Once upon a time, a congregation was between pastors. They asked a man to serve as vacancy pastor. Having a full-time job, and knowing their financial plight, for three years this man did not accept pay for his weekends preaching and teaching. Years later, people in the congregation would talk about what a good pastor he was, that he gave his paychecks back to the congregation.
It was certainly a generous and lovingly sacrificial thing to do. But what happens in the future when other pastors work full-time caring for the congregation and need their paychecks? According to the Gospel, we don't get what we deserve; God always gives us better than we deserve. If people cannot pay for a pastor, should they be deprived of one? Seems to me the answer should be "no." And yet, how then would the pastor provide for his family?
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Girls Cry
Back in August, my young friend Matthew and I were talking about the new Harry Potter book. I'd recently finished it, and he was about halfway through. I said something about the parts that made me cry, but of course he didn't want to hear anything about it yet.
Several days later, Matthew had finished the book. We were talking about what we liked, what surprised us, what disappointed us, how we felt about different people's deaths, etc. One thing Matthew wanted to know was "So what was it that made you cry at the end?" He understood my tears over Percy's return. I also told him that I knew, about five pages before it happened, that Neville was going to kill Negini, and that just started the tears to flowing. "But that's a GOOD thing! Why would you cry over that???" I tried to explain, and the closest I could come was pointing out that sometimes people cry at weddings. Well, Matthew could understand how people would get emotional and cry from happiness at a wedding. But this was battle. This was Neville. This was defeating evil. This was altogether different from a wedding!
We fussed with each other about that for a bit. Then Matthew pulled his dad over, "Do you know what made her cry?? When Neville killed Negini! Can you believe that?" And his pa said, "Well, yes, Matthew. She's a girl." "What's that got to do with anything?" "Well, son, girls are different from boys. Get used to it. That's the way it is."
So last Thursday at church, an envelope was handed to me. Cash from an anonymous donor. I headed out the door and took a walk and cried.
Why cry? That's just stupid. The gift was a good thing!
Girls are different from boys.
Today a friend got tapped to be a mediator for another anonymous gift. After the first phone call, I headed out to jog, and I cried (with a smile on my face).
How stupid. The present is a good thing!
Girls are different from boys.
As the day progressed and we tried to finagle some arrangements to make this surprise work out, I realized that it might not work out. But you know what? (It's so cool!) Even if the tangible physical benefits of the gift didn't come through, the knowledge that somebody(s) loved us enough, cared enough, to bother with this ... just the knowledge that they tried to pull this off was awesomely and unbelievably buoyant. It was encouraging. It meant so much ... even if it didn't pan out.
Then came the bad news from the county and the repairman. But minutes later came the good news from our local looper-mediator that the plans were all in place from the anonymous folks who desire to provide some comfort to my family. That helps so much!
Tomorrow night -- long hot showers! Here we come!
And I am the poster-child for "girls are different from boys."
Because sometimes girls cry when it makes no sense at all.
Several days later, Matthew had finished the book. We were talking about what we liked, what surprised us, what disappointed us, how we felt about different people's deaths, etc. One thing Matthew wanted to know was "So what was it that made you cry at the end?" He understood my tears over Percy's return. I also told him that I knew, about five pages before it happened, that Neville was going to kill Negini, and that just started the tears to flowing. "But that's a GOOD thing! Why would you cry over that???" I tried to explain, and the closest I could come was pointing out that sometimes people cry at weddings. Well, Matthew could understand how people would get emotional and cry from happiness at a wedding. But this was battle. This was Neville. This was defeating evil. This was altogether different from a wedding!
We fussed with each other about that for a bit. Then Matthew pulled his dad over, "Do you know what made her cry?? When Neville killed Negini! Can you believe that?" And his pa said, "Well, yes, Matthew. She's a girl." "What's that got to do with anything?" "Well, son, girls are different from boys. Get used to it. That's the way it is."
So last Thursday at church, an envelope was handed to me. Cash from an anonymous donor. I headed out the door and took a walk and cried.
Why cry? That's just stupid. The gift was a good thing!
Girls are different from boys.
Today a friend got tapped to be a mediator for another anonymous gift. After the first phone call, I headed out to jog, and I cried (with a smile on my face).
How stupid. The present is a good thing!
Girls are different from boys.
