Saturday, August 11, 2007
Blog-Readers
My apologies to those readers who have a blogger or netvibe subscription. I relabeled a bunch of posts tonight, so your reader will be full of repeat posts. (There is one new one in there, at the end of the long list of oldies.)
Pastoral Visits
The pastor does not make social calls. He makes pastoral visits.
When a person is sick or dying, he may not feel up to having visitors. That's to be expected. But nobody tells the medical doctor, "I don't feel up to visitors today. You can't come by." The sickness and the desire to avoid visitors is precisely the evidence that you need the doctor's care. AND the pastor's care!
Apparently hospice workers and nurses and home health aides do not understand this. If this is some unimportant factoid they heard in class and promptly forgot, the family is going to have to take action to make sure the helpers know. You know those signs that go up in houses when oxygen is in use? A warning with instruction? Maybe we need big signs like that in the home when a loved one is sick and dying: "Anybody who answers the phone always says YES when the pastor suggests coming over. No matter how the patient is feeling today."
When a person is sick or dying, he may not feel up to having visitors. That's to be expected. But nobody tells the medical doctor, "I don't feel up to visitors today. You can't come by." The sickness and the desire to avoid visitors is precisely the evidence that you need the doctor's care. AND the pastor's care!
Apparently hospice workers and nurses and home health aides do not understand this. If this is some unimportant factoid they heard in class and promptly forgot, the family is going to have to take action to make sure the helpers know. You know those signs that go up in houses when oxygen is in use? A warning with instruction? Maybe we need big signs like that in the home when a loved one is sick and dying: "Anybody who answers the phone always says YES when the pastor suggests coming over. No matter how the patient is feeling today."
Friday, August 10, 2007
Breads
For VBS, we're sharing suppers at church. Tonight Pastor is bringing chili, but they needed bread and salad. Because making bread makes me happy, I volunteered to bring that. My first batch of bread this morning was herb bread that I made into breadsticks. It's just my standard whole-wheat recipe, but I added about1 Tbsp garlic powder
4 Tbsp dried parsley
1 Tbsp onion powder
1.5 Tbsp thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Because it was shaped into breadsticks, it needed only about 15 minutes to bake instead of 35. It smelled marlevous.
Next batch was a standard French bread, white flour. [Sigh. I didn't figure I should make all the bread be as healthy as I usually make for us.]
The next set was my Twist Bread. This is something served at one of the swanky restaurants in Lake Geneva. I came up with a way to replicate it. It doesn't taste particularly fantastic (like the herb bread). It's just extra pretty with the yumminess-level of regular homemade bread.First I make the dark bread. The color comes from using about 80% whole wheat and just a little white flour. I also use coffee instead of the water, brown sugar or molasses instead of the usual sugar, and throw in a tablespoon of cocoa just for extra depth of brownness. While that begins to rise, I make a plain old batch of white bread dough.
When they're ready to shape, cut the dough into smaller chunks, each color into as many finished loaves as you'll want. Press each dough ball into a flattish rectangle, then put one brown rectangle on top of one white rectangle. Press them hard and flat together so that the brown dough won't separate from the white dough while rising. Pick up the rectangle, and flip over one end once or twice, so that the rectangle is twisted. Lay the rectangle down again and press hard to flatten. Then shape the dough for a loaf in the regular way, sealing and pinching as you roll. When cut, you get a very pretty marbling of brown and white.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Philip's Escapades
My son is now gallavanting around Japan. (Yes, Mom, he made it there safely!) Gary asked Philip to post daily to his blog because we can't contact him via phone. Click here for his website and updates.
Praying Hymns
We are currently attending VBS. Mornings are for the kids to study Jesus' prayers during Holy Week and to work on their catechism memory-work. Evenings are for everybody to attend what Pastor is calling a "retreat on prayer." Paul had an interesting comment on what his mother got him into. Andrew didn't particularly want to go along the first night, but was quite happy to return the second night.
One of the points Pastor made was that we don't "read" the psalms or "say" the psalms, we PRAY them. He mentioned that people have a sense that they shouldn't come into church or leave to go potty or whatever during the prayers. When everyone has their heads bowed and their hands folded and Pastor is praying, even pagans know to be respectful of that and be still. But he said people are perfectly willing to come and go (or whisper to the neighbor) during the psalms. But we are praying the psalms and should have that same sense of respect for those prayers as we do when Pastor is praying the collect or the general prayer.
