently campaigned for him. That family volunteered a father and three sons, as well as two sons-in-law, to fight in the Civil War. Two died; one 16 year-old was captured and sent to Andersonville Prison, from which he escaped and walked back to Illinois. They believed, like Lincoln, in the preservation of the Union and the containment and eventual elimination of slavery, and they acted upon those beliefs. They saw Lincoln as their moral leader.

170 year old coverlet from my Springfield ancestors, hanging in my stairwell

I know that my ancestors in Springfield knew the Lincolns well. My father has, stored somewhere safe, a note from a very young Abe Lincoln that is an IOU to my great-great-great grandfather for spotting him the cost of some postage. Later, when Lincoln was a lawyer in Springfield, he was a near neighbor and friend with my family, and they socialized frequently, and wrote letters when separated. I grew up being told of this relationship. My family donated the land on which Lincoln's Tomb is located, as a gesture of honor to their friend.

Abraham Lincoln isn't held up as a great man because he "just happened" to be president during the Civil War. Sesession occured between his election and his inauguration in part because he was elected, because of who he was and what he stood for. No, he is a great man because, despite the bleakest of childhoods, destitute even by frontier standards, he made something of himself, and yet never seemed to become possessed by the desire to become rich. He is great because, with less than one full year of formal schooling, he compulsively self-educated, becoming a lawyer, a congressman, and, after defeating much more highly educated men, president, and yet never seemed to value himself more than he valued others. He is great because, through the testimony of every person who ever met him, it is clear that despite a life in politics, there was never a vindictive bone in his body. He never acted out of pettiness or temper. He remained comfortable with both the commonest people and those at the highest levels of the social order. He respected and loved people with whom he disagreed vehemently. He pondered his major decisions at length, and then, once he made them, never second-guessed himself.

I'm sure that I have never met or known of a person like that in this day and time. The other great men of his time, despite tremendous accomplishments, simply were never his equals, and they readily admitted that fact.

One of the hardest things about reading "Team of Rivals" was knowing what was coming at the end. Throughout the book, admiration and love for Lincoln grow in the reader; but he's going to be assassinated. You know that. When it comes, it is still stunning, staggering.

Read this profound book about this unparalleled life. Surely there isn't any American whose life is more suitable for pondering.

Sunday Stroll-February 8, 2009

2009-02-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

This was my first Sunday Stroll in several weeks, and the sun was beckoning!

The mounds of snow that built up along our driveway over the last five weeks are all but gone. This is the third, and predicted to be the last, day of our January, er, February thaw.

The ground is still frozen rock-hard, but the snow is mostly to be found in the shadows.

We are entering the prime time of year for tree pruning, and this year we'll have to clean up the damage we received from the three big ice storms we had. The ragged breaks will have to be pruned back to the branch collars, and all that big mound of downed limbs will need to be cut up and hauled to the yard-waste recycling site.

I would like to give a shout-out to this wonderful shrub, the inkberry holly. I have several in my yard, and they are so beautiful and hardy I'm tempted to plant more. They are native to the area, and despite a long spell of single-digit weather they show no sign of "freezer burn", nor did they snap and break in the ice. Their leaves have remained a lovely glossy deep green through the whole winter. In summer, they look fresh no matter if we're having a flood or a drought. I like to keep mine pruned in a loose, natural shape, but some people clip them like boxwood and create a much denser look. If you're looking for a carefree native, the inkberry is my recommendation!

We're headed into the more interesting time of year for strolling. To see who else was tempted out by the 40 degree weather, go to The Quiet Country House.

Saturday Silliness-I Love Jesus But I Drink A Little

2009-02-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

Shuffle

2009-02-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

Article #1

"Disney's announcement that it was abandoning the Chronicles of Narnia series has disheartened many fans around the world, but it may be too soon to give up hope on the series, especially with news that 20th Century Fox plans to pick up where Disney left off. By going back to the drawing board and learning from key mistakes of the past, the series can still be saved, but it will be a difficult and painful road."

This was a very interesting article by Mark Jacobs about the challenge of producing movies that are true to C.S. Lewis, and true to the intended audiences as well.

Article #2:

How's the new president doing so far?

Article #3:

"The market does not drive scientists, thinkers, or governments to do the right things. Only by paying attention and making people care can we make as much progress as we need to."

Bill Gates presses forward with malaria relief work, and challenges others in the busness world to rethink their priorities.

Just Trying to Wrap My Head Around This

2009-02-05T16:45:00.000-08:00

* The Marshall Plan cost $12.7 billion ($115.3 billion, adjusted for inflation)
* The space race cost $36.4 billion ($237 billion with inflation)
* The Korean War cost $54 billion ($454 billion with inflation)
* The New Deal cost $32 billion (estimated; $500 billion with inflation)
* The invasion of Iraq cost $551 billion ($597 billion with inflation)
* The Vietnam War cost $111 billion ($698 billion with inflation)

So, the total cost of the Marshall Plan, the Korean War, and the New Deal—using all figures adjusted for inflation—is less than that of the current economic stimulus package. That’s how much $1.1 trillion is. (HT:Amanda)

OR:

If you collected a $1 million per day, every day from the birth of Christ, in 2009 you'd only be about 3/4 of the way to a trillion.