As the day progressed and we tried to finagle some arrangements to make this surprise work out, I realized that it might not work out. But you know what? (It's so cool!) Even if the tangible physical benefits of the gift didn't come through, the knowledge that somebody(s) loved us enough, cared enough, to bother with this ... just the knowledge that they tried to pull this off was awesomely and unbelievably buoyant. It was encouraging. It meant so much ... even if it didn't pan out.
Then came the bad news from the county and the repairman. But minutes later came the good news from our local looper-mediator that the plans were all in place from the anonymous folks who desire to provide some comfort to my family. That helps so much!
Tomorrow night -- long hot showers! Here we come!
And I am the poster-child for "girls are different from boys."
Because sometimes girls cry when it makes no sense at all.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Psalm 103:13
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For the Lord knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
No matter how weary I may be of carrying water, no matter how tired I may be of walking 400' in the rain and/or the chill just to go brush my teeth or use the potty, it's still easier than thinking of my kids having to do the same thing.
It always seems easier to be sick yourself than it is to ache over your children's sicknesses.
I think Mom is not having an easy time knowing our current difficulties with water. Likewise, I keep thinking that this is easier than it will be, someday, when Katie and Nathan are going through the same thing we're going through now.
Oh, how we [Harry Potter readers] can understand Molly at the very end of book #7, going after Bellatrix!
So when David tells us that the Lord has compassion on His children, it's not just the compassion of loving them so much because, after all, they are His children and not somebody else's. But He has the compassion of one who would rather suffer Himself than see His people hurting.
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For the Lord knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
No matter how weary I may be of carrying water, no matter how tired I may be of walking 400' in the rain and/or the chill just to go brush my teeth or use the potty, it's still easier than thinking of my kids having to do the same thing.
It always seems easier to be sick yourself than it is to ache over your children's sicknesses.
I think Mom is not having an easy time knowing our current difficulties with water. Likewise, I keep thinking that this is easier than it will be, someday, when Katie and Nathan are going through the same thing we're going through now.
Oh, how we [Harry Potter readers] can understand Molly at the very end of book #7, going after Bellatrix!
So when David tells us that the Lord has compassion on His children, it's not just the compassion of loving them so much because, after all, they are His children and not somebody else's. But He has the compassion of one who would rather suffer Himself than see His people hurting.
Carnival
For lots of good reading and ideas on homeschooling, the new week's collection of blog posts is listed at Why Homeschool. Enjoy!
Monday, September 10, 2007
Normal?
Everybody left the house this morning. EVERYBODY! Paul went to work. Andrew went to a volunteer job working at the horse barn. Philip is on a two-week temp job and it's days this time. Gary had Winkel (circuit pastors' conference). Maggie and I headed out to do errands.
Six people. Four cars. Five different directions.
The rest of the world thinks this is par-for-the-course. Yikes. What are homes for anyway??
Six people. Four cars. Five different directions.
The rest of the world thinks this is par-for-the-course. Yikes. What are homes for anyway??
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Plumbing Update
Problems with the parsonage septic system were discussed today at church. As if the church wasn't having money problems enough, we are facing a repair bill equal to about 3-4 weeks of offerings. And that's if we're lucky and the whole system doesn't have to be replaced; the bill could be 3 months worth of offerings.
We've been using the kitchen and toilets and sinks at church as much as possible. Given the size of our family, the repairmen expected to have to pump out our non-operational septic tank twice a week. Over Labor Day weekend, we filled it to overfull in just four days; discovering that ugly surprise on Tuesday revealed the immensity of the problem. The tank was last pumped five days ago, and it's only half full. We're doing good on curtailing water usage!! Given what the repairmen said, it'll be another two weeks of trying not to let any water slip down any drains in the house. But we've decided to loosen the reins a bit and give the kids permission to go potty at home during the night instead of making them walk next door to church.
If the repairman finds the field in bad shape too, we'll need a whole new system. Then church will need to get bids. Furthermore, the rebuilding will take longer. I'm thinking it could be mid-October before I can enjoy simple pleasures such as washing up a dirty pot and letting the water just run down the drain.
Katie, when we come to visit, I'm going to get in your shower and drain the hot-water tank!
