Easter Pictures

Nanna got her hands on the Matthias.

This is just such a happy picture.

Beautiful mama.  And that couldn't possibly be a yawn from baby.   I think he must be singing "Alleluia"; don't you agree?

Not MY Problem

Judas went to the priests with his sin: "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood."  Hey, "you see to it," buster.  Not my problem, say the priests.

Later in the same chapter, Pilate sees that a riot is starting.  He says he's "innocent of the blood of this Just Man" and told them "you see to it."  Not my problem, says the governor.

In both cases, the man's station in life, his work, his job, was to deal with the problem before him.  But no: "you see to it."  

April Pictures

Zoe (and Alia) -- April 3

Zoe was showing me how she can put her hand by her chin in a certain ponderous pose: "Dis is what finking looks like."

Alia -- April 3

Where's Waldo?

Papa and Matthias -- April 6

My Lord and My God

Last weekend during the services, we kept hearing God call us "My people." 
The reproaches on Friday: "Oh, My people!"
And Friday's collect: "behold this Your family ..."
Isaiah 53: "for the transgressions of My people He was stricken."
Exodus 15: "in Your mercy You have led forth the people whom You have redeemed."
Isaiah 25: "the rebuke of His people He will take away."

And this week, Thomas:
"My Lord and my God."

Today's Laugh

 

 

Stolen from Polly's FB page

Lazy? Or Sick?

I cannot scold myself into not being weak.

But that doesn't stop me from trying.  Dumb me.

It's so hard to know when you're being lazy because your body is weak and ill and fighting germies ... and when you're Just Being Lazy.  You try to give yourself a kick in the heinie and make yourself tackle that list of projects.  But then you don't bother to get out of bed in the morning, lying there to amuse yourself reading a story till far too late.  Or you plunk on the couch and watch television.  "Do something productive," you yell at yourself.  But you keep being unproductive. 

So you nap.
And you cough. 
And you blow your nose.

The only reason I can even begin to convince myself that it's not complete laziness on my part?  Last Sunday afternoon's fever.  And the fact that Katie's family has all the same symptoms.  When a 5-yr-old doesn't want to listen to stories but begs to be put to bed early, you know something besides laziness is plaguing her. 

Saving Mr Banks

Savings Mr Banks was one we'd intended to see in [gasp!] the theatre.  Like other people.  But we never made it.  So we watched it on DVD recently.  Oh my goodness -- it was so good that we watched it a second time before taking it back to the library!

Basic plot: Author of the book Mary Poppins doesn't want to sell the rights to Disney, who wants to turn the book into a musical/movie.  

I don't know how much truth there is to the characters and to their histories and motivations.  But it makes a very good story regardless.  Thought-provoking to see the effect on children of an irresponsible daddy who nevertheless shows much affection to his children.  Fun and amusing to see bits and pieces of Mary Poppins lines come out of the mouths of certain characters in the movie. 

Rating: Not sure why it's a PG-13.  It's seems cleaner overall than quite a few PG's I've watched.  Granted it's not something I'd want under-13's to see ... but I'd say the same about most of the PG movies out there.  (And personally, the vast majority of the PG-13's available today should be rated R in my opinion.  But that's another topic....)

Point of both stories:  As a kid, I always thought Mary Poppins was about the nanny rescuing the kids.  It wasn't until I was grown up that I realized that wasn't the main point of the movie.  At all.  In last year's movie, at one point, the author tells the movie producer, "You think this is about saving the children?!"  And she walks away, shaking her head.  And that is what both Mary Poppins and Saving Mr Banks are about.

Today's Laugh

Another groaner from Tyler:

John really liked Emmaline.  He asked her to accompany him to the prom.  Emmaline accepted.  John was delighted.  He wanted to make it a wonderful evening of memories.  What special plans would enhance their evening?

John decided to rent a tuxedo.  He found a tux store.  When he arrived, he found that many of the other guys at school had had the same idea.  The line was long.  But he wanted to look snazzy for his date with Emmaline.  So he waited and waited.  Finally it was his turn.  He chose a style and was fitted for it and paid his down-payment. 

While John was waiting at the tux store, he'd heard some of the other guys talking about flowers.  Yes, he needed beautiful flowers for Emmaline.  He went to the florist.   He found a long line there too.  But he was patient; he waited until a florist could help him choose the corsage that would be just perfect for Emmaline's dress.

A few days later, John had the idea to go one step further in the classiness-department.  He would rent a limo for prom night.  He hunted up a place and headed over there to make arrangements.  This place too had a long line of fellows with the same idea.  So John waited until he could set up the use of the limo and finalize the contract.

Finally, prom night arrived.  John picked up Emmaline.  Her mom wanted to take so many pictures.  John, in his tux.  Emmaline, in her gown with the beautiful flowers.  The couple stepping into the limousine. 

After a luscious dinner, Emmaline and John walked into the dance.  They visited with friends.  They laughed.  They danced.  They had a good time.  They got thirsty.  Emmaline asked John to get her a cup of punch.  So John walked straight over to the refreshment table.  And there was no punch line.

False Accusations

The beatitudes end with "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake."

So what kinds of evil?  I suppose it might include things like, "Hey, the pastor embezzled thousands of dollars from the church" (which is entirely a lie) or "My neighbor is a Christian and he does _____" (which likewise is completely a fabrication).

But the evil they spoke against Jesus?  "He is overturning the Law."
The evil spoken against the apostles?  "Overturning the Law."

That's why Jesus was reviled and persecuted and killed.
That's why the apostles were too.

Thing is, that evil accusation ("overturning the law") is NOT TRUE.  Those who idolize the Law think the accusation is true.  But it's not.  Jesus fulfilled the Law; He did not do away with it.

Recent Days

Holy Week: church, job, sleep, and working on the bridesmaid dress.  That was about it.

After making adjustments to the pattern and cutting out the pieces for a trial dress, I found my pattern was way off.  So I remade the bodice pattern and, luckily, had enough spare fabric to remake the main pieces of the bodice.  That didn't work either; the dress fits me pretty decently, which means it is five sizes off.   In frustration, I set it aside for a few days.

And then I coughed.  A lot.  And missed out on enjoying the pleasure of the kids' visits.  But hey, I could nevertheless sing for Good Friday and Easter, even with some coughs. Gary and Katie prepared and cleaned up Easter dinner.  I was so thankful!  During the afternoon I developed a fever and had to sleep away much of the day. 

Today was trial-bodice #3 for for the bridesmaid dress.  Much closer to actually fitting Maggie!  Pattern #4 was created this evening.  I hope to piece another test-bodice together tomorrow.  If there's success (??) I can hit up the fabric store to make a complete trial-dress that will be wearable instead of just something to test the size.

You know what?  Sewing is a breeze when all you have to do is follow the pattern and make a few adjustments for length or something simple.

Today's Laugh

Another bad pun from my co-worker --

but read it out loud because I'm not sure

this is a joke that can be communicated in writing:

The bear walked into the bar.

The bartender asked, "What can I get for you, sir?"

The bear grumbled, "A rum and ...

...

...

...




...

...


... coke."


The bartender was puzzled.  "What's with the big pause?"

Be Perfect

"Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5). 