If you got $1 every second, it would take almost 32,000 years to get to a trillion.

If you stacked a trillion dollar bills on top of each other, it would go 68,000 miles into space--1/3 of the way to the moon.

If you took 100-dollar bills and put them side to side, it would circle the equator 38.9 times

OR:

1.1 trillion dollars (1,100,000,000,000 dollars) could build 16.6 million Habitat For Humanity houses.

In the Bleak Midwinter

2009-02-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, housebound by some terrible weather and feeling a little stupefied by the lack of sunlight, I remember thinking "I feel like nothing changes. I'm tired of everything-weather, house, yard, job, clothes- you name it!" I posted my FaceBook status: "Ready for a trip to the Bahamas, but don't think that will be happening any time soon." In a running joke with my husband, we keep track of the days when the windchill is below zero, issuing "Frozen Booger Alerts". This winter has been a doozey! Fourteen alerts so far.

Do you ever feel that it's harder to do the same thing day in and day out, than to do something stressful and different all the time? I think persevering, when there is no adrenalin rush, no sense of urgency, no variety of any kind, is the most difficult kind of endurance to pursue.

I don't get like that very often, but that day I let myself wallow in the gloom for a few hours. Then I gave myself a good shake. What was so terrible about being precisely where I was? I needed to quit being such a slug.

Since then, here's what has happened: we finally started the bathroom remodelling job for which we've been saving and planning a long time (more on that in another post); I've found about 30 of my college friends through FaceBook, and we are going to have a reunion in February; and, we've been blessed with a new grandson, who we will get to see for the first time next week!

That's a lot! I thrive on projects, the more complicated the better, and that bathroom remodel is definitely going to take a lot of attention. The college girl friends have been a constant source of amusement; I so look forward to opening my laptop every day and seeing who has written me. The reunion dinner will be a blast. And the grandson! How can you beat that for a positive change in one's life?

All of this is to say, if your feeling stuck, just wait a bit. Things change. Good stuff happens. Spring will come soon!

Seven Random Facts

2009-01-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

Jena, at Married to the Farm, has tagged me in a meme. Here are the rules:

Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird.
Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog
Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Well, here goes!

1. I don't like eggplant, brussel spouts, or butterbeans. I'll eat just about anything else.
2. I once sang a solo in San Marco Cathedral in Venice. I was there with a college choral group, and the piece we were performing had a solo part to it.
3. I sort M&Ms by color when I eat them.
4. I am a connoiseur of excellent socks. My favorites are SmartWool.
5. I met my husband while working with him on a Greek house charity event that involved rolling an empty beer keg from Bloomington to Champaign. If that isn't the dumbest idea for a charity event, I don't know what is! But romance flowered, and here we are.
6. My first career aspiration as a child was to be a professional whistler, like the one that whistled for the Andy Griffith Show, or the Lassie show. I learned to whistle when I was four, and I'm pretty good at it.
7. My first role in a musical was Bloody Mary in "South Pacific" in high school. I had to say the word "damn" on stage, and I told my parents they shouldn't bring my little sister to the show, because I didn't want her to hear me say a bad word. (They brought her anyway ;))

I know not everyone likes these tag games, but these are the people I would like to know more about, so consider yourselves tagged:

Aisling

Rose

Donna

Shannon

Mel

Judy

Saturday Silliness-Validation

2009-01-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

This may not be exactly silly, but I think you'll like it anyway:

Shuffle

2009-01-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

Article #1

"Remember when the tightfistedness of relatives raised during the Depression was amusing? Our grandparents' certificates of deposit and plastic couch protectors seemed downright quaint when our own home-equity and retirement portfolios were ballooning. Suddenly, though, the pot-roast-and-potatoes ethic doesn't seem quite so kooky."

I'm all about the frugal living, so here's a great article to help you save money and resources from This Old House.

Article #2:

In the shameless bragging category, here's an article about one of my sons.

Article #3:

"It is no secret that our new president emerged from a contentious political battle. The Electoral College was recorded as a landslide. But there was less than a 5% difference in the popular vote that put our new president into office. Enormous challenges face our new president. These challenges seem to threaten the very fabric of who we are. Could the dream of America be at risk? Not everyone is on board with how our new president wants to tackle the issues."

Read what my own pastor has to say about our new president.

Article #4:

"So, what's a "redeeming" film? The definition varies, but for our list below, we mean movies that include stories of redemption—sometimes blatantly, sometimes less so. Several of them literally have a character that represents a redeemer; all of them have characters who experience redemption to some degree—some quite clearly, some more subtly. Some are "feel-good" movies that leave a smile on your face; some are a bit more uncomfortable to watch. But the redemptive element is there in all of these films."

Christianity Today's list of the 10 Most Redeeming Films of 2008. No, they are not all rated G. The reviews are pretty compelling. I haven't seen them all myself, but I think I want to!