We've been using the kitchen and toilets and sinks at church as much as possible. Given the size of our family, the repairmen expected to have to pump out our non-operational septic tank twice a week. Over Labor Day weekend, we filled it to overfull in just four days; discovering that ugly surprise on Tuesday revealed the immensity of the problem. The tank was last pumped five days ago, and it's only half full. We're doing good on curtailing water usage!! Given what the repairmen said, it'll be another two weeks of trying not to let any water slip down any drains in the house. But we've decided to loosen the reins a bit and give the kids permission to go potty at home during the night instead of making them walk next door to church.
If the repairman finds the field in bad shape too, we'll need a whole new system. Then church will need to get bids. Furthermore, the rebuilding will take longer. I'm thinking it could be mid-October before I can enjoy simple pleasures such as washing up a dirty pot and letting the water just run down the drain.
Katie, when we come to visit, I'm going to get in your shower and drain the hot-water tank!
Practicing Lawlessness
Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.
Obviously, those who will have nothing to do with the law, those who live hedonistically, those who mock the importance of the law -- obviously they are "practicing lawlessness."
But isn't it also "lawless" to use the law in such a way that one thinks one is meriting God's favor? Wouldn't it be lawless to make a god out of obedience to the law?
Obviously, those who will have nothing to do with the law, those who live hedonistically, those who mock the importance of the law -- obviously they are "practicing lawlessness."
But isn't it also "lawless" to use the law in such a way that one thinks one is meriting God's favor? Wouldn't it be lawless to make a god out of obedience to the law?
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Which Stanza Are We On?
How ingrained is that old hymnal, in ways that I don't even realize?
In LSB, some of the hymns have five stanzas in the music score. Whenever we get to verse 4, I skip to verse 5. I finally figured out why. Without even realizing it, my brain counts how many stanzas we're on. Number 4 means I sing the bottom line of words, right above the bass clef. That's what's been ingrained in me all my life. But now stanza #4 often isn't the bottom line, but the next-to-bottom line.
Even after I figured out the problem, I still keep making the mistake. I even will make the same mistake 3-4 times in the same hymn. I wonder how long it's going to take to drive that out of me.
In LSB, some of the hymns have five stanzas in the music score. Whenever we get to verse 4, I skip to verse 5. I finally figured out why. Without even realizing it, my brain counts how many stanzas we're on. Number 4 means I sing the bottom line of words, right above the bass clef. That's what's been ingrained in me all my life. But now stanza #4 often isn't the bottom line, but the next-to-bottom line.
Even after I figured out the problem, I still keep making the mistake. I even will make the same mistake 3-4 times in the same hymn. I wonder how long it's going to take to drive that out of me.
Teaching Singing
Some kids just learn to sing naturally. Some don't.
For the last month, my 12-yr-old and I have been spending 5-10 minutes a day trying to have her match the pitch I play on the piano. The first several days we just stuck with one note that was in the middle of her comfortable range. Then we expanded to three notes. After a month, she can hit those three notes right most of the time on the first try. As she got better and better at those three notes, we've slowly expanded to a whole octave now. The accuracy on those new notes (the ones we've only been working on for two weeks) isn't quite there, but it's improving.
We started with steps ("seconds" for those of you who know music) and now have progressed to doing skips sometimes ("thirds"). We've also added "Glory Be to Jesus" because it's a rather simple song musically -- good for starters.
It still astounds me that it can be so hard and take SO much practice to learn where the notes are, and how to make your voice hit a particular note instead of just some note somewhere in the general vicinity. But persistent practice has paid off. I'm proud of what's she's pulled off and how much she's improved!
For the last month, my 12-yr-old and I have been spending 5-10 minutes a day trying to have her match the pitch I play on the piano. The first several days we just stuck with one note that was in the middle of her comfortable range. Then we expanded to three notes. After a month, she can hit those three notes right most of the time on the first try. As she got better and better at those three notes, we've slowly expanded to a whole octave now. The accuracy on those new notes (the ones we've only been working on for two weeks) isn't quite there, but it's improving.
We started with steps ("seconds" for those of you who know music) and now have progressed to doing skips sometimes ("thirds"). We've also added "Glory Be to Jesus" because it's a rather simple song musically -- good for starters.
It still astounds me that it can be so hard and take SO much practice to learn where the notes are, and how to make your voice hit a particular note instead of just some note somewhere in the general vicinity. But persistent practice has paid off. I'm proud of what's she's pulled off and how much she's improved!
Grape Jelly
We didn't used to like grape jelly. That's because we got it from the store. Grape jelly made from your own grapes is altogether different.