Yikey-schnikey!  If you're like me, you can't help but hear that as a word of condemnation, as a command which you can never obey.

Pastor made a comparison recently.
Think of all the stories in the Gospels.  Jesus laid hands on a leper and said, "Be healed."  And the sick person is healed.

Jesus laid hands on a blind man and said, "Receive your sight."  And the man could see.

Jesus laid hands on a deaf person and said, "Be healed."  And the person was healed and could hear. 

In any of those cases, do we congratulate the person for healing himself?  Duh .....  NO.  The glory goes to the Lord Jesus who healed those who could not heal themselves.



So why this weird switcheroo when it comes to His performative word: "Be perfect"?
HE declares it.
HE makes it so.
Is that the command we sinners perceive it to be?
Or is it a blessing and a gift?

Today's Laugh

My co-worker Tyler was telling some jokes today at lunch.  At their Easter dinner, his family got going on a run of Bad Joke Telling.  Here's one:

Why can't you tell puns
to kleptomaniacs?

Because they take 

everything literally.

A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

But a rotating fan gathers LOST of dust!

I learned something about dust one day in confirmation class.  (That was not the pastor's plan that day, I'm sure.)   After our section on the commandments, all of us 8th-graders were taking a quiz.  "True or false? Betsy shows respect for God's Word by dusting her Bible every week."  Everybody in class (except one girl) answered "true."  Pastor said the answer was "false."   The class protested.  Turns out that our misunderstanding had more to do with cleaning than with valuing God's word.    Pastor (and the one girl who got the right answer) insisted that a Bible that is used won't get dusty.  Pastor said that it shows more love for God's word to be reading it than to leave it sit unused to get dusty. 

Things get dusty when they're not used?  Who knew?

Anyway ...
According to that logic, a fan should grow dustier when sitting still than when being used.  Guess what?  When I began to keep house, I learned that's not the way it works.  The other day, I found lights and fan on in an empty room.  Buttinsky me turned off the light and the fan.  And this picture shows what I found.  Yuck!  I wonder how long it's been since that fan was off? 

Holy Week Liturgy

Extra services.
Pastors have many sermons to prepare.

Some pastors have services to write too.  In congregations that don't use the liturgy, each week's service has to be invented afresh.  During Holy Week, that would be a lot of [unnecessary] work.

Some of us laymen yearn for Holy Week to come so that we can hear the same thing we heard last year.  And the year before.  And the year before.  The same liturgy.  The same hymns.  The same readings.  If you're reading the book, the same rites and pericopes don't get stale, even if they've been used for hundreds of years ... because those words are the life of the world.

Undoing the Curse of the Fall

In a few years, Joey will grow to be 16.  Imagine his dad gives him the car keys.  Joey takes the car and drives stupidly and wraps the car around the tree.  Joey comes through the accident.  Even though his father forgives him, the damage is still done.  The car is ruined.  Joey did that to his dad's car because he had the "authority" over the car; he was the one with the keys; he was the one operating it. 

That story was used to illustrate how Adam had authority over God's creation.  It was God's world.  But he "gave Adam the car keys."  And Adam wrecked it.  His fall into sin brought ruin to the world. 

Therefore ...

when the Second Adam forgives sin,

the results of sin begin to be undone.  Right away!

When Jesus dies, there is an immediate response (Mt 27)!  The earth trembles as the whole creation groans to be redeemed from its bondage (Rom 8).  The veil is torn and we have access to God (Eph 3, Heb 10).  Some of the dead are resurrected.

The one who first had authority and dominion over creation?  He wrecked it.
The One whose blood and death gave Him the authority?  He unwrecked it.  He set it right.

Behold, He makes all things new!

Confessing or Denying

If anyone confesses Me before men, him also I will confess before My Father who is in heaven.
But if anyone denies Me before men, him also I will deny before My Father who is in heaven.  (Matthew 10)

But ...
but ...
but we do deny Him.

If we don't curse and swear that we don't know Him (as did Peter), we still deny Him every single time we sin or doubt or be selfish.  And then that verse can be scary.

Pastor invited us to cling to the first half of the verse.  It is a promise of God.  It is true!  He will confess us before the Father! 

We are sinners.  We do deny Him.  That's abominable.  But in the face of our sin, we continue to live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. 

Peter denied Jesus.  Peter also confessed Jesus. (It's that whole "simultaneously saint and sinner" thing.)  Peter is in heaven. 

God's mercy and love and forgiveness is even bigger than our sin.  That's some pretty big mercy!

The Veil of the Temple

According to Exodus 26, the veil of the tabernacle was made of linen.  It was woven with the colors of blood.

On Good Friday, the veil is torn.

Christ's flesh is torn.
He is bloody.
And His body is wrapped in linen to be laid in the tomb.

"You See to It"

It felt like a bit of deja vu this morning.  I'd just heard Judas tell the high priest that he had sinned in betraying innocent blood.  The response was essentially "tough noogies."  Actually it was, "What is that to us?  You see to it."  A little bit later, Pilate feels forced into handing Jesus over to death.  He says, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person's death.  You see to it."

Both are saying, "Not my problem.  I don't want to get involved in solving this.  I'm outta here.  You do whatever you want about this mess."



Two interesting points that Pastor brought up:
~~ Pilate was indeed innocent of the blood of Jesus.  NOT because he claimed to be so.  NOT because he absolved himself.  But because Jesus' blood atoned for the sins of the whole world.  Of course, Pilate rejected that forgiveness.  But it was won for him nonetheless.
~~ It was the job of the high priest to forgive sin and to pray and to offer sacrifices.  Judas sinned.  He came to the priests with an admission of guilt.  And their response?  "You see to it."  That's damnable doctrine.  We cannot "see to" the fixing of our mess.  Judas's despair is partially due to the refusal of the priests to forgive his sin, to point him to the God of mercy and love.  

Aprons

Maggie and I have been sewing this week.  We started this project last spring when we found the oh-so-exciting fabric for half-price.  Julie (Olivia's mom) had worked on some simple sewing skills with the girls nearly six years ago, putting together a baby blanket for Alia.  This week Maggie progressed to facings, ties/straps, patch pockets, and [gasp] curved seams. She also learned that her mother is a freak about ironing while sewing!  Everything must be ironed, ironed again, and then ironed a little more for good measure.

For the record, "See and Sew" patterns ["EASY to make!"] are not that simple.  And the directions cannot be followed by somebody unless she has some pretty good sewing experience already under her belt.  Boy, howdy, I thought an apron pattern would be a good start on sewing.  Not this pattern, though! 

We now have enough aprons to go around.

And we have aprons that will make us smile.

And I have the knowledge to use my old apron pattern (the one I used in 8th-grade sewing class for my first garment-production) next time I get the itch for apron-sewing.

(I think the flounce on the bottom of the apron makes me look fat.  Or pregnant.  But "Does this make me look fat?" is a naughty naughty question.  So I will not ask it.)

Matthias's Baptism

Okay, so it's a six-week-old picture 

that I should've posted a long time 

ago.  I'm behind...

Let This Cup Pass From Me

"You know, Dad, I really don't want to do this whole suffering thing.  Don't you suppose I could get out of it?  It'll hurt.  I'll die.  I don't want to.  But if You really really really want Me to do it, okay.  Fine.  I guess I will.  If I have to."