Challenge Update

2009-01-28T07:16:00.001-08:00

Between trying to get Abe Lincoln through the Civil War in "Team Of Rivals", and allowing the live coverage of the impeachment trial in our state Senate to distract me from my housework, I'm not getting much blogging done. I have been working on the Food Waste Reduction Challenge, though, and I thought I should post a quick update.

My family is reasonably on board with this one, especially my husband, who is notorious for eating just about anything. My daughter is a bit more selective, but has helped finish up a few of my "messes".

I thought last night's supper was a genuine success. I had the following things that needed to be used before they went south: several slices of roast beef left from Sunday dinner, four cloves of fresh garlic that were starting to shrivel, a handful of raw baby carrots that looked suspicious, about 1/4 c. uncooked brown Minute Rice, and a cup or so of uncooked barley.

I diced up the beef, garlic, and carrots, plus an onion. In a pot with some water (sorry, I don't know how much water- maybe 6 cups?) I cooked that with the rice and barley, along a can of beef broth, the last three cubes of beef bullion, and a can of stewed tomatoes in vegetable broth.

This made a beef and barley soup that was great! It was rich and thick, not quite a stew, and just the right combination of flavors. The three of us ate heartily at supper, and there were two good sized helpings left over for lunches.

Usually, those carrots would have sat in the fridge until they were relegated to the compost heap. The roast was very good meat, but what was left had a couple of streaks of gristle that kept it from being good for sandwiches, so that might have been wasted, too. I'm pretty pleased that we made such good use of this food.

We Haven't Got Everything We're Going to Get!

2009-01-24T15:22:00.000-08:00

I saw this quote today on Justin Taylor's blog, and it just blew me away. What refreshment leading into Sunday! Now, I'm expecting a wonderful surprise tomorrow!

"Possibly one of the most devastating things that can happen to us as Christians is that we cease to expect anything to happen. I am not sure but that this is not one of our greatest troubles today. We come to our services and they are orderly, they are nice ‒ we come, we go ‒ and sometimes they are timed almost to the minute, and there it is. But that is not Christianity, my friend. Where is the Lord of glory? Where is the one sitting by the well? Are we expecting him? Do we anticipate this? Are we open to it? Are we aware that we are ever facing this glorious possibility of having the greatest surprise of our life?

"Or let me put it like this. You may feel and say ‒ as many do ‒ ‘I was converted and became a Christian. I’ve grown ‒ yes, I’ve grown in knowledge, I’ve been reading books, I’ve been listening to sermons, but I’ve arrived now at a sort of peak and all I do is maintain that. For the rest of my life I will just go on like this.’

"Now, my friend, you must get rid of that attitude; you must get rid of it once and for ever. That is ‘religion’, it is not Christianity. This is Christianity: the Lord appears! Suddenly, in the midst of the drudgery and the routine and the sameness and the dullness and the drabness, unexpectedly, surprisingly, he meets with you and he says something to you that changes the whole of your life and your outlook and lifts you to a level that you had never conceived could be possible for you. Oh, if we get nothing else from this story, I hope we will get this. Do not let the devil persuade you that you have got all you are going to get, still less that you received all you were ever going to receive when you were converted. That has been a popular teaching, even among evangelicals. You get everything at your conversion, it is said, including baptism with the Spirit, and nothing further, ever. Oh, do not believe it; it is not true. It is not true to the teaching of the Scriptures, it is not true in the experience of the saints running down the centuries. There is always this glorious possibility of meeting with him in a new and a dynamic way."

Living Water: Studies in John 4--56 previously unpublished sermons by Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

Saturday Silliness-The Number Four

2009-01-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

Shuffle

2009-01-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

Article #1:

"I was at the store the other day and was watching an old lady, cane in hand, slowly make her way across the atrium area to a door for a department store. When she reached the door, a man swung it open so hard that it would have knocked the old lady over if she hadn’t been just out of reach, then he continued on his way without even giving the old lady a glance. Several other people stepped to the side and used the other door as the old woman struggled to open it and quickly went on their way without stopping to offer and help. There was an opportunity for at least 5 people to help, but none of them did and the thing is, I don’t think that any of them even realized that they hadn’t helped. They had been so busy and focused on what they were doing and where they were going that they had simply failed to recognize that someone could use a helping hand."

Free Microloan's article on ways we could make the world a better place by focusing on small gestures as we go about our day. The article includes in interesting story about Joshua Bell playing in a Metro station.

Article #2:

One of several videos I've seen about the long term effects of plastic use.

Article #3

"Don’t get me wrong, the call to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ is a joy. Yesterday I pronounced a godly young couple husband and wife. This morning I baptized a brother in Christ. Nothing is more thrilling than opening the Word of God to the people of Christ week-by-week. But it provoked my spirit this morning to preach the Sanctity of Human Life Sunday emphasis this morning."

Read "Why I Hate Sanctity of Human Life Sunday" by Russel Moore

Article #4:

"An atheist drive to persuade people that God doesn't exist is catching on in a surprising fashion -- on the sides of buses in a growing number of countries around the world."

Read more here.