This reminded me of some friends who were expressing some dissatisfaction with back-to-back hymns during communion distribution. They said they like some quiet time during communion so that they can pray and meditate. But that's what the hymns ARE! They are prayers. They guide our meditation. If we learn to think of the hymns as our prayers, then they are not an "interruption" to our prayers during communion, but add to our prayer.
One of the points Pastor made was that we don't "read" the psalms or "say" the psalms, we PRAY them. He mentioned that people have a sense that they shouldn't come into church or leave to go potty or whatever during the prayers. When everyone has their heads bowed and their hands folded and Pastor is praying, even pagans know to be respectful of that and be still. But he said people are perfectly willing to come and go (or whisper to the neighbor) during the psalms. But we are praying the psalms and should have that same sense of respect for those prayers as we do when Pastor is praying the collect or the general prayer.
This reminded me of some friends who were expressing some dissatisfaction with back-to-back hymns during communion distribution. They said they like some quiet time during communion so that they can pray and meditate. But that's what the hymns ARE! They are prayers. They guide our meditation. If we learn to think of the hymns as our prayers, then they are not an "interruption" to our prayers during communion, but add to our prayer.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Mamapalooza
Last Saturday Maggie and I headed to a get-together of homeschoolers. It was a long drive, but a good day. My friend Cheryl, who hosted, has posted photos on her blog, as well as a synposis of the day. Mom can see pics of some of my friends, and my kids will find that the picture of me is pretty good (as photos of me go, anyway). Many thanks to those who planned the day and prepared the food and activities!
Tourists
People do not like poop on the beach.
Nevertheless, people like to go to the beach and feed bits of bread crust to the ducks and sea gulls.
When you put food into the front end of the bird, what do you expect to come out of the back end of the bird? This is not rocket science.
Nevertheless, people like to go to the beach and feed bits of bread crust to the ducks and sea gulls.
When you put food into the front end of the bird, what do you expect to come out of the back end of the bird? This is not rocket science.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Fitted Sheets
I've been trying to figure out how to salvage fitted sheets when the cloth isn't at all worn out, but the elastic has gone. It crossed my mind that maybe I could sew elastic crosswise around the bottom of the corners. But then I wondered if it would be easier just to sew a 12-18" strip of fabric to all the edges, so that there would be something to tuck under the mattress. I suppose I could just buy a new set of sheets, but it seems a shame to waste this one set when the cloth is still in such good shape, and pretty, and comfortable.
Kitten
Seeing as how several people have asked in the last few days about Rosie, I guess I should make a general announcement. She is alive. She didn't die from being run over by the car, and her recuperation continued. She is now running around like a crazy Cowabunga Kitty, attacking everything, racing full speed through the house, being utterly stupid and falling off things and smashing into things. Her favorite stunt of the last few days is to take flying "superman" leaps off beds onto the floor several yards away. Sometimes she seems to sit funny, as though her hip is not healed altogether correctly. But she can run and she can jump and she can leap after bugs.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
The Unjust Steward
Today's Gospel began with
He also said to His disciples, "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. Luke 16
I think this begins back at the start of chapter 15. The tax collectors and sinners were hanging on Jesus' every word. The Pharisees and scribes were crabbing about Jesus' indiscriminate grace. So Jesus told them a parable (the lost sheep). Then another parable (the lost coin). Then another parable (the lost sons). And then another parable (the unjust steward), this one to His disciples who would be His stewards/apostles.
In the story of the unjust steward, we start with a certain rich man. The parable of the prodigal son starts the same way. The story of the prodigal son was about a son who was wasting the father's goods. The story of the unjust steward was about a steward who was wasting the rich man's goods. Both wasteful dudes ended up in the good graces of the rich guy. The parable of the prodigal son ends with a party to celebrate the son being welcomed back into his home. The parable of the unjust steward ends (verse 9) with Jesus' comment about being received into an everlasting home.
What does this mean? Beats me! But it's not a coincidence that these two stories have so much in common.
He also said to His disciples, "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. Luke 16
I think this begins back at the start of chapter 15. The tax collectors and sinners were hanging on Jesus' every word. The Pharisees and scribes were crabbing about Jesus' indiscriminate grace. So Jesus told them a parable (the lost sheep). Then another parable (the lost coin). Then another parable (the lost sons). And then another parable (the unjust steward), this one to His disciples who would be His stewards/apostles.