But I found something to make it even better. I tried it two years ago and the jelly was fabulous. Went back to regular method last year, and the flavor of the jelly suffered (although it was still loads better than store jelly). Today I made grape jelly again and got a super-duper product.
Instead of smashing up the grapes and cooking them in water and extracting the juice, I put the grapes through my juicer. I have to send the leftover grape-mush through the juicer again and again, until it's finally dry enough that no more juice is being squeezed out. It makes a humongous mess; seeds flying everywhere and grape-stained hands and table. (I did the work outside.) Jelly made this way has such a good strong grapy flavor because no water is added. I used the pectin's recipe for grape jam instead of grape jelly, because so much of the fruit gets squeezed into the juice.
You'd never win a prize at the fair for this grape jelly: it doesn't have that clear, bejeweled look. And it's not lumpy enough to be proper jam. Nevertheless, the results make this jelly more valuable to me than any blue ribbon.
Twenty-six jars of jelly later, I learned two things. Jelly-making really does make me happy, and helps combat depression. (No wonder we've gotten totally overloaded with jam sometimes in the past.) Second, when you work in a kitchen with counter-space, everything is SO much easier! (I had to use the church kitchen because of the difficulty we're having with plumbing at the parsonage.)
But I found something to make it even better. I tried it two years ago and the jelly was fabulous. Went back to regular method last year, and the flavor of the jelly suffered (although it was still loads better than store jelly). Today I made grape jelly again and got a super-duper product.
Instead of smashing up the grapes and cooking them in water and extracting the juice, I put the grapes through my juicer. I have to send the leftover grape-mush through the juicer again and again, until it's finally dry enough that no more juice is being squeezed out. It makes a humongous mess; seeds flying everywhere and grape-stained hands and table. (I did the work outside.) Jelly made this way has such a good strong grapy flavor because no water is added. I used the pectin's recipe for grape jam instead of grape jelly, because so much of the fruit gets squeezed into the juice.
You'd never win a prize at the fair for this grape jelly: it doesn't have that clear, bejeweled look. And it's not lumpy enough to be proper jam. Nevertheless, the results make this jelly more valuable to me than any blue ribbon.
Twenty-six jars of jelly later, I learned two things. Jelly-making really does make me happy, and helps combat depression. (No wonder we've gotten totally overloaded with jam sometimes in the past.) Second, when you work in a kitchen with counter-space, everything is SO much easier! (I had to use the church kitchen because of the difficulty we're having with plumbing at the parsonage.)
Friday, September 07, 2007
Using Games
In the past, I was a sucker for any game which could be considered educational. We didn't play them as much as I envisioned myself playing board games or card games with the kids. Nevertheless, I kept picking up interesting-looking games at Goodwill, and now there's quite a stack. I need to clear out some space in this house, and have been sorting through those game piles.
We've been a little short on geography studies recently. So about a month ago, I took a "Carmen Sandiego" game, ditched the playing pieces and the board and instructions, and saved just the stack of trivia cards. We've been using two cards a day (4 questions per card) for geography. Some days it takes a couple of minutes. "Which country is the island of Sicily part of?" "What's the biggest country that touches the Asian part of Russia?" Other days we have to do some serious hunting in the atlas or looking up information in the encyclopedias.
These are multiple-choice questions. Often I avoid giving the kids the options, at least, at first. Today the question was "Which sea (named after a color) is in eastern Europe?" The choices were Black Sea, Red Sea, and Blue Sea. "Black Sea" was easy enough, even prior to their hearing the choices. But we looked at each other. Blue Sea?!!? We all felt like dummies, not having any clue where the Blue Sea was. Then we decided maybe it was a decoy answer. Sure enough, a quick peek in the index of the atlas revealed no such thing as a Blue Sea. Eight of these questions a day sure has given us a lot of geography study in a relatively fun and painless way, in little time segments, with no lesson planning on my part.
I would like to add the cards from some other games too. "Uncommon Sense" and "Hugger Mugger" are word games that come with a box of puzzle-cards. "Tri-Bond" is more well-known, and it would serve a certain child well in learning to see connections between words, learning to problem solve and think outside the box. I bought a game about animals and environments from National Geographic that would have lots of usable science questions in it. The game "Chronology" is about putting historical events in order. All of these sound like they could serve nicely, should we decide to do a few cards a day. This makes use of their educational value much more easily than hauling out a board game that's going to take 1-3 hours to play.