And if all that was just too serious, here's something that's just kind of fun:

Article #5

Shifting From Self-Focus To Christ-Focus In Worship

2009-01-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

Every week, before we enter the Sanctuary, the choir prays together for the congregation. We pray that our members will truly worship; that the message Pastor Randy has been led to give will be listened to, remembered, and acted upon; that the music we have rehearsed so carefully will be pleasing to God, and lead the congregation's thoughts toward Him; that all thoughts will turn from self and toward the Lord.

Though we pray for these things, the congregation has responsibility for their experience, too. The attitudes that come in the door with them will, to a great degree, determine how much or how little they feel the presence of the Lord, each Sunday morning.

"We can settle into a routine of activities at church and in our small groups and Bible studies, with little expectation of anything new. The familiar becomes the predictable, and everything from here on out will be more of the same. We dip our teaspoon into the vast ocean of the living God. Holding that teaspoon in our hand, we say, “This is God.” We pour it out into our lives, and we say, “This is the Christian Experience.” Do our lives reflect the power, wonder, glory, love, and holiness of the living God? Do we downplay people’s expectations of knowing Jesus Christ?

"So what is the proof that the Spirit is being poured out on us? The voice of the church rings with prophetic clarity. The people of God are no longer passive, intimidated, unresponsive, uncertain. They are no longer preoccupied with self, convenience, comfort. They are no longer complaining, whining, griping. Instead, they become outspoken in God’s praises and gospel truth, “declaring the wonders of God” (Acts 2:11). To turn us from self-exaltation to Christ-exaltation, from self-focus to Christ-focus, is a true mark of God’s presence in our midst."

BobKauflin , reflecting on Ray Ortlund's "When God Comes To Church" . I encourage you to read the whole article.

Where are your thoughts on Sunday morning? Are they focused on you? Or are they focused on Christ?

Another Soft Landing

2009-01-21T14:19:00.000-08:00

"The “miracle on the Hudson” and the “miracle in the White House” are not unrelated. God has been merciful to us as a nation. Our racial sins deserved judgment a thousand times over. God does not owe America anything. We owe him everything. And instead of destruction, he has given us another soft landing. We are not dead at the bottom of the Hudson. "

John Piper

My Favorite Part of the Speech

2009-01-20T11:44:00.000-08:00

"For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."

That was my favorite part of the speech.

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

Taking On The Food Waste Reduction Challenge

2009-01-19T09:05:00.000-08:00

I've signed up for The Food Waste Reduction Challenge being sponsored by The Crunchy Chicken blog. Here's the funny thing: I had decided to go easy on the challenges this year, especially if they were things that involved other household members having to get on board with me to do them. Just because I'm interested in something, doesn't mean I should be twisting their arms to do it too.

But right after the holidays I had begun thinking about how I could get back to some of my old habits of frugal cooking, both to save money, and to show my daughter how to do some of it before she moves out. She's a good cook in her own right, but it's been a while since she saw me serve some of the very basic cheap meals I used to make when I was feeding the whole hungry tribe. She might benefit from a review, and I would like to save money towards some home improvements, etc. So, this challenge just kind of dovetails with some thinking I'd already been doing.

The main purpose of the challenge is to make sure you don't let things spoil, or wind up throwing food out. Crunchy has some statistics on her blog that I had seen before that are kind of appalling. If you click on the button in my sidebar you can read the article. Americans throw out so much food it's ridiculous! We are so fortunate that we can generally afford to do this, but isn't it just kind of immoral, in a way, when there are hungry people in the world? If we were more careful, and spent less on food, we could be giving more to those less fortunate, even those right here in town. Our church has a food pantry, and makes deliveries to hungry people all the time. I could give more to that, if I spent less on our own food.

Even though the challenge doesn't start officially until February, I'm ready to get going on it. Today, I went through my big pantry cabinet and made a list of every single thing in there, including the approximate amount of each item. How did we wind up with three open boxes of graham crackers? Or that can of beets? (Now that one will be a tough sell. Why did I buy it?)

I also looked through the fridge and found a few strange orphans in the very back- a big jar with one large pickle, several yogurts that have been there a while because they were too hard to see behind other things. I did some rearranging. Fortunately, nothing's too spoiled to use, if I get busy.

Then I sat down and, using the list, came up with some dishes that could be made without having to go to the store for more ingredients. It's a little bit of a strange mixture of things, but we really could eat pretty well for almost two weeks with out grocery shopping at all! After that, there would be a few items needed to complete ingredients for a few more dishes. I'd like to eat it all up, until the cabinets and fridge are basically bare, and then start from scratch to restock with a better mix of things. I'll keep you posted on how this goes.

So, look out, family! You may be seeing some "Dinner Surprises" coming your way! Keep the groaning to a minimum please.

He's Seeing The Promised Land

2009-01-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sunday Stroll- January 18, 2009

2009-01-18T13:34:00.000-08:00

This is the view we had through our front storm-door Friday morning. It was -18F, and the windchill was -38F. The frost-flowers were the only thing blooming.

We haven't had nearly as much snow as some other areas of the state, but the four inches we did get blew around quite a bit.

Today, when I went for my Sunday stroll, it was a very pleasant 21F, with bright sun and no wind to speak of. Clouds have since moved in. I'm glad that I got out there to enjoy the sunlight while it lasted!