Is that what we think Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane was?  If it were me (that is, me at my absolute best) then maybe that's what I'd mean by "Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.  Nevertheless, not what I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26).

But Jesus wanted to die for us.  His love compelled Him.  He did not go to His suffering unwillingly.  "A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth, the guilt of all men bearing." 

What He didn't want was to be separated from His Father.  He is the true Man, the man Adam failed to be.  Man's life is from God, and the worst thing that happens to man is to be separated from Him.  Adam, who was in communion with God, willingly chose to turn away from Him.  Jesus, who (more than anyone) had the right to be one with the Father, willed to not be separated from Him.  But His will and the Father's will were one, and Jesus willed to saved.

So when we hear next week, "Ohhh ... I don't really want to do this," we need to remember.  It's not "I don't want to suffer."  It's not that our Savior is suddenly having a fit of me-first that He's struggling to overcome.  It's "I don't want to be separated from You."

RUINING Children's Lives

Are you a parent?  You are ruining your child's life.  Yes.  Yes, you are.  Go check out Beth Woolsey's blog to see how terrible you are.

For one example, read what awful thing Jamie reported about her dictatorial mothering:

My child will be calling Child Protective Services and suing for $20,000 cash because I threw out a gnarly toothbrush and replaced it with a fresh, new one, which is clearly child abuse.

How about Michelle's cruelty?

I don't let my 1-year-old lick the bottom of people's shoes.

Oh!  Alas for those poor children who endure such suffering!

Bowed Down

My posture has gone downhill significantly in the last couple of months.  I keep noticing how slumpy I am while driving, how my shoulders droop when standing.  I keep telling myself to straighten up, and my faked-out good posture lasts for a whoppin' five minutes.  Or less.

This week I noticed in the psalms where it says "I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns" or "my soul is bowed down to the dust" or "the Lord raises up those who are bowed down." 

Huh.  So it's not just a figure of speech.
The body really does end up "bowed down" when the heart grieves.

Soft Foods

ice cream and sherbet
pudding and yogurt
mashed potatoes
fruit smoothies
scrambled or over-easy eggs

tomato soup
chicken-noodle soup
beef-noodle soup

pancakes
Dutch oven-pancakes
macaroni and cheese
tilapia in coconut-milk sauce

winter squash
pumpkin pie
applesauce
canned peaches
creamed spinach
banana
baked sweet potato
scalloped creamed-corn

soft bread (no millet or bulghar)
quiche
lentil soup
baked beans
chicken and dumplings
egg roll guts
burrito
fajita
cole slaw
tuna salad
bubble-n-squeak
muffins

spaghetti
stroganoff
meatloaf
pizza lentils
lasagna
chili
gumbo
crab with rotini
chicken pot pie
shepherd's pie
zucchini skillet
pulled beef in a barbecue sauce
hamburger-corn-noodle casserole
African peanut soup
teriyaki chicken and rice
red beans and rice
Mom's fried chicken

I Guess "It's All Relative"

Our church has far more than her fair share of musicians.  In addition to organ and piano, there are flutes, strings, and various horns.  And the voices!  Plenty of good singers, especially one soprano who is second only to Julie Andrews in my book.  Ahhhhh, lovely!

Sometimes I feel so inferior, so inadequate.  In some of the congregations I've been in, I was one of the top-notch musicians, one of few who could play a little piano and read music.  Here, I keep thinking that I should quit choir so that the rest of the group isn't dragged down by my voice.  (I remember so clearly the reunion of our high school choir, with tapes playing of our concerts.  The girl with the prettiest voice heard the spot on the tape where I had a brief solo, and she wondered who that was and didn't remember anybody with that poor a voice ever being in choir.  That's the kind of thing people don't say to your face, but sometimes the truth spills out accidentally.)

And then I was visiting at my mom's church a few weeks ago.  Heading out to the parking lot with a friend, a stranger stopped us.  "Do you go to church here?"  No.  "Could you?"  No.  "Why not?"  I live in Wisconsin.  My confusion grew as she joked that I commute each week.  Then she explained: "You have a beautiful voice.  It would be great to have you here singing every week."

Weird.

Even though, in my environment, I have a barely mediocre voice, that little comment gives me the courage to remain in choir.

Spaetzle

My husband is not a fan of soup.

Oral surgery and missing teeth?  You get soup.

The soups I made recently really hit the spot for him.  I pureed the little bit of carrot, onion, and celery into the meaty broth.  The noodles were these awesome German spaetzle that I picked up at Aldi.  On the one hand, $2 for a one-pound bag of noodles seemed pricey.  But they are SO good.

Now, more oral surgery.  We need more soup that is pleasing to a non-soup fellow.  And Aldi discontinued the spaetzle.  Oh NO!  The price of that tasty noodly goodness is double (or more) at other stores.  I bought it anyhow.  Gary needs to eat.

When those noodles come back to Aldi as a "special purchase" again, I am buying BOXES and BOXES of them. 

Cranford

BEST movie I've seen in a long time!   Cranford is even better than Downton Abbey.  (Except shorter.  Too bad it's only five episodes.) 

Beautiful costumes.
Lovely scenery.
Superb acting.
Wonderful plots and character development.

Story is set in a small town in England in the 1840s.  The story is full of life and death, romance, gossip, power, and pleasant everyday life.  And it's funny -- SO funny!

Modern Art

Maggie and I are watching the Sister Wendy videos about art history and art appreciation.  Neither one of us likes it much, but it's one of those things I make the kids do for school.  Cultural literacy and all that. 

In the Christian-homeschooling world, I had heard that Impressionism was bad.  It was the first step in a break-from-reality in paintings, the beginning of a slippery slope.  So, does that make me bad?  You see, I like the Impressionists.  Now I know that the Impressionists cared about beauty.  Even if they were painting impressions instead of realistic depictions, it was still about beauty.

Today as we watched the show about modern art, Sister Wendy told us that an important contribution that Picasso made to the world of art: breaking from the notion that art would be about beauty.  With modern art came the choice to paint what was beautiful or not.  Ugliness and violence was worthy of art too.  (Oh, yeah?  That's one doozy of a "contribution" to art.)

We also learned about a modern artist who believed in the big bang theory.  His art therefore showed a mess, a big ugly mess.  Because, you see, disorder and disarray are where new life and fresh things are created.  (Uh huh....)

Sister Wendy kept telling us that modern art is about freedom -- "freedom from the constraints of reality."  Yes.  Freedom from being bound to the rules.  Yes.  Freedom to think and dream without limitation.  Yes, that sounds to me like "nightmares." 

And that would be why I don't like modern art.
It's not just my silly little preference.
It's about God and reality and beauty and truth.

Reading the Blessing

Maybe the young, new pastor is shy and thus unsure of himself.
Maybe the pastor had been immersed in "contemporary worship" and is now discovering the blessings of the liturgy, although he's not yet grounded in the pattern of those words.
Maybe the pastor is having health problems so that his memory (or speech) is uncharacteristically jumbled.

There are times when it's important that the book be opened and be read, so that the words are right.  Obviously, nobody is expecting the pastor to go through the entire service, including the Prayer of the Church, including all the seasonal variations in the preface and the collects, with all of it memorized.  It's important to read the book.