We've been a little short on geography studies recently. So about a month ago, I took a "Carmen Sandiego" game, ditched the playing pieces and the board and instructions, and saved just the stack of trivia cards. We've been using two cards a day (4 questions per card) for geography. Some days it takes a couple of minutes. "Which country is the island of Sicily part of?" "What's the biggest country that touches the Asian part of Russia?" Other days we have to do some serious hunting in the atlas or looking up information in the encyclopedias.
These are multiple-choice questions. Often I avoid giving the kids the options, at least, at first. Today the question was "Which sea (named after a color) is in eastern Europe?" The choices were Black Sea, Red Sea, and Blue Sea. "Black Sea" was easy enough, even prior to their hearing the choices. But we looked at each other. Blue Sea?!!? We all felt like dummies, not having any clue where the Blue Sea was. Then we decided maybe it was a decoy answer. Sure enough, a quick peek in the index of the atlas revealed no such thing as a Blue Sea. Eight of these questions a day sure has given us a lot of geography study in a relatively fun and painless way, in little time segments, with no lesson planning on my part.
I would like to add the cards from some other games too. "Uncommon Sense" and "Hugger Mugger" are word games that come with a box of puzzle-cards. "Tri-Bond" is more well-known, and it would serve a certain child well in learning to see connections between words, learning to problem solve and think outside the box. I bought a game about animals and environments from National Geographic that would have lots of usable science questions in it. The game "Chronology" is about putting historical events in order. All of these sound like they could serve nicely, should we decide to do a few cards a day. This makes use of their educational value much more easily than hauling out a board game that's going to take 1-3 hours to play.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Job Hunts
Child #2 didn't getten chosen for the job that looked to be a likely prospect. Major bummers. But for others who, like him, are still hunting, child #3 has recommendations about avoiding monster.com as you look for employment.
Baby with the Bath-water
In movies of olden times, sometimes you see the women going to the door with a bucket of dirty dish-water, and throwing it out, into the street or onto the yard.
How come their shoes didn't get wet? And don't tell me that "they threw the water away from their feet." Yeah, sure. You try throwing a dozen or more buckets of water each day and see how dry your shoes stay.
And I wonder how many spoons they threw out into the street? You can't see through the dirty dish-water to see if you missed any of the dishes lurking in the bottom of the bucket. And whoopsie-splash, there go the spoons with the water.
How come their shoes didn't get wet? And don't tell me that "they threw the water away from their feet." Yeah, sure. You try throwing a dozen or more buckets of water each day and see how dry your shoes stay.
And I wonder how many spoons they threw out into the street? You can't see through the dirty dish-water to see if you missed any of the dishes lurking in the bottom of the bucket. And whoopsie-splash, there go the spoons with the water.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Deuteronomy 23:18
You shall not bring the wages of a harlot nor the price of a dog to the house of Yhwh your God for any vowed offering, for both of these are an abomination to Yhwh your God.
The Bible verse of the week is from Deuteronomy 6: "These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them to your children." And I wondered, "What words? What words did Moses say to which he is referring here?"
So Monday I skimmed Deuteronomy to see what the words were. All rules? Anything about the promises? Anything about the sacrificial system? What?
And as I skimmed, my eyes happened to notice this one verse. "You shall not bring the wages of a harlot to the house of Yhwh." My first thought was that this verse must be the reason why some pastors say they wouldn't accept an offering that was given from a lottery/gambling winning.
But then the second thought slammed me. What about Mary Magdalene? She was one of the women who provided for Jesus and the apostles (Luke 8:1-3). And some of her money was ill-gotten gains. Nevertheless, her money provided for the tabernacle of Yahweh.
Romans 10:4 -- For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
The Bible verse of the week is from Deuteronomy 6: "These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them to your children." And I wondered, "What words? What words did Moses say to which he is referring here?"
So Monday I skimmed Deuteronomy to see what the words were. All rules? Anything about the promises? Anything about the sacrificial system? What?
And as I skimmed, my eyes happened to notice this one verse. "You shall not bring the wages of a harlot to the house of Yhwh." My first thought was that this verse must be the reason why some pastors say they wouldn't accept an offering that was given from a lottery/gambling winning.