Over the last few days, the animals have found someplace warm to hide from the weather. This rabbit trail was the only sign of activity I saw, and it was freshly made. Someone finally thought it was warm enough to come out and forage.

To see who else had cabin fever, visit Aisling at The Quiet Country House.

Saturday Silliness-Playing With Your Food

2009-01-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

HT:greeen sheeep

Shuffle

2009-01-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

Article #1:

Do you remember that when Snoopy would sit on his doghouse, typing his novel, it always started, "It was a dark and stormy night..."? The annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, inviting contestants to submit the worst examples of writing they can find, among other competitions, had this example of rewriting famous quotes:

"The 2006 runner-up, Stuart Vasepuru from Scotland, played with one of the most famous pieces of dialogue from the Clint Eastwood movie "Dirty Harry"-

"I know what you're thinking, punk,"hissed Wordy Harry to his new editor, "you're thinking, 'Did he use six superfluous adjectives or only five?' And to tell you the truth, I forgot myself in all this excitement, but being as this is English, the most powerful language in the world, whose subtle nuances will blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' Well, do you, punk?"

Article #2:

A lot of people would agree that there is a tremendous amount of conflict in the world (and always has been) because of religion. I certainly agree with that. Here's Tim Keller's take on why that is:

Article #3:

At The Wonder of Creation blogger Dean Ohlman writes: "Wendell Berry is one who in his writing has taken me further than anyone else in understanding that one cannot really have or understand “community” if the natural world around us is not included in that community—deliberately included, not by necessity or by accident. Berry writes: “Without a complex knowledge of one’s place, and without the faithfulness to one’s place on which such knowledge depends, it is inevitable that the place will be used carelessly, and eventually destroyed.” Wendell Berry, “The Regional Motive” in A Continuous Harmony (1972), p. 67"

He goes on to describe the importance of a sense of place in his life, and points the reader to a few Berry articles that might be of interest.

Article #4:

"I don’t think I spend much more time reading than some of you. My calendar is full, my honey-do list is long, my kids are hyper, and my boss is active (or is it the other way around?). My running shoes are muddy, my weight bench is dusty, and my 10-foot front yard needs to be mowed at least twice a year."

I have made a vow to read more this year, but I have to retrain myself to find the precious time to do it. Tony Reinke has a great article on how to carve out reading time.

Article #5

Here's something I know we'll all want to try:

wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.

Article #6:

"The news was dire. A huge fire had broken out in the foothills of Montecito, which we can see from our porch. The Santa Ana winds, blowing uncharacteristically late in the season – and particularly ferociously – combined with unseasonably hot temperatures, and my town was in flames, my street under evacuation. Those winds change direction unpredictably; there was no way to know if we'd be OK. Ryan had corralled the cat and the dog, and wanted to know what to take from the house. I said I'd let him know."

What would you save if disaster was imminent? How would you feel if you lost everything? Shannon Kelley muses on the meaning, or lack thereof, of our belongings.

Swearing on a Stack of Bibles

2009-01-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

The Wall Street Journal has a very nice interactive article about the Bibles used by the various presidents when they have been sworn in, including information about which verses the Presidents chose to have the Bible opened to, if any. It's an interesting trivia tidbit, and gives surprising insights into each man. Some were not especially religious, not using a Bible or prayer book, or, if they did, having it closed. Others appear to have known their Bibles well. Some chose to have more than one Bible, which seemed a little odd to me, but there was usually some symbolism to be observed in that choice. Barak Obama has asked to use the Bible President Lincoln used, which is being brought over from the Smithsonian for him.

Check it out:
'I Do Solemnly Swear..."

So let's play pretend, as my kids used to say. If you were elected president, what document would you choose to use for swearing in? If you would use a holy book, what verse, if any, would you choose to lay your hand on?

I think that if I were a person who did not practice a religion, I might choose to lay my hand on a copy of the U.S. Constitution. I think that would be more meaningful to me than using nothing at all, though there are several presidents who did not swear on anything.

Since I am a practicing Christian, I would use a Bible. I think I would use the nice Revised Standard Version Bible my husband got for me the first year that we were married, special because it was a gift from him, even though I have since changed to using a more recent translation. I think I would have it open to Micah 6:8: "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

What would you do at your pretend inauguration?

Acting In The Opposite Spirit

2009-01-13T12:54:00.000-08:00

"Many Christians struggle with a sense of powerlessness over the darkness in their lives. Yet Jesus has given us, His followers, authority over all the power of the enemy, promising that we would win as we engaged Satan in battle. His Word states that the gates of Hell would not prevail against His Church. But we will have no power nor authority against the devil, either in prayer or evangelism, if we are not moving in the opposite spirit and attitude to him in any given situation.

"...I believe God allows Satan's attacks, first of all, to destroy his works through our obedience. Satan comes in darkness, but our obedience to the Holy Spirit turns the light on. We often hear about the speed of light, but a friend of mine named Campbell McAlpine likes to talk about the speed of darkness. The darkness flees just ahead of light: about 186,000 miles per second. So just turn on the light!"- Loren Cunningham, "Making Jesus Lord" pp.103-105

In the last few months, I've been thinking a lot about this quote, and the principle that Loren Cunningham often lifts up in his ministry, of "acting in the opposite spirit".