But aren't there sections that we learn by heart?  "The Lord bless you and keep you.  The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you.  The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."   Isn't that something we hear often enough that we learn it without even trying to memorize it?  It always surprises me when I see an experienced pastor looking at the book instead of at the people as he blesses them.

But, hey, definitely better to be reading it

than to be making up your own thing!

What Do Patients Know, Anyway?

So I'm visiting my mom in the hospital.  She's tired and needs an uninterrupted nap.  I sit out in the hallway, blocking her door, to make sure she has 15-20 minutes without anybody disturbing her.  I work on my Sudoku and tune out the conversations in the hallway.

Then a voice breaks through.  An unidentified nurse is exasperated.  "She keeps insisting that I check her blood sugar levels.  It's like she thinks I don't know how to do my job!  Why does she keep reminding me?  I am the professional here.  I've been trained.  She's just a patient."  Another nurse commiserates. 

I understand they have quite a few people to care for.  I realize not every patient can have the attention they want, exactly when they want it.  (That's one of the reasons I think it's important for patients to have someone there with them, someone to fix the pillow, to get a glass of water, to help get out of bed for a trip to the bathroom, etc.)   BUT ...

medical care is not just about science.  It's about people.  Different people have different needs.  A medicine that works for Joe may not work for Bob, even if they have the same illness.  Patients who live with chronic conditions know what's necessary.  They know what pills work better at what time of day.  They know what routines their bodies need.  They often know these things [gasp] better than the professionals do.

And then ... there is an ugly truth.

Sometimes nurses DO forget.
Sometimes they DO need to be reminded.
Maybe it's because they're truly busy and overworked.
Maybe there was an emergency in another room.
Or maybe they got too busy talking with co-workers about cute new Easter dresses.

Then add in that a patient endures the fall-out of a few doozy screw-ups, or a patient struggles to explain why something that's a minor problem for most people is a huge problem for her.  The doctor had told the patient to insist on proper care and to ask and to be pro-active and to remind the nurses.  A nurse protests that she "doesn't need to be reminded."  And somehow, we aren't so sure about that.

Reading Challenge

Back in December, when everybody else was making their challenge lists for 2014, I didn't.  Maybe I can't plan for such pleasures right now.  But for now, here are some ideas I had early in the year, and how far I've come:

finish proofreading New Testament Catechist  [done Feb 11]

Light from Heaven (the last Mitford book) [done March 6]
the Father Tim series, by Jan Karon

the Kristin Lavransdatter series, by Sigrid Undset
Bridal Wreath [done March 27]
Mistress of Husaby
The Cross

Hammer of God (again)

The Complete Guide to Creating a Special Needs Life Plan, by Hal Wright


Anne of the Island
Anne of Windy Poplars
and maybe a few more in the series
(with Maggie)

likely some proofreading on Bible Stories for Daily Prayer



possibly
a Luther biography with Maggie
Narnia again
a book or two by Jillian Bradshaw
maybe try out an Elizabeth Gaskill book
something by Beverly Engel or Robin Stern
Quiet by Susan Cain

Kleinig

Oh boy!   I don't know when I'm going to listen to these, but .... oh boy!!!
These are from the Michigan District conference this spring. 

Receptive Piety

Receptive Meditation

Self-Examination    Clearing the Conscience

Vigilance of Spiritual Warfare

Physical Self-Restraint      Fasting / Feasting

Family Altar     Table Devotions for Daily Sanctification

Q & A session

(My "tag" on this is from the Gerhardt

 symposium.  These presentations aren't 

from that 2007 conference, but the same 

theologian is speaking.)

I Can Brush My Teeth

When a teenager asked Pastor during the quiz today, "Can you read question 3 again?" he grinned and winked at the adults in the room and said, "Yes, I CAN....   ...  ...   Oh -- would you like me to?"

I can brush my teeth.
I can go up and down the stairs to do laundry.
And if I forget to toss in a pair of socks, I can run downstairs again to add them to the load.
I can get myself a drink.
I can pick up my fork and feed myself supper.
I can even drive a car to the store and do an errand.
I can see well enough to read a book.
I can stand up in the shower.
I can kneel by the sink and use my neti-pot.
I can pick up my glasses and put them on my face.

This weekend I am particularly thankful for what I can do.  I so seldom realize what a great blessing these tiny things are, and how difficult life can be when these simple things are daunting tasks or even completely impossible.

My mom had surgery a week and a half ago.  Now she's recuperating and trying to get her meds regulated again and trying to get her hands & feet to DO what her brain is telling them to do.  It makes a person thankful for patient and tender CNA's and nurses.  And when I whine at Gary because I "only" accomplished laundry and bread-baking and mopping and vacuuming and supper and a half-day at paid work (and there was so much more that "should've" been done) I should be slapped.

I can brush my teeth.
And I can shower.
And I can go potty by myself.
That right there is a lot to be grateful for.

And if those were impossible, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. He shall be my salvation" (Job 13).

"I believe that God has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them....  All this He does out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me."

Depression

A post about some practical ways to show love and give help to someone who's depressed.  (Thanks for posting the link, Lora.)
And a related post about a few "natural treatments" for fighting depression.

So, They WERE Told, and Quite Clearly

Continuing on the theme of "but I always pictured it that way,"
somehow I always figured the disciples were caught off-guard by Jesus' arrest and trial and crucifixion. 

Pastor has told us again and again that Jesus told them repeatedly what was coming.  There are even several story-headings in my Bible that say "Jesus predicts His death" or "Jesus predicts His death a second time" or "third time." 

But there at the start of Matthew 26, already halfway through Holy Week, it's there again, in plenty of specificity.  Two more days.  At the Passover.  Delivered up to be crucified.

It's not even like the guys had to remember for a couple of weeks.  Or wonder how it was going to happen.  How much plainer could He be?!

The Blood of the Passover

Blood on the doorposts and lintels. 
The Angel of Death passed over those houses.

Maybe it was pictures from Sunday School lessons.
Maybe it was something I saw in a movie.

I always pictured in my mind the people painting the blood onto their door-frames.  You know, smearing it on in a rather tidy, complete way.

But Exodus 12 says the people were to dip the hyssop in the blood of the lamb and "strike [or touch] the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood."  The lintel.  The two doorposts.  That makes three applications of blood.



What happens in baptism?
I baptize you in the name of the Father
[splash]
and of the Son
[splash]
and of the Holy Ghost.
[splash]

"This Cup Is ... "

"This is My blood ..." Jesus says in the gospels written by Matthew and Mark.

But from Paul we read this very cool (and yet mind-boggling) thing:  "This cup is the new testament in My blood" (Luke 22 and 1 Corinthians 11).

This cup IS ... a ...

word.

Not "this cup contains ...."

Not "my blood is ...."

Any testament or a covenant is a word.

A promise.

This cup is a word.

Hallel

Sometimes it takes a while for the pieces to come together for me.

Piece #1:  Psalms 113-118 are a unit (the "Hallel" or "praise") used in connection with the Passover.

Piece #2:  When the Lord called Abram, He promised that, in Abram's seed, all the nations of the earth would be blessed.