In the story of the unjust steward, we start with a certain rich man. The parable of the prodigal son starts the same way. The story of the prodigal son was about a son who was wasting the father's goods. The story of the unjust steward was about a steward who was wasting the rich man's goods. Both wasteful dudes ended up in the good graces of the rich guy. The parable of the prodigal son ends with a party to celebrate the son being welcomed back into his home. The parable of the unjust steward ends (verse 9) with Jesus' comment about being received into an everlasting home.
What does this mean? Beats me! But it's not a coincidence that these two stories have so much in common.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Incense
Let my prayer rise before You as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Ps 141
At the For You youth conference last week, we had plenty of chances to meet in the chapel for worship. For evening prayers, Pastor Kind used incense.
Being a typical Lutheran who has very little experience with incense, it was very interesting to me to WATCH the incense. I like the idea of incense, assuming the building is large enough and assuming my asthmatic daughter isn't too close to the altar. But I always thought of incense as going UP, like prayers going up to God. I guess I thought of it as very much like smoke from a chimney.
But it didn't just go up. The incense billowed out and up. And as I watched it through half an hour of prayers, I saw how it thinned out and spread. Not just up, but throughout the chancel. Throughout the nave. Up and out and through. Even down. And even when you lost sight of the smoke, it wasn't gone. You could smell the perfumed incense permeating the air, beautifying the place. Couldn't see it, but it was there.
From Bender's Lutheran Catechesis, page 29:
The Lord's Prayer shows us that our lives are made holy by God's Word that is received and believed. We cry out to Him because we believe in what He has promised us. The Lord's Prayer directs us sinners where to find our help. This is the holy life of faith in Jesus Christ.
Thinking about that incense, it's like prayer. Prayer rises like incense, not like smoke from a chimney. Prayer doesn't just go UP to God. It goes out and through our lives. It may not be visible. As it spreads its perfume, our lives are made holy by the Word that is spoken to us and by us in our prayers.
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Ps 141
At the For You youth conference last week, we had plenty of chances to meet in the chapel for worship. For evening prayers, Pastor Kind used incense.
Being a typical Lutheran who has very little experience with incense, it was very interesting to me to WATCH the incense. I like the idea of incense, assuming the building is large enough and assuming my asthmatic daughter isn't too close to the altar. But I always thought of incense as going UP, like prayers going up to God. I guess I thought of it as very much like smoke from a chimney.
But it didn't just go up. The incense billowed out and up. And as I watched it through half an hour of prayers, I saw how it thinned out and spread. Not just up, but throughout the chancel. Throughout the nave. Up and out and through. Even down. And even when you lost sight of the smoke, it wasn't gone. You could smell the perfumed incense permeating the air, beautifying the place. Couldn't see it, but it was there.
From Bender's Lutheran Catechesis, page 29:
The Lord's Prayer shows us that our lives are made holy by God's Word that is received and believed. We cry out to Him because we believe in what He has promised us. The Lord's Prayer directs us sinners where to find our help. This is the holy life of faith in Jesus Christ.
Thinking about that incense, it's like prayer. Prayer rises like incense, not like smoke from a chimney. Prayer doesn't just go UP to God. It goes out and through our lives. It may not be visible. As it spreads its perfume, our lives are made holy by the Word that is spoken to us and by us in our prayers.
Fashion
Rachel tagged me for the "Personal Style Quiz" that's making its way around our friends and acquaintances. I'm not tagging anybody else because I can't remember who's done it and who hasn't, and I don't want to go look.
Rules: You have to choose one of the two. You cannot answer "neither" or "both." You can indicate that you like both or neither, but you must state a preference.
Animal fiber or plant?
Plant. I like cotton but love linen. Wool itches.
Natural or synthetic?
Natural.
Ornate or simple?
Simple to the point of boring.
Color or Neutral?
Probably color. Although... the blue in blue jeans is something I treat as a neutral, and that might change the answer.
Pastel or Vibrant?
I have equal amounts of both. But the red I like is vibrant so I'll pick that.
Blue/Green or Red/Orange?
This is the nastiest question on the whole quiz. I like blue and dislike most greens on me. I love red and don't want to wear orange (unless it's Illini orange, but that's disconnected from fashion). I refuse to answer on the grounds that "blue/red" is not set in opposition to "green/orange." So there!
White Gold or Yellow Gold?
Easiest question on the quiz -- yellow gold!
Gems or texture?