But then the second thought slammed me. What about Mary Magdalene? She was one of the women who provided for Jesus and the apostles (Luke 8:1-3). And some of her money was ill-gotten gains. Nevertheless, her money provided for the tabernacle of Yahweh.
Romans 10:4 -- For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
No Other Gods
It may be a humongous pain to have no way to dispose of water from your house. But it's way way better than not having water at all. As long as there's a potty nearby, you can take a walk to borrow a toilet. There are even porta-potties available to rent, should the weather become cold enough that you don't want to go for a walk to use the potty. There are laundromats to wash your clothes. And as long as you have a well that is operative, you can get drinking water and cooking water.
Sometimes we laugh in amazement at the Old Testament Israelites. Tempted to worship WHAT? A statue that they made for themselves out of gold? How dumb is that? Enticed into worshipping a totem pole? How could they be so idiotic?
And yet ...
one of my gods is my well and my plumbing. (Definition of "god": that which you need to be happy, and without which, life is just not okay.) Now, how totally stupid is THAT -- to have workable plumbing as a god? Certainly no better than a golden calf!
Sometimes we laugh in amazement at the Old Testament Israelites. Tempted to worship WHAT? A statue that they made for themselves out of gold? How dumb is that? Enticed into worshipping a totem pole? How could they be so idiotic?
And yet ...
one of my gods is my well and my plumbing. (Definition of "god": that which you need to be happy, and without which, life is just not okay.) Now, how totally stupid is THAT -- to have workable plumbing as a god? Certainly no better than a golden calf!
Before Me
Pastor has mentioned on various occasions that he likes "You shall have no other gods" much better than the older catechism which said "You shall have no other gods before Me." He says that, as a child, he thought it sounded like "You shall have no other gods before Me" meant that it was okay to have other gods, so long as you kept the true God as #1.
And yet, maybe that's the way it is.
Maybe that's the way it has to be.
Not that it's okay to have other gods.
But that we recognize that we do have other gods.
And that we always will in this life.
And having other gods does not mean we're not Christians.
It just means that we're Christians plagued by the Old Adam.
Having other gods is sinful and must be repented.
But struggling with that sin does not mean we are altogether lost.
And yet, maybe that's the way it is.
Maybe that's the way it has to be.
Not that it's okay to have other gods.
But that we recognize that we do have other gods.
And that we always will in this life.
And having other gods does not mean we're not Christians.
It just means that we're Christians plagued by the Old Adam.
Having other gods is sinful and must be repented.
But struggling with that sin does not mean we are altogether lost.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Not Back to School
Public school started today. We've been hitting the books in a very UN-unschooly way for the last two weeks: with lists, and assignments, and grading papers, and other scary concepts.
But today, to celebrate the Passing-By Of The School Bus, some friends from the city came down and went to the beach with us. Laura writes about it on her blog and shares the pictures. That was the nice part of the day.
But today, to celebrate the Passing-By Of The School Bus, some friends from the city came down and went to the beach with us. Laura writes about it on her blog and shares the pictures. That was the nice part of the day.
The Problem with Homeschooling
Here's the problem with homeschooling. Your children use the water in your house. (I mean, really, now, can you believe they DO such an outlandish thing?!?) So when you don't have water, then your children do not have the option to do their flushing at school, cannot take their showers after P.E. at school, and cannot have their dinner dishes washed at school by the ladies who work in the cafeteria.
CoW and Woodmans
The women are mad.
Changes are being made to my beloved grocery store. They expanded the produce section, moved some aisles, did a little rearranging. Nobody can find anything. Every trip to the grocery store results in commiserating with total strangers (or overhearing others commiserating with other total strangers) about where the brown rice went, or where the salad dressing went, or where the spices went. I can no longer tell Child-A to run down a certain aisle and fetch the peanut butter while Child-B runs down another aisle to fetch the lemon juice while I head down a third aisle to pick up pasta. We must hunt for our food.
I. am. not. a. lioness.
It is not right to have to hunt for food in Woodmans.
It takes twice as long to do the grocery shopping now.
(One of those Total Strangers told me it's taking her three times as long to buy her groceries now.)