Piece #3:  The Jews of Jesus' day thought they were the bees' knees, and that Gentiles weren't worthy.  Now, granted, that promise to Abraham was getting a mite "back-in-time" from their perspective.

Piece #4:  The Jews of Jesus' day were still singing the Hallel at Passover.  You can even see record of it in the chants of Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem. 

Piece #5:  Psalm 117 is about the Gentiles praising the Lord for His merciful kindness.


Wouldn't this mean that the people singing this liturgy should've gotten it that God's love is for the whole world and not just their own little selves?

(Shhh.  You don't suppose there are things in that we blow right past in the liturgy, singing without realizing what we're saying?...)

Heading Out for the Gathering

In Acts, we read a couple of times about how Paul wanted to go to Jerusalem for Pentecost.

You know what it sounds like to me?  It sounds like the great Lutheran migration to Fort Wayne in January (or maybe even here in June).  It requires planning and travel.  Other work must be arranged around the pilgrimage.  For those who can go, they eagerly anticipate the worship and theological discussion and seeing friends.  Those who cannot make the trip know they're missing out on something, but nevertheless stay where they are and do what's necessary at home.

Which Came First?

I find it fascinating that Exodus 12 comes before Exodus 14.

Now, for everybody who learned to count in kindergarten, you're looking at those numbers and thinking, "That is one dumb thing to find fascinating."

But look at what's happening in the story.
Exodus 10:  The 8th and 9th plagues (locusts and darkness).
Exodus 11:  God announces the 10th plague on its way.  Moses and Aaron go tell Pharaoh.
Exodus 12, part 1:  God institutes the Passover celebration.  He gives them the rites and rubrics.  He lays it all out, how they are to celebrate this festival for the rest of forever.
Exodus 12, part 2:  The 10th plague.  And the Israelites hustling out of Egypt.
Exodus 13, part 1:  More about the liturgy of Passover and also about the redemption of the firstborn.
Exodus 13, part 2:  Traveling from Goshen to the Red Sea.
Exodus 14:  The Lord's deliverance of His people.
Exodus 15:  The song of praise about the deliverance.

You would think that God would rescue His people FIRST.  And then they'd respond.  You'd think the event itself would precede the instructions of how they were to celebrate/remember the event.  But no.  God does it backward from our way of looking at it.  First comes the WORD which tells them how to celebrate what He hadn't even done yet. 

It's almost like His word makes things happen or somethin'.

It's like God thinks the liturgy to celebrate/remember these events is as important as the event itself.  (If I brought this up in Bible class, this is where my pastor would probably point out Luke 24: 46-47 where Jesus says that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer/die/rise AND necessary that it be preached.)

Tough Love

Joseph rules over Egypt.
A famine causes widespread hunger.
Rumor is that food can be bought in Egypt.
Jacob's sons go to buy grain.
They bow before Joseph.

And what does Joseph do?  "He acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them."

He loves them so much that he cared more about their salvation and their repentance than he cared about the comfortableness of BeingNice.

Jesus Sinners Doth Receive

Luke 15: The tax collectors and sinners crowded around Jesus, soaking up His preaching.  The "good guys" were crabby.  "Eeeeuw -- this guy hangs out with sinners.  He even eats with them.  [shudder]  Yish."

So the exact same words -- "Jesus sinners doth receive" -- have various meanings.  It could be a complaint (as from the scribes and Pharisees).  Or it could be a simple statement of fact.  Or it could be high praise and thanksgiving to a gracious Lord.

Tying Scarves

Melody linked to a you-tube about tying scarves.  I need to learn a few of these because I am inept with scarves.  I think many of my scarves are way too small to use these tricks, but the instruction helps me think in new ways.

Now, can I remember even ONE of these for when I'm dressing in the morning?  Or will I have to run to the computer and hunt through blogposts for the video-link?  Oh, you know how it is -- if I have to struggle that much to tie a scarf, I'll be going scarfless.

Family

Our friend, Rachel-the-Most-Excellent-Photographer, came over to take some pictures of our family when Paul and Mandy were here to visit last month.

Why You Can Be Wrong Even When You're Right

or "Why It Matters That Justification Is the Chief Article"

It is unfortunate that men who have offered strong confessional Lutheran service in the Gospel have then doctrinally gone astray. How does this happen? When the chief article of justification [and I would say applying it, not just knowing it] begins to wane in one's thinking as the chief article, when it becomes just one among all the other articles of faith, the devil can use whatever articles make up one's doctrinal passion (which are good in their own right) to replace it.  Just because you're against the false teachers about whatever articles of faith are near and dear to you, that's no guarantee that the devil must throw up his hands and raise the white flag in seeking to separate you from a right faith and ministry in the righteousness of Christ.  He's demonstrated ample ability to use your passions, your commitments against the false teachers, and your zeal, to dethrone the significance of the forgiveness of sins in an all-sufficient cross of Christ.

Once dethroning the sufficiency of the righteousness of Christ as the chief article [so it's not gotten rid of, it's just no longer the center], he then works to drive a wedge between those articles of faith and issues of praxis that stir your passions, and the pure milk of the Gospel. When other heterodox traditions hold your views on your passionate articles of faith, the devil will be at work to have you view their doctrinal errors as not so bad . . . even when they involve a false understanding of justification, the central article of the Gospel.

Dr Steven Hein

"Going East?"
as referenced at the Redeemer conference 20 January 2014

Click on Dr Hein's name to find the whole piece.  The context is how, in the "Battle for the Bible" in the 70s, many Lutherans became so passionate for inerrancy that they siderailed justification.  They didn't get rid of the forgiveness of sins for the comfort of terrified consciences.  But it wasn't the main thing. Thing is, inerrancy is important; it mattered; it was indeed something to fight for.  But the church's focus was sometimes askew.  Sadly enough, we can still make the same mistake.  Today our passion may be missions.  Or respect for the office of the ministry.  Or liturgy.  Now, those are very important things; they are indeed things to fight for.  But even they can [gasp] become idols. 

Gary's Award

for QUALITY work

Nasty Deer

The only predator left for the whitetail deer in our area:

Guns would be much better.  Venison sausage would be much better.
Spending time contacting the insurance company and getting repair estimates?  Not so good.

Thankful at least that no one was hurt, the car was not totaled, and that we found a reputable body shop where we can take the car already next week.  (The place that gave us the first estimate told us it would be March 17 or later.)

Matthias

Born Tuesday.
Baptism scheduled not this Sunday, but next.
Mother and baby are both doing fabulously.

Link to "Why I'm Not Eastern Orthodox"

So I can find this article later:
A young man's explanation of differences between Eastern Orthodoxy and Lutheran teaching, and why he decided to remain Lutheran instead of change to EO.

A Blessed Dying to Self

The Lutheran approach to [theosis/divination] is categorically opposite from the way the Orthodox tend to think of it.

This is the process of theosis:  God keeps on taking things away from you, one after the other.  And every time He takes something else away, He says, "You still have Me, and I'm enough."  And the day is going to come when He takes away your breath.  And He's going to say, "But you still have Me, and I'm enough."  And this is theosis.  Not this infinite climbing up, but this finding that having Him really is enough.  He gives Himself fully to you.  And if you have Him, you have everything you need.  And He gives Himself fully to you.  The older you get, the more you get this thing about TakingAway; the sorrows mount.

