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).