I first heard this principle voiced when my son Paul was serving in Youth With A Mission. Before they can go to the mission field, the young people in that organization go through a time of intensive character training, and this is a key component of it. Of course, Cunningham did not just dream this principle up on his own. It is thoroughly supported by the Bible, and was a key element of the teaching and example of the life of Jesus. Weakness becomes strength; the poor are rich; the meek inherit the earth; to gain your life, you must lose it; crowns are conferred not so that they may be worn, but so that they may be thrown at the feet of Jesus. Christianity is the religion of paradoxes.

Put into practice, it looks something like this:

When you are surrounded by a spirit of greed, or tempted to be greedy yourself: give, to the point of sacrifice.

When the spirit of slander or false witness is present: speak the absolute unvarnished truth.

When the spirit of fear is gripping you: act with fearlessness, even if you do not feel fearless.

When the office is full of politics and backbiting: become a humble servant to all of them equally.

When there is a drive to claw your way to the top: purposely accept the position at the bottom rung.

There are many other examples, and I'm sure if you think about it, you are daily in situations where you , or those around you, are acting in a way that is directed by spiritual darkness. To defeat that darkness, you must act- not just think, but act- in the complete opposite manner.

In the month or so prior to Christmas, there was a good bit of discussion about how to avoid consumerism, and the pressure to buy more and bigger gifts to express one's love to family members. Those who chose giving instead recieving, or giving to those who were unable to reciprocate, were acting in the opposite spirit.

When the president elect insists on inviting involvement in his inauguation by those who may disagree with his policies, he's acting in the opposite spirit of partisan divisiveness. When the outgoing president invites the newly elected one into his home, and praises him in public, he is doing the same.

Light splashes over us. Darkness flees at 186,000 miles per second. The Kingdom's territory is expanded.

Milestone

2009-01-12T07:19:00.000-08:00

I just realized that yesterday was my 300th post, since starting the blog mid-summer of 2006. I pretty much just post whatever comes to mind, so I suppose it is a kind of public journal, which is fine, because I am a "what you see is what you get" type of person, with no big secrets.

Recently I started putting funny things on Saturday, and calling it "Saturday Sillies". I think it's important not to take yourself too seriously. I wonder, do my readers like the Saturday Sillies? If they give you a grin, I'll keep posting them. Otherwise, I may just enjoy them myself and not post them.

I've also been posting lists of articles that I found interesting and/or provocative in collections called "Shuffle". A couple of people have said they enjoy these lists. What do you think? Should I keep doing them?

I want to keep posting "Sunday Strolls" as a record of our weather, and the plants in our yard. The rest of the time I plan to write original posts ranging from musings about my job with the church, my family, book reviews, environmental issues, etc. That's mostly what I think about, so that's going to be what I write about. I don't feel compelled to write every day, but it's getting to be a habit, and it's unusual if I miss more than a day or two a week.

I really appreciate the blog friends I've made, and it's kind of humbling to think that there are apparently quite a few folks who read regularly without commenting. I hope more of you will consider coming out of hiding and getting involved in the conversations here!

Sunday Stroll-January 11, 2009

2009-01-11T11:27:00.000-08:00

We're receiving another dusting of snow, over a layer of very dangerous black ice. I think every one I spoke to at church this morning had a sliding into the ditch story, or a falling on the ice story, if not on themselves, on someone near and dear to them. Many of our oldest members wisely stayed in.

It is beautiful, though. I haven't strolled the last two Sundays, feeling that the drab gray-brown we've been living with isn't very photogenic. Today, those colors seemed the perfect foil for the pure white of the snow.

To see who else is strolling today, visit Aisling at The Quiet Country House.

This One Had Me Bawling My Eyes Out

2009-01-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

Oh, to get to worship like this!!

HT:Ray Ortlund

Saturday Silliness-Who's Selling Seats Now?

2009-01-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

Shuffle

2009-01-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

Article #1:

A clip in which the Surgeon General of New York, Dr. Daines, explains why he thinks there should be an obesity tax.

Article #2:

"Your mailbox has probably already been cluttered with the panic messages. Giving is drastically down! Our needs are dramatically up! Please dig deep! Whatever you gave last time, would you please consider doubling it this time around?
I have an alternative suggestion: When you get the next request like that, trash it. "

Joel Beltz, writing in World Magazine, gives helpful advice on how to deal with the onslaught of mail from charitable organizations.

HT:Glenn Penner

Article #3:

Blogger Arduous wrote last year about her culinary attempts in joining the Slow Food Movement. No one I know can see the humor in their own situation like Arduous can. I laughed 'til I cried.

Article #4:
Article 5:

What does the number 50,000,000 mean to you? Justin Taylor posts a visual for you.