You live more and more from Him, and less and less from your old Adam.  This is progress in sanctification.

 Pastor Weedon 

at the Redeemer conference, 

at the 5-6 minute mark

Despicable Offerings

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.
A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.  (Ps 51:17)

Overall, it's not okay to give broken stuff to God.

In Leviticus (chap 22) God tells His people that the animals they sacrifice cannot be lame or ill or damaged.  In Malachi (chap 1) the Lord rips into the priests for defiling the altar with lame and blind sacrifices. 

How different it is with our hearts!  Not only is brokenness acceptable, but being broken is the only acceptable way.




Weedon summarizes Kleinig's book Grace Upon Grace:

God keeps on taking things away from you, one thing after another.  And every time He does, He says, "But you still have Me, and I'm enough."

about 5:20 on the you-tube video

Valentine's Day

Aldi was empty last night when I got off work.

The only other time I'd seen the place so vacant was about 8 hours into an ice storm.  The panic-runs were long-done when I stopped by Aldi on my way home from work that day.

For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why the grocery store was SO empty.  I left the parking lot.  I drove past about a dozen restaurants.  Not a single parking spot in any of those parking lots. 

Oooooooh. 
So that's where everybody is!

I came home to a dinner of fajitas made by my daughter and husband. 

That's better than going to a restaurant!

THIS is "not being moved"?

Psalm 66 tells us that the Lord "keeps our soul among the living and does not allow our feet to be moved."

Then it goes on to tell us that He has tested us.  He has refined us.  (Now, that may sound nice at first glance.  But it requires an awful lot of fire.  And burning up.  You know?)    He brought us into the net.  He laid affliction on our backs.  He caused men to ride over our heads.  We went through fire and water.

And THIS is what it looks like when He keeps our soul among the living?  [shudder]

And yet, after all this,
THROUGH all this,
no matter how we fall,
no matter how we are attacked,
He brings us out to rich fulfillment.
And He has not turned His mercy from me.

Where's the Renewal of the Lutheran Church?

Conscience is what preaching is all about in the Lutheran Confessions, from start to finish.   I have come to believe, with absolute firmness, that if we're going to see renewal in the Lutheran Church, it will begin out of the preaching office.  It will begin with pastors again recognizing that the point of their sermon is to comfort troubled consciences -- not to take the doctrine of justification and just throw it out to any and to all in such a way that you proclaim to impenitent sinners the forgiveness of their sins.  That doesn't help them, and they don't really care.  But to consciences that truly are troubled because they know they have not lived in an unbroken yes to God, and they know what the Law of God says about this, to such consciences we proclaim,  "In Jesus Christ, there is a perfection that is yours."

Taken from a recent Issues Etc

broadcast by Pastor Weedon

Eastern Orthodoxy considers it "humility" to not be certain of the promises of God to you.  (Hmm.  God says something.  I then suspect His word isn't sure and certain.  That sounds to me more like cheekiness than humility.  But maybe that's just me.)

The beautiful uniqueness of the Lutheran Church is comforting sinners.  When people's hearts melt from hearing awesome preachers, it's because those men comfort troubled consciences.  The glory of private confession is that the pastor comforts the troubled conscience.  Frequent celebration of the Lord's Supper is for the sake of bringing the comfort of Christ's holiness to sinners who are troubled by their sin.  "Toward forgiveness is directed everything that is to be preached" (Large Catechism).

To send faithful laborers into Thy harvest,

we beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

To accompany Thy word with Thy spirit and grace,

we beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

Hey, sing it with me!  (to the tune of "Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus")

Christ alone is our salvation,
Christ the rock on which we stand;
other than this sure foundation
will be found but sinking sand.
Christ, His cross and resurrection,
is alone the sinner's plea;
at the throne of God's perfection

nothing else can set him free.   (ELH 484)

Pastor Weedon spoke this January at the conference at Redeemer Lutheran.  He spoke about what it means to be Lutheran and why people should stay Lutheran.  (This is from a man who nearly became Eastern Orthodox but then realized what that would mean, and who then re-embraced the Lutheran confession.)
Part 1
Part 2
Yes, it's long. 
But it's worth the time.
Thank you to the many friends who forwarded the links to our family.

Standardized Testing

Common Core increases (yet again) the testing requirements on students.  a) Testing doesn't measure what it purports to measure.  b) Too often, the existence of standardized testing controls the curriculum, as schools "teach to the test."  c) Testing takes time away from real learning.

Not only that, but testing can frustrate children and make them feel stupid.  Here is one story of a mom who helped administer standardized tests to a kindergarten class.  It makes you want to cry.  Even in the best of circumstances, standardized tests are designed so that kids CANNOT do them: that's the sorting mechanism.  The tests are supposed to be so hard that everybody hits a point of incompetency.  On top of that, tests aren't always administered in the "best of circumstances." 

For those with kids in the public schools, many states allow parents to opt-out their kids from the state-mandated testing.  For Wisconsin, information is available at the DPI website.  Information for other states may be researched at an Opt Out website. 

Parables

I was always taught that a parable is "an earthly story with a heavenly meaning" and that Jesus told parables to help us understand.

But Jesus said he told parables to hide the truth of God's word.  (You don't believe me?  Go look at Mark 4.)

Furthermore, the parables aren't stories that make sense to us.  As Pastor is wont to say, "The stories start off sounding like something we're familiar with, but there's always a curve ball."

As I'm proofreading another CCA book, I noticed this line:

Parables always teach reliance upon Christ and never teach reliance upon ourselves.

But somehow, our sinful nature still wants to think that the primary point of parables is to give us a pep talk (or a scolding) about behaving a certain way.  Nope -- the parables teach reliance upon Christ alone.

Glue

Gluten.  The sticky stuff in pasta and wheat.  The reason you can make paste or glue by mixing water and white flour.

GLUten.
GLUe.
And they're from the same Latin root.

Cool.

From the Joseph Story

From Thursday's Bible class -- notes and ruminations:

Genesis 45:5, 8  Joseph told his brothers, "God sent me before you" into the land of Egypt.  Even though the brothers had committed a dastardly deed in selling their brother into Egyptian slavery, Joseph's explanation of events said that God was the one who brought him there.  God turned even their evil into good ... as He is wont to do.
The prophet tells us that "out of Egypt I have called My Son."  But God also sent Jesus (like Joseph) into Egypt.  And as it happened for Joseph, it was (to all outward appearances) attempted murder that sent the boy Jesus from Canaan to Egypt.


45:24    When Joseph had equipped his brothers for the trip to Canaan, sending them to fetch the rest of the family, he sent them off with "See that you do not become troubled along the way."  It's almost as if he knew they would begin to wonder if Joseph had really forgiven them, if it was a set-up, if there would be repercussions.  "Don't be troubled.  Don't be agitated.  Go in peace."  Joseph knew the human heart's inclination to doubt, to fear, to be troubled.  And he wanted to comfort them so that his beloved brothers would not be troubled.