A month or so ago, when the renovations were just beginning, I was searching for sunflower nuts. They weren't where they belonged. I found a complete mess in the next aisle over. Carts in aisle 3 were full of what had been pulled off the shelves in aisle 4. Employees jam-packed aisle 3, putting items back on the shelf. No customer cart would fit through that aisle. Abandoning my cart at the end of the aisle, I managed to squeeze my way through, hunting for my sunflower seeds. A manager asked if he could help. I teased about their moving things all around. Then he made the mistake.
He told me that they weren't "moving things all around." They were only taking the contents of each aisle and moving them one aisle to the north. Ha! I started rattling off for him which things were in different places, and how things had been on the top shelf on the south side of the aisle, but were now on a middle shelf on the north side of the aisle, and further west. After hearing a mere START on list of items that had been hidden (NOT "just moved over an aisle"), he halted me and admitted that, yes indeed, maaaybe some things had been "moved" a little more than he'd realized.
The women who are hunting the aisles for spaghetti sauce and apple sauce and cheese sauce all understand this! But the ones making the changes don't think it's any big deal. They're making improvements! They're giving us a better store! It's all to serve us better! The women are mad.
The Commission on Worship was given the unenviable task of combining two old hymnals into one new hymnal. Changes had to be made, due to choosing either the TLH version or the LW version. Like at my grocery store, the changes are noticeable. Every little spot in the new hymnal where there's something like "He imparteth consolation" changed to "There He sends true consolation," I notice. Every place where a half note and then a quarter note is switched around to a quarter then a half, I notice. When they left out a stanza or two (say, for instance, in "The Church's One Foundation" or "Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me") I stumble.
Circumstances will force me to get used to the grocery store, whether or not I like the changes. If I make a mistake in the renovated grocery store, if I can't find the cat food, I have to search and search and search until I conquer. That's not how it is with the renovated hymnal though. If I stumble over words, if I am distracted by the changes to the point that I cannot pray the hymns and the psalms, there's no "natural consequence" to remedy that. Those hymns and psalms aren't likely to show up again for months, or even until next year.
Now that we're suffering through the growing pains of getting ourselves back into one hymnal shared amongst all the synod, I hope that next time there's a new hymnal, the changes really will be so minor that it does not cause pain. Ot (like at my grocery store) will some people think "new and improved" is more important than sticking with what people know? The store has a vested interest in shuffling things around; it's a ploy to get people to see more items and thus spend more money. The Church, however, has a vested interest in not changing; the saints need to have the liturgy and hymns ingrained deeply into their beings.
Changes are being made to my beloved grocery store. They expanded the produce section, moved some aisles, did a little rearranging. Nobody can find anything. Every trip to the grocery store results in commiserating with total strangers (or overhearing others commiserating with other total strangers) about where the brown rice went, or where the salad dressing went, or where the spices went. I can no longer tell Child-A to run down a certain aisle and fetch the peanut butter while Child-B runs down another aisle to fetch the lemon juice while I head down a third aisle to pick up pasta. We must hunt for our food.
I. am. not. a. lioness.
It is not right to have to hunt for food in Woodmans.
It takes twice as long to do the grocery shopping now.
(One of those Total Strangers told me it's taking her three times as long to buy her groceries now.)
A month or so ago, when the renovations were just beginning, I was searching for sunflower nuts. They weren't where they belonged. I found a complete mess in the next aisle over. Carts in aisle 3 were full of what had been pulled off the shelves in aisle 4. Employees jam-packed aisle 3, putting items back on the shelf. No customer cart would fit through that aisle. Abandoning my cart at the end of the aisle, I managed to squeeze my way through, hunting for my sunflower seeds. A manager asked if he could help. I teased about their moving things all around. Then he made the mistake.
He told me that they weren't "moving things all around." They were only taking the contents of each aisle and moving them one aisle to the north. Ha! I started rattling off for him which things were in different places, and how things had been on the top shelf on the south side of the aisle, but were now on a middle shelf on the north side of the aisle, and further west. After hearing a mere START on list of items that had been hidden (NOT "just moved over an aisle"), he halted me and admitted that, yes indeed, maaaybe some things had been "moved" a little more than he'd realized.
The women who are hunting the aisles for spaghetti sauce and apple sauce and cheese sauce all understand this! But the ones making the changes don't think it's any big deal. They're making improvements! They're giving us a better store! It's all to serve us better! The women are mad.