Huh? Gems? Texture? Where? I say ditto to Rachel's answer: "I lack the necessary fashion vocabulary and cannot answer this question." Even reading other people's answers hasn't given me enough of a clue to understand this question.
Watch or no-watch?
No watch. I kept jamming watches. Too much wiggling and movement, so those "self-wind watches" would always get overwound on my wrist and stop running.
Comfort or fashion?
Oh, wait. I take it back. This question is as easy as the one about yellow gold. COMFORT! I look dorky, but I'm comfortable.
Trendy or classic?
Classic.
Cables or lace?
Cables? What, in socks and sweaters? Some of my favorite dresses have had white lace collars. But I suppose I have more cable-knit sweaters than I have lacey things.
Heels or flats?
Oh, look, another no-brainer. FLATS.
Flip-flops or sandals?
Birkenstock sandals.
Skirts or pants?
Since jeans are pants, the answer must be pants.
Geometric or floral?
Geometric? Would that include stripes? I think I have more stripes than florals, but no other geometrics.
V-neck or turtle-neck?
Turtle neck. And even more so after last winter's multiple trips to the chiropractor because of cold breezes on my neck.
Skulls or butterflies?
I don't think I have any butterflies, but it would be a possibility. But I don't think I'd ever be happy with anything with skulls.
Loose or snug?
Loose. (Remember that question on comfort?)
Long hair or short?
Long. Short hair makes an ostrich-neck look even longer.
Headbands or barrettes?
Why is SCRUNCHI not an option? Headbands look better on me than barrettes, but they usually make the backs of my ears hurt. Cloth headband, however, would usually be preferable to barrettes.
Shoulder bag or handbag?
Shoulder bag.
Rules: You have to choose one of the two. You cannot answer "neither" or "both." You can indicate that you like both or neither, but you must state a preference.
Animal fiber or plant?
Plant. I like cotton but love linen. Wool itches.
Natural or synthetic?
Natural.
Ornate or simple?
Simple to the point of boring.
Color or Neutral?
Probably color. Although... the blue in blue jeans is something I treat as a neutral, and that might change the answer.
Pastel or Vibrant?
I have equal amounts of both. But the red I like is vibrant so I'll pick that.
Blue/Green or Red/Orange?
This is the nastiest question on the whole quiz. I like blue and dislike most greens on me. I love red and don't want to wear orange (unless it's Illini orange, but that's disconnected from fashion). I refuse to answer on the grounds that "blue/red" is not set in opposition to "green/orange." So there!
White Gold or Yellow Gold?
Easiest question on the quiz -- yellow gold!
Gems or texture?
Huh? Gems? Texture? Where? I say ditto to Rachel's answer: "I lack the necessary fashion vocabulary and cannot answer this question." Even reading other people's answers hasn't given me enough of a clue to understand this question.
Watch or no-watch?
No watch. I kept jamming watches. Too much wiggling and movement, so those "self-wind watches" would always get overwound on my wrist and stop running.
Comfort or fashion?
Oh, wait. I take it back. This question is as easy as the one about yellow gold. COMFORT! I look dorky, but I'm comfortable.
Trendy or classic?
Classic.
Cables or lace?
Cables? What, in socks and sweaters? Some of my favorite dresses have had white lace collars. But I suppose I have more cable-knit sweaters than I have lacey things.
Heels or flats?
Oh, look, another no-brainer. FLATS.
Flip-flops or sandals?
Birkenstock sandals.
Skirts or pants?
Since jeans are pants, the answer must be pants.
Geometric or floral?
Geometric? Would that include stripes? I think I have more stripes than florals, but no other geometrics.
V-neck or turtle-neck?
Turtle neck. And even more so after last winter's multiple trips to the chiropractor because of cold breezes on my neck.
Skulls or butterflies?
I don't think I have any butterflies, but it would be a possibility. But I don't think I'd ever be happy with anything with skulls.
Loose or snug?
Loose. (Remember that question on comfort?)
Long hair or short?
Long. Short hair makes an ostrich-neck look even longer.
Headbands or barrettes?
Why is SCRUNCHI not an option? Headbands look better on me than barrettes, but they usually make the backs of my ears hurt. Cloth headband, however, would usually be preferable to barrettes.
Shoulder bag or handbag?
Shoulder bag.
Psalm 18:20-24
The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.
For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For all His judgments were before me,
and I did not put away His statutes from me.
I was also blameless before Him,
and I kept myself from my iniquity.
Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
I always had a problem with psalms like this. God's gonna pay me for all the good I do.
Uh, then I'm toast.
Pastor could explain and explain and explain. And I could understand, but my heart would still set up shields at words like these from Psalm 18. He could explain that it's talking about Christ. He could explain that it's talking about the New Man of faith in me. But still .....
And today I noticed something. "MY iniquity." Look at that: "I kept myself from MY iniquity." Think about that! If I have iniquity, if it is part of me, how do I keep myself from it? "I kept myself from my elbow"? "I kept myself from my eating"? How would that work anyhow? It's altogether different from keeping myself from my house or my car or my toothbrushing.
And with the admission that I have iniquity, that sheds some light on "my righteousness" and "blameslessness" and "keeping His judgments before me." Maybe, just maybe, there's a both/and goin' on there?
This is the name by which He will be called:
The Lord Is Our Righteousness.
If you toss Jeremiah into the mix, maybe "rewarded me according to my righteousness" could be understood as "rewarded me according to my Jesus." And maybe "according to the cleanness of my hands" would be that He recompenses "according to my baptism."
according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.
For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For all His judgments were before me,
and I did not put away His statutes from me.
I was also blameless before Him,
and I kept myself from my iniquity.
Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
I always had a problem with psalms like this. God's gonna pay me for all the good I do.
Uh, then I'm toast.
Pastor could explain and explain and explain. And I could understand, but my heart would still set up shields at words like these from Psalm 18. He could explain that it's talking about Christ. He could explain that it's talking about the New Man of faith in me. But still .....
And today I noticed something. "MY iniquity." Look at that: "I kept myself from MY iniquity." Think about that! If I have iniquity, if it is part of me, how do I keep myself from it? "I kept myself from my elbow"? "I kept myself from my eating"? How would that work anyhow? It's altogether different from keeping myself from my house or my car or my toothbrushing.
And with the admission that I have iniquity, that sheds some light on "my righteousness" and "blameslessness" and "keeping His judgments before me." Maybe, just maybe, there's a both/and goin' on there?
This is the name by which He will be called:
The Lord Is Our Righteousness.
If you toss Jeremiah into the mix, maybe "rewarded me according to my righteousness" could be understood as "rewarded me according to my Jesus." And maybe "according to the cleanness of my hands" would be that He recompenses "according to my baptism."
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Lazarus
For the last several years, I've been puzzling over the stories of the anointing of Jesus. John says (chap 12) the dinner was at Bethany, Lazarus was there, and Martha served. Luke says (chap 7) the dinner was at Simon the Pharisee's house. Mark says (chap 14) and Matthew says (chap 26) the dinner was at Simon the Leper's.
Topic for Bible study today was John 11, the raising of Lazarus. Pastor mentioned that Pr Wiest suspected that Lazarus ["God is my help"] was possibly an alternate name Jesus gave to Simon the leper, like He gave the name Peter to Simon the fisherman. That really makes a lot of sense.
Topic for Bible study today was John 11, the raising of Lazarus. Pastor mentioned that Pr Wiest suspected that Lazarus ["God is my help"] was possibly an alternate name Jesus gave to Simon the leper, like He gave the name Peter to Simon the fisherman. That really makes a lot of sense.
1 Down, 2 To Go
Katie got a job! Yee haw! Woo hoo! Hooray hooray!
Hoping to post similar yee-haws about some other people in the near future.
Hoping to post similar yee-haws about some other people in the near future.
Psalm 15:4
Who may abide in the tabernacle, in God's holy hill?
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change.
How often the Lord swears His promise in the Old Testament to the patriarchs! He swears to Adam and Eve that the Seed would crush the serpent's head. He swears to Noah that He will not destroy the world with water again. He swears to Abraham that He would make of him a great nation, and that his son would save the nationS. He swears to Jacob that the land would be given to him. He swears to David that his son would sit on the throne forever. And those examples just scratch the surface.
God swore to His own hurt. Isaiah 53 and the ends of the Gospel accounts show how much it hurt Him to make those promises. Still, He would not renege on the promise; He would not change.
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change.
How often the Lord swears His promise in the Old Testament to the patriarchs! He swears to Adam and Eve that the Seed would crush the serpent's head. He swears to Noah that He will not destroy the world with water again. He swears to Abraham that He would make of him a great nation, and that his son would save the nationS. He swears to Jacob that the land would be given to him. He swears to David that his son would sit on the throne forever. And those examples just scratch the surface.