45:27  The fellows told Dad, "Joseph is alive, and he's ruling Egypt."  Now, that's quite the shocker!  But then the story goes on: "When they told [Jacob] all the words which Joseph had said to them...."  Pastor pointed out that "all the words" means the guys would've had to admit to Dad what had happened that long-ago day, 22 years earlier ... and admit that they had lied all along.  "And Jacob's spirit revived."  It did?  Wow -- so he forgave them. 
How could he forgive that?  Well, think about his own past.  Jacob had deceived.  He had cheated his brother.  He had lied to his father.  He had been separated from his family.  But the Lord's mercy forgave him, so that love and mercy overflowed from him to others.   How about that?  When God is merciful and loving to scumbum sinners, it really does bear fruit in the lives of those who receive His love.


45:5 and 50:20   Even though the brothers meant evil against Joseph, God meant it for good "to preserve life."  "To save your lives by a great deliverance."  "To bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." 

1. God worked for good by feeding physical food to gobs of people through Joseph's leadership in Egypt. 
2. God worked for good by saving the brothers from their impenitence, bringing their sin into the light of day that they might benefit from the forgiveness Joseph had for them.
3. God worked for good by preserving the life of the ancestor of Jesus.  Judah and his brothers did not die of starvation.  Their family continued, and the Messiah --the Savior-- was born just as the Lord had promised to Abraham.  

50:17  So when Jacob dies, the brothers send a message to Joseph: Dad said to forgive us for the evil we did to you.  Did Jacob say that, or did the guys just say it because they were shakin' in their boots?  Either way, it shows that we need a mediator, an intercessor, to plead for us sinners.

Knitting Doctor #4's Scarf

Paul mentioned in 2012 that he'd like a Dr Who scarf for Christmas.  I didn't like what I found online.  So for this Christmas I decided to knit one.

Now, I'm not much of a knitter.  When I saw the real scarf in The Day of the Doctor, I realized my colors were a little off, and my garter stitch probably should've been a purl stitch.  But overall, I'm pleased with the results.  It's a comfy wool scarf that's machine-washable.  And the colors are gorgeous.  And it's 16 feet long!

And you know what's really cool?  I suspected [aka, feared] that knitting would increase the arthritis pain in my wrists and finger joints.  It didn't.  Quite the opposite!  Knitting helped.  Now I'm trying to convince myself to keep knitting -- even if there's nothing to be made -- just for the sake of the comfy therapy and pain relief that the knitting provides.  And maybe, as a side benefit, I could become adept at purling.  Or ribbing.  Or other pretty stitches.

But for now, I am pleased as punch about this scarf!

Energy Balls

You know those energy bars that are available at the grocery store?  The ones full of ingredients that sound like you're doing a science experiment instead of eating food?  Well, here's a real-food alternative that is quite easy.

Combine:
1 cup oat
2/3 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup flaxmeal or wheat germ
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
(optional: 1/4 cup finely ground nuts
and/or 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder)

Mix well.
Chill 30 minutes.
Shape into balls.
Store in refrigerator up to 1-2 weeks.

Delicious.
They're like candy bars to tide you over when you're famished.
Problem is, they are high in calories, and they're so little that it's easy to just grab one or two and snarf 'em down like as if they're nothin'.  Certain people have gained some weight since I made these.  The energy balls sit in the fridge, tempting us, while ostensibly waiting to be a late-morning snack on those days at work where I can't go to lunch until nearly 2:30.

Recent Days

Snow removal.  Never-ending snow removal.

Working extra hours.  Hooray that the office will soon be fully staffed!

Fighting illness and recuperating from injury.

Some proofreading for CCA.

More snow-shoveling.

Maggie and I doing some art-history study for her schoolwork.

Some fretting and grieving.

Trying to keep up the exercise at Curves.

A trip to visit my mom.

A family gathering when Mandy and Paul came for "Christmas" in mid-January.

More snow-removal.

Andrew started spring semester for nursing school.  This meant a decrease in work hours for him, and an increase in studying.  Lots of studying.  Lots of homework.  Tough stuff.  But he's doing it.

And seriously.... we have to go out and shovel snow again?!

The Debate

Maybe you're not out of it as badly as I am.  My head pretty much stays tucked in the sand, and I'm quite happy living in LaLa-Land, thank you.  So this morning I was surprised to hear that, last night, there was a debate between Ken Ham and Bill Nye.

(By the way, I cannot spell Bill Nye's name without the backspace key.  It always comes out "Billy" before I go back and erase the "y.")

The debate is close to three hours long.  No small thing to fit into your day.  If you want to listen, it will be available "for several days" at debatelive.org.

I was not as impressed as I'd expected.

Ken Ham (the creationist) kept stressing that evolution is a belief system and not observable science.  That's definitely true, but I wish he'd given more to-the-point answers too.

Bill Nye (the evolutionist) kept repeating several points.  One could have been easily answered (but wasn't).  The earth has an apparent age that is older than creationists say it is.  Well, of course!  Adam wasn't created as a baby.  In the Garden of Eden, there were already full-grown fruit trees.  So also, rocks and stars would look like they too were "grown up" even when they were only minutes or days old.

Another of The Science Guy's major points was that America needs scientists to compete globally in technology.  Beats me what that has to do with defending evolution.

Another of Bill's claims was that evolution could be disproven by even one counter-example.  He claimed there were none.  Ever.  He said there is not one example anywhere in the fossil record of a species of a particular era being found alongside (in the same rock strata) a species of a supposedly different era.  So ... I remember in the past hearing about examples.  I guess if you're convinced that such fossils cannot exist, you'll discredit any fossils that do disprove your beliefs.

It was also interesting that both sides have unanswerable questions:  "We don't know how to explain that.  It's something we need to study more, to learn more about."  Granted, each side has an easy time explaining some of the other side's big mysteries.  But they both have spots where they say, "I don't know."  From my vantage point, that means neither side can say, "Ah HA!  Caught you!!  You can't explain thus-and-such!  Well, if you can't explain everything, that in itself says you're all wet."




One portion of the debate allowed for questions from the audience.  I thought an interesting question (directed toward the creationist) was, if hypothetically evolution was proven and creation was disproved, would the scientist then still hold to his religion, his Christian faith?  His answer was basically, "It can't be disproved because it's true."  

My answer would have been, "No."  I would then go on to explain that creation cannot be disproved because it is true.  But if we're going to be silly and play The Hypothetical Game, then my answer would be No.  Once upon a time, I sort of believed that evolution was true (because it's what I was unequivocally taught at school) AND that creation was true (because it's what God said).  So I do realize that there are Christians who believe in evolution, Christians who haven't realized the ramifications of what evolution does to theology.  And God, rich in grace, forgives us all for Jesus' sake -- not because we've got our heads on straight about how He made the world.

But when you realize what evolution says about death, and how it is not the result of sin;

and when you realize what evolution says about Adam and Eve, so that Jesus cannot be "the second Adam" (1 Cor 15:22);

and when you realize that God would be lying (and that Jesus would be mistaken -- Mark 10:6) if evolution were true,

then no, I could not be a Christian if I were shown that creationism were impossible.  If creationism were impossible, then the whole of the Christian faith would be unraveled.

And the devil knows that.
Thus his repeated attempts to promote evolution.

Snow Dimples

the effects of drifting on paw-prints

Out roof-raking in the warm sunshine yesterday, I saw the cutest little dimples in the snow.  The tracks may have been from the kitties, but after the wind whipped around, who knows for sure where the original dents came from?