The Commission on Worship was given the unenviable task of combining two old hymnals into one new hymnal. Changes had to be made, due to choosing either the TLH version or the LW version. Like at my grocery store, the changes are noticeable. Every little spot in the new hymnal where there's something like "He imparteth consolation" changed to "There He sends true consolation," I notice. Every place where a half note and then a quarter note is switched around to a quarter then a half, I notice. When they left out a stanza or two (say, for instance, in "The Church's One Foundation" or "Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me") I stumble.
Circumstances will force me to get used to the grocery store, whether or not I like the changes. If I make a mistake in the renovated grocery store, if I can't find the cat food, I have to search and search and search until I conquer. That's not how it is with the renovated hymnal though. If I stumble over words, if I am distracted by the changes to the point that I cannot pray the hymns and the psalms, there's no "natural consequence" to remedy that. Those hymns and psalms aren't likely to show up again for months, or even until next year.
Now that we're suffering through the growing pains of getting ourselves back into one hymnal shared amongst all the synod, I hope that next time there's a new hymnal, the changes really will be so minor that it does not cause pain. Ot (like at my grocery store) will some people think "new and improved" is more important than sticking with what people know? The store has a vested interest in shuffling things around; it's a ploy to get people to see more items and thus spend more money. The Church, however, has a vested interest in not changing; the saints need to have the liturgy and hymns ingrained deeply into their beings.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Raspberry Candy
Until a couple of years ago, I'd never had schnapps. All I knew about schnapps was that it was popular among my classmates in high school. Schnapps or beer: that was what I heard under-age people drank at parties.
Then my friend Sandy mentioned putting peach schnapps in her tea. Now, I love peach tea! But it's a lot more expensive than the plain black Lipton or Luzianne. So I checked out this schnapps concept. Turned out that (with a rebate) I could bring home a whole bottle of peach schnapps from the liquor store for only $2. That's less than one package of Bigelow or Celestial Seasonings tea.
Schnapps IS good in tea.
Turned out it was pretty good straight too. (No wonder it was so popular among kids.)
Last winter I was having raspberry cravings. My berry canes didn't bear, and there was no raspberry jam, no raspberry pie, no raspberry juice, no raspberry nothin'. So I decided to check out a bottle of Bols black raspberry liqueur. Oh my goodness! It was SO good. I think my son was concerned that I was becoming an alcoholic: I drank up the whole bottle in less than a month. (C'mon. It's less potent than the port wine we use for communion. Just one drink a day, and the bottle would be polished off in a week and a half.)
When Philip was expressing concern to Rachel that Mom was drinking that raspberry stuff too fast, I had him taste it. Then I had Rachel taste it. They both thought what I thought: wow, this is the best raspberry candy I ever ate! Tried some out on Sandy too; she thought it was really good.
It goes great in a fruit smoothie. Black raspberry liqueur goes great on top of ice cream. And you know what I tried it in yesterday? Instead of vanilla in the granola recipe, I tried the raspberry liqueur. Oh my goodness, didn't that turn out yummy!
Then my friend Sandy mentioned putting peach schnapps in her tea. Now, I love peach tea! But it's a lot more expensive than the plain black Lipton or Luzianne. So I checked out this schnapps concept. Turned out that (with a rebate) I could bring home a whole bottle of peach schnapps from the liquor store for only $2. That's less than one package of Bigelow or Celestial Seasonings tea.
Schnapps IS good in tea.
Turned out it was pretty good straight too. (No wonder it was so popular among kids.)
Last winter I was having raspberry cravings. My berry canes didn't bear, and there was no raspberry jam, no raspberry pie, no raspberry juice, no raspberry nothin'. So I decided to check out a bottle of Bols black raspberry liqueur. Oh my goodness! It was SO good. I think my son was concerned that I was becoming an alcoholic: I drank up the whole bottle in less than a month. (C'mon. It's less potent than the port wine we use for communion. Just one drink a day, and the bottle would be polished off in a week and a half.)
When Philip was expressing concern to Rachel that Mom was drinking that raspberry stuff too fast, I had him taste it. Then I had Rachel taste it. They both thought what I thought: wow, this is the best raspberry candy I ever ate! Tried some out on Sandy too; she thought it was really good.
It goes great in a fruit smoothie. Black raspberry liqueur goes great on top of ice cream. And you know what I tried it in yesterday? Instead of vanilla in the granola recipe, I tried the raspberry liqueur. Oh my goodness, didn't that turn out yummy!
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