God swore to His own hurt. Isaiah 53 and the ends of the Gospel accounts show how much it hurt Him to make those promises. Still, He would not renege on the promise; He would not change.
Psalm 11:5
The Lord tests the righteous,
But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
Interesting. That's one of those contrasts. God hates the wicked, but He loves the righteous. But the word isn't loves, it's tests. A person being tested sure doesn't feel like he's loved. He feels like he's being picked on.
Somehow, Abraham offered up Isaac anyway. He didn't think God was picking on him. No wonder he is called "father of the faithful."
But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
Interesting. That's one of those contrasts. God hates the wicked, but He loves the righteous. But the word isn't loves, it's tests. A person being tested sure doesn't feel like he's loved. He feels like he's being picked on.
Somehow, Abraham offered up Isaac anyway. He didn't think God was picking on him. No wonder he is called "father of the faithful."
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
For You
I took the boys to Minneapolis last week for the national Lutheran youth gathering. The theme was "For You." There were a lot of good things, even if there were some inconveniences with the location of our housing.
But what they did with the title of the conference bothered me. Even before we registered for the conference we would get mailings about the conference that used that phrase "for you" in a variety of ways. They were working on getting travel information "for you" to get from the airport to the conference. They would have the conference schedule available "for you" on thus-and-such a day. They had arranged busses to the ball game "for you." The phrase "for you" was also used in sermons and catechesis, usually connected to the Gospel and what God has done for us.
But the cutesy nature of how they overused the phrase "for you" (almost in a "marketing" type of way) did not set comfortably with me. And I realized why on Sunday morning. When Pastor preached, "Christ died for you. For you He took on human flesh and ...." my brain recalled all the cute little "for you" phrases I'd heard in connection with the conference. When I was at church on Monday night, and the Pastor said, "This is My body, given for you,..." I thought of all the silly little ways "for you" had been tossed around the previous week.
Somebody will say I'm a pietist. Somebody will say that I need to learn how to laugh and have a good time. Somebody will say I'm too picky. Nevertheless, those words "for you" are so totally precious and sacred that it seems to me they were bastardized last week. And I wonder how long it will be before I can hear those words clearly and rightly again.
But what they did with the title of the conference bothered me. Even before we registered for the conference we would get mailings about the conference that used that phrase "for you" in a variety of ways. They were working on getting travel information "for you" to get from the airport to the conference. They would have the conference schedule available "for you" on thus-and-such a day. They had arranged busses to the ball game "for you." The phrase "for you" was also used in sermons and catechesis, usually connected to the Gospel and what God has done for us.
But the cutesy nature of how they overused the phrase "for you" (almost in a "marketing" type of way) did not set comfortably with me. And I realized why on Sunday morning. When Pastor preached, "Christ died for you. For you He took on human flesh and ...." my brain recalled all the cute little "for you" phrases I'd heard in connection with the conference. When I was at church on Monday night, and the Pastor said, "This is My body, given for you,..." I thought of all the silly little ways "for you" had been tossed around the previous week.
Somebody will say I'm a pietist. Somebody will say that I need to learn how to laugh and have a good time. Somebody will say I'm too picky. Nevertheless, those words "for you" are so totally precious and sacred that it seems to me they were bastardized last week. And I wonder how long it will be before I can hear those words clearly and rightly again.
Calendar
One of my most essential homeschooling supplies is my calendar. It's available from Miles Kimball and is boring as all-get-out. No pictures. Nothing pretty. But the supremely attractive feature of this calendar is that each day has a roomy 2" x 2.5" box for writing in appts and stuff. There's also a space for notes at the top of each month, as well as two weeks of the next month on the bottom of each page. The order number is 553545, the "Giant Write-On Calendar," and costs a whopping three bucks. (Shipping costs more than the calendar itself.)
Prevention
If you feel a sore throat coming on, you can suck on zinc-&-C lozenges. If you feel a cold sore coming on, there's Abreva. If you can tell that you're starting mastitis, you interrupt the progression of the illness by clearing the schedule, taking a nap, using moist heat, and nursing a lot. With a cold, you start chugging orange juice and home-made chicken soup, and popping echinacea capsules. When a boil starts, you reach for a slab of garlic to tape onto the spot.
But what is the preventative measure when a person feels a bout of depression beginning?
But what is the preventative measure when a person feels a bout of depression beginning?
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