Shovels

In Illinois, people "scoop snow." 

When we first moved to Wisconsin, people laughed at us.  "You're going to do WHAT with the snow?!"  You see, people in Wisconsin shovel snow.  Scooping is not an option.

(Pssst: We learned to use the word "shovel" instead of "scoop.")

I have now lived in Wisconsin for more than half my life.  This became quite apparent to me as I was in Illinois shoveling (scooping?) my mom's driveway this week. 

Her shovel didn't work as well as I wanted.  My guts compelled me to go grab a different shovel from the garage.  You know, the kind of shovel that would properly clear the drive.  But Mom owns only one shovel.  One.  For all the different types of snow: deep, shallow, powdery, wet, blowing, packing, or icy.

It boggles the mind.

And then -- next -- it boggled my mind that I had become dependent upon having an array of snow-shoveling tools.

I think I'm a Wisconsin girl now.

Do You Have What It Takes?

You've heard it.

The passage is from Luke 14.  Jesus tells us that we take stock of our situation before building a tower so that we know what's necessary and don't find ourselves quitting halfway through.  Jesus tells us that you assess your chances of winning in battle, before going to battle, so you don't get creamed.

So, do YOU have what it takes?

Can YOU be a follower of Jesus?

Wait?
Does that sound like Jesus???

What's that second illustration again?  The king doesn't have enough soldiers, so he begs for terms of peace rather than going to war. 

What if you take stock of yourself and find yourself to be a loser?  What if you realize that you have nothing in you to fight the battle?  What if self-examination reveals that you cannot complete the building you started?

Maybe the whole point of what Jesus says here is that you can't do it, that you do cry "uncle" and give up.  Maybe "forsaking all that he has" is more about being stripped of self-reliance than it is about turning one's back on material possessions. 

Caribbean Salmon

My housemates who aren't exactly fond of salmon requested that this recipe be made again!  The original recipe is found here.  My [lazy] adjustments are as follows:


2# salmon fillets
2-3 Tbsp Jamaican jerk seasoning
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 Tbsp pineapple juice (because I didn't have oj opened)
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 450.
Mix all ingredients except salmon.
Spread a few tablespoons of olive oil on a jelly roll pan.  Place fish in the pan, skin side down.  Spread spice mix evenly over the fish pieces.  Cover pan with foil and bake until done (when thick part of the meat flakes with a fork).

just as Christ also loved the Church

How does a person vow to "suffer all, even death" rather than fall away from Christ, and then not even be able to "suffer" waking up to go to church the week after his confirmation vow.

Similarly, if a guy is going to vow to love his wife, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her (Eph 5:25), it seems like he should be working on making-the-bed and picking-up-the-dirty-clothes if that is what makes his wife happy.  If he can't sacrifice himself to take out the trash for her, then how will he sacrifice himself when it's a much weightier matter?

We're willing to make big promises ... but then we show our true colors in the smaller, relatively inconsequential things.

Boring Things

This afternoon we attended a most lovely wedding at church.  You sit and listen to the Bible readings and the hymns and the sermon and the canticles.  And you rejoice for the couple and for what God has given.

And then I came home and found Glenda's Christmas letter in the mail.  It was full of "boring" stuff: kids getting glasses, books they're reading, studying, going to work, ... all the normal stuff of everyday life.  All those happy things of "a quiet and peaceable life."  Combine that with Robin & Fritz's wedding, and her letter made me cry happy tears.  That boring life -- that quiet and peaceable life -- that's what I want for all my loved ones.

Recent Days

Germs running rampant round about these parts.  Illness hasn't knocked out those who live at my house, but Christmas plans were a bit up-in-the-air for a while, not knowing who might succumb next.  Turned out all the kids were here except the MinnesOtans. 

Although the December symphony was canceled because of a snow inundation, Lessons and Carols went on as planned.  It was a lovely service.

Church services for Christmas Eve and Day continued with the saints days for the rest of the week.  So thankful that Pastor is willing to have services these "extra" times!

We have spent a LOT of time this December moving snow.  Our back muscles hail the wondrous snow-blower.  And even though the sky seems to toss snow at us perpetually, it hasn't been as bad as December 2008's snow dump.  With a nice warm day (in the 40's!) yesterday, I worked on removing snow from the roof.  (As if my shoulders and neck weren't already sore -- LOL.)

In the space of a month, we are losing three of our four full-time tellers at work, with people moving to other positions.  That means part-timers are going to be working many extra hours.  Oh, I hope they find replacements soon!

Bethany and Evan and Helen came to church here today, and then they joined us for lunch.  We also had Katie and girls and Olivia to join in the party.  I was a wretched host, not having the food prepared before they arrived (because I spent yesterday roof-raking).  But they all pitched in and helped finish what I hadn't prepped last night.  And it was lovely visiting with them.  And we enjoyed dinner with Olivia's parents and some friends last night.  And the previous night we were invited out by friends.  I feel like I've barely been home since Thursday afternoon.  But it has been so enjoyable to sit and visit and laugh day-after-day!

"I Never Knew You"

Once upon a time, a bunch of sem-wives were gathered for a class with a sem professor.  One of the women took it upon herself to tell the rest of us that we weren't really Christians, that we hadn't asked the Lord into our hearts, that we hadn't truly made Him lord of our lives.  She insisted we would come to the end of our lives and  

When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, "Lord, Lord, open for us," He will answer and say to you, "I do not know you." ...  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.  (Luke 13:25-28)

The professor did not contradict this woman.  He agreed that this verse made him uneasy.  Would he be one to whom the Lord says, "I never knew you"?

After a period of deep distress (anfechtung) for me, a pastor preached the gospel to me and assured me of Jesus' promises and that His death atoned for my sins and that in baptism He claimed me as His own.  Thanks be to God for Tom Baker!

So anyway,
this section of Luke came up recently in Bible class.  I know too many people who quote verse 24 ("strive to enter through the narrow gate") as if it were preaching salvation-by-works.  C'mon!  You have to strive!  You have to do what's right!  The entryway to heaven is narrow, so you better get it right, and do all the right things!

So I had questions.

Pastor talked about how our "striving" is not so much striving to do all the right things, dot the i's and cross the t's, and pile up our goodness.  It is striving against the Old Adam -- the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh (Galatians 5).  Our "striving" is when our sinful nature is drowned daily and dies with all sins and evil desires.  Our striving is putting to death that inherent pride which thinks God will look on us in kindness because we've been such good Christians.

He "knows you" by lavishing forgiveness upon you.  And if you can't be sure that Jesus knows you, it's because you are relying (at least to some extent) on your works. 

I love it when Pastor goes on a rant-of-sweetness about certainty, about the promises Jesus has made to us, and how He is the one who holds onto us. 

Upcoming Wedding

Two weeks ago, Andrew picked up the ring from the jeweler.  He came home and opened the mail to find that he had been accepted into the clinical portion of the nursing program.  That evening he proposed to Olivia, and she said YES. 

Ain't that grand?!

Wedding date is as yet undetermined, but Andrew says they're leaning toward this August.






Photos courtesy of our friend (who shall remain unnamed because I'm not seeing her name on her new blog and don't want to out her without permission).