The 2009 Science Book Challenge

2009-01-08T09:49:00.000-08:00

Over on The Blogging Bookworm today there was information on how to participate in the 2009 Science Book Challenge. I'm going to do this one, because I realized I already have several books on my reading list that will qualify, and this might help me to prioritize reading them. Besides, I really liked the button!

I've been reading "Team of Rivals", and was reminded that Abe Lincoln, with less than one year's worth of formal schooling, wound up being a lawyer, state and federal legislator, and one of our greatest presidents. It's made me realize once again the value of reading for self-education. I also know that my artsy-fartsy mind could stand to dwell on some factual information. This will be a good challenge for me!

Here are the rules:

The 2009 Science-Book Challenge:

1. Read at least three nonfiction books in 2009 related somehow to the theme "Nature's Wonders". Your books should have something to do with science, scientists, how science operates, or science's relationship with its surrounding culture. Your books might be popularizations of science, they might be histories, they might be biographies, they might be anthologies; they can be recent titles or older books. We take a very broad view of what makes for interesting and informative science reading.

2. After you've read a book, write a short note about it, giving your opinion of the book. What goes in the note? The things you would tell a friend if you wanted to convince your friend to read it--or avoid it. Naturally, you can read some of the existing Book Notes for ideas. You might like to read our Book-note ratings for ideas about how to evaluate your books.

3. Don't worry if you find that you've read a book someone else has also read; we welcome multiple notes on one title.

4. Get your book note to us and we'll post it with the other notes in our Book Note section. Use the book-note form or the comment form to get in touch with us.

Tell other people about the Science-Book Challenge: http://ArsHermeneutica.org/besieged/Science-Book_Challenge_2009.

Illiteracy, Both Biblical and Cultural

2009-01-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

"Fewer than half of all adults can name the four gospels. Many Christians cannot identify more than two or three of the disciples. According to data from the Barna Research Group, 60 percent of Americans can't name even five of the Ten Commandments. . . .

"According to 82 percent of Americans, 'God helps those who help themselves,' is a Bible verse. Those identified as born-again Christians did better--by one percent. A majority of adults think the Bible teaches that the most important purpose in life is taking care of one's family. . . .

"A Barna poll indicated that at least 12 percent of adults believe that Joan of Arc was Noah's wife. Another survey of graduating high school seniors revealed that over 50 percent thought that Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife. A considerable number of respondents to one poll indicated that the Sermon on the Mount was preached by Billy Graham. We are in big trouble."

HT-Ray Ortlund

I don't necessarily expect everyone to know the Bible inside out, especially in a pluralistic society. But knowing at least a little about Joan of Arc and Ben Franklin doesn't seem to be too much to ask of the average high school graduate. Or does it? Am I a complete nerd, or should this be common knowledge? How about knowing the Judeo-Christian foundation of our legal system? What do you think?

Book Review-"Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

2009-01-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

Over the past year, several friends have highly recommended "Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time". I finally finished it this week, and I agree with them; it's a very inspiring read.

Greg Mortenson is a son of missionaries who spent a good part of his childhood in Africa. After a tour of duty in the military, he was pursuing his hobby of mountaineering in the Karakoram Mountains of Pakistan in 1993 when an aborted climb landed him in an extremely remote mountain village. The relationships he developed there, and his recognition of the deep desire the villagers had for an educated future for their children, ignited a passion in him for building a school for the village. Single-handedly, and against tremendous odds, he raised the funds, located the materials, and oversaw the labor of the villagers themselves to bring the first educational opportunity to their children. When word of this accomplishment got out in the surrounding area, other village leaders came to him to beg that he would help them do the same.

Eventually he formed the Central Asia Institute, a foundation set up to continue building schools in the most remote and politically fragile areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, where the Taliban attempts to deny access to education for girls, and where radical madrassas train boys in the most extreme form of Islam. Mortenson's schools are open to girls as well as boys, and offer a standard secular education. Many who have followed the progress of the Central Asia Institute recognize it as the best hope for opening the area to peaceful relations with the West, as well as offering opportunities for these remote villagers to raise up teachers, medical workers, and leaders from their own ranks.

Mortenson's work in a region of the world that is currently in conflict with the U.S. has drawn the attention of Congressional leaders. He has been asked to brief Congress on conditions in the Afghan-Pakistan border area. He has put a human face on the people of Central Asia, and championed their desire to find ways to raise themselves up and interact peacefully with the West.

Reading the book is a terrific way to gain an understanding of a part of the world that may be daily in the news, but remains a mystery to most Americans. The ruggedness of the terrain, the misunderstandings of culture, the differences between the various strains of Islam, and the challenges the West faces in dealing with the emergence of radical Islam are all explored in "Three Cups of Tea". Mortenson was in that part of the world when 9-11 occurred. He was captured and held by the Taliban at one point, and feared for his life. Yet, his love for the ordinary villagers caught in the maelstrom of war shines through in his work for them.

I came way with two thoughts: first, that the fruit of his efforts is only now beginning to ripen, as the first students of his schools reach adulthood and go on to higher education, leaving their villages for further training, and having interaction with the wider world. We will see the snowball effect of this as we move into the future. Secondly, as horrifying as 9-11 was, and perpetrated by those bent on evil, this one good has come from it: the attention on Mortenson's work that resulted has brought his organization the recognition and funding it deserves, and has lead to a burst of school building that will be, in my opinion, impossible to be erased by the Taliban, no matter how much they may try to eliminate the CAI schools. It is possible that the ultimate effect of binLaden's attack on the U.S. will be the cultural and political opening of Central Asia to the rest of the world. It will be fascinating to watch.

I highly recommend this book, giving it five stars.

If you'd like to learn more about CAI and it's work, you can go to http://www.threecupsoftea.com/. If you order the book through that site, or through Amazon, a portion of the cost will go toward Mortenson's work.

For more great book reviews, head over to The Blogging Bookworm.

Saurday Silliness-The Mom Song

2009-01-03T04:00:00.001-08:00

German Potato Soup

2009-01-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

I mentioned on Facebook that I was making potato soup for dinner, thinking, "Wow, what a boring status report.". Then two friends wanted to know the recipe! So here it is:

Combine in a sauce pan:
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (I use redskins, and I don't peel them)
1 onion, diced
1 t. salt
dash pepper
3 1/2 c. water (I don't really measure that, just put enough in to cover everything)
Cook until the potatoes are tender
Heat in a smaller sauce pan:
1T butter
1T flour
Allow butter and flour to brown, stirring constantly
Add:
3 c. liquid from the potatoes (I just use 3 ladles full)
Cook and stir until smooth. Add into the potatoes and onions and heat through.

Very easy. This makes 4-5 big bowls full, but it's easy to double if you want more, which I did for years (actually, I think I tripled it for a while!). It really only takes about a 1/2 hour altogether.

Mel, you can do this. Really.

Shuffle

2009-01-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

I'm going to start a new label category called "shuffle". When I find interesting articles that I think might get people thinking, I'll collect the links and post a list of them from time to time. They will be a real mixture of subjects, so the term "shuffle" reminds me of the setting on an i-pod where you don't know what might come up next, Vivaldi or the Bare Naked Ladies.

I'm not going to avoid controversy either. These will be articles that made me think, and I hope they will make you think, too. That doesn't mean that I agree with the writers, only that I thought the discussion was worthwhile.

Article #1:

"Gracious, self-forgetful humility should be one of the primary things that distinguishes Christian believers from the many other types of moral, decent people in the world. But I think it is fair to say that humility, which is a key differentiating mark of the Christian, is largely missing in the church. Nonbelievers, detecting the stench of sanctimony, turn away."

Tim Keller gives one of the clearest definitions of humility I've read, and discusses why we struggle to attain humility, and how important it is for the church to re-emphasize it if we are to have a voice in the culture we live in.
The Advent of Humility by Tim Keller

HT-JT

Article #2:

"Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do."
As An Atheist, I Truly Believe Africa Needs God, by Matthew Parris

HT-Rob

Article #3:

"If you are anything like me, you are about to embark on a post-holiday, welcome the New Year, pre-spring cleaning purge. My key to surviving it without a bulging garbage can is to be organized. If you give everything a place, you are more likely to reuse instead of lose it."

A seasonally timely article on how to deal with clutter in a way that doesn't just fill the landfill.
Reuse It or Lose It, by Green Bean

Article #4:

"The pastor giving the reflection, not a homily, began by saying, "We are gathered here to honor tradition." I bit my lip, hard. "We are gathered here to sing beloved songs and hear well-known stories." Bit it harder. We were not there to celebrate and contemplate the Mystery of the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity...evidently."

Interesting reflections of an Orthodox Christian blogger who had an opportunity to visit another church on Christmas Eve, and discusses the difference between worshipping and attending a concert. Whispers On Earth

Article #5:

"Both Iran and its Hamas proxy in Gaza have been busy this Christmas week showing Christendom just what they think of it. But no one seems to have noticed. "

Scary, scary article on the Israeli-Hamas showdown, and the Palestinian Christians that are caught in the middle, along with insights into the West's bungling in regards to Iran. Believe it or not, crucifixion is now back as a form of punishment. If this doesn't promt you to pray for wisdom for our new president, I don't know what would. Caroline Glick's column in the Jerusalem Post

HT:Jared

Article #6:

Here's a video I saw on the blog of a friend who is in the process of adopting a child from Ethiopia. If children are our future, this is worth looking at.

HT: Kathy

A Quick Explanation

2009-01-01T19:15:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed that for the last week I have dabbled with putting ads on this blog. Several people had suggested this to me. I felt uncomfortable about it, not because I think it's wrong to make a little income off of blogging, but because I felt it subverted the philosophy of the blog, which was that I would be writing what was on my heart, and directing readers to the writing of others that I thought was of value. It would not have changed the way I wrote, but it might not have been obvious to new readers that that was the case.

Anyway, I gave it a try, briefly, and found that I still felt uncomfortable. So I took them off, with the exception of the widget for Amazon.com. I kept that. I figured that if I read, liked, and reviewed on this blog, books that you might like to read, that would be an easy way for you to access them. That's why it's located under the reading list, instead of in a more obvious place on the layout.