This evening I noticed something beautiful in the sky. Venus and Jupiter are very close together. The computer tells me that this is the closest the two planets will be over the space of a few decades. The astronomers are saying that this series of three conjunctions (over the space of 14 months) is quite similar to what the star of Bethlehem may have been.
When Maggie and I were first looking up "Sky and Telescope" to see what they said about this lovely sight, I started singing, "... and Jupiter aligns with Mars, then peace will guide the planets ..." Poor Maggie. "WHAT are you singing, Mom?!" So I belted it out: "This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius ..." Yeah. Like I said -- poor Maggie.
Singing the song reminded me. Once upon a time, in grade school, I won some contest at the Y. The prize was a 45 of my choice. (For you youngsters, a "45" is a record. The kind that got played on a old-fashioned turn-table. The little ones, with one song on each side. It would be comparable to your winning a $3 iTune giftcard.) They asked all three winners for what songs they'd like. The other two girls immediately came up with song titles. At that point, I didn't listen to pop music yet. So I chose "Age of Aquarius." It was something I knew. The adults didn't know what to do: "That's old. I don't think that's available any more. Is it still on the charts? Can you tell us a second choice? I don't think we'll be able to find that song."
When my hair was initially cut short, here not too long ago, several people complimented me with how "trendy" I looked. I was offended. I didn't respond in a nasty way, but yes, that kind of praise bothered me. If they liked my hair and I didn't, I could accept their compliment. If they said my haircut suited me, I could disagree but appreciate their well-intended words. But trendy? Yuck. I don't like trendy. I don't want to be trendy.
"The Age of Aquarius." I was already out-of-sync and decidedly behind-the-times when I was just a little kid.
Definitely untrendy.
And proud of it. Darn tootin'.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Brain Games
We are watching a psychology show on Netflix right now. Brain Games explores the way the brain works, and how it can play tricks on us. There are plenty of optical illusions and interactive activities. (After several episodes my curiosity got the better of me -- I did peak once when they said to close your eyes and listen. The sign on the screen? "We told you to close your eyes.")
One episode was quite interesting in that it began with the premise that --from birth-- men and women are different. They think differently. They have different brains with different strengths and weaknesses. This is inbred in our cells and DNA. I was amazed that such a thing would be stated so bluntly a mere 3 years ago. (We've made quite the rapid slide into nonsense here the last year or so, eh?)
Another interesting episode was how people tend to be overconfident. We don't like to think we don't know. We don't like to accept that we make mistakes. We justify ourselves. There are spiritual and theological ramifications to this psychological fact. (Or maybe flip it around: they showed the psychological ramifications of what is actually a spiritual fact.) It makes me even more put off by [ahem] confidence.
The episode on paying attention helped me understand some situations I face at work ... and why it's so easy to overload a mind (especially after a brain injury that compromised my thinking skills).
In many ways, I apparently think more like a man than a woman: my color perception, my spatial skills, my verbal skills. Oh well.
The episode on memory showed me something else that I suspected. My memory has really gone downhill. [My apologies, Gary. But it has.]
The oddball thing of this whole series? My brain is more like Maggie's now than it used to be; we're finding quite often that we both come up with the same answer in the interactive games. But we keep answering the "wrong" answer (that is, the unexpected answer, given by a small minority of their subjects). We're wondering if we have trained our brains this way. If so, I think it's a good thing.
One episode was quite interesting in that it began with the premise that --from birth-- men and women are different. They think differently. They have different brains with different strengths and weaknesses. This is inbred in our cells and DNA. I was amazed that such a thing would be stated so bluntly a mere 3 years ago. (We've made quite the rapid slide into nonsense here the last year or so, eh?)
Another interesting episode was how people tend to be overconfident. We don't like to think we don't know. We don't like to accept that we make mistakes. We justify ourselves. There are spiritual and theological ramifications to this psychological fact. (Or maybe flip it around: they showed the psychological ramifications of what is actually a spiritual fact.) It makes me even more put off by [ahem] confidence.
The episode on paying attention helped me understand some situations I face at work ... and why it's so easy to overload a mind (especially after a brain injury that compromised my thinking skills).
In many ways, I apparently think more like a man than a woman: my color perception, my spatial skills, my verbal skills. Oh well.
The episode on memory showed me something else that I suspected. My memory has really gone downhill. [My apologies, Gary. But it has.]
The oddball thing of this whole series? My brain is more like Maggie's now than it used to be; we're finding quite often that we both come up with the same answer in the interactive games. But we keep answering the "wrong" answer (that is, the unexpected answer, given by a small minority of their subjects). We're wondering if we have trained our brains this way. If so, I think it's a good thing.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Update
Lovely, amazing, beautiful wedding yesterday. We've known the groom since he was 1, and the bride since she was about 4-5. So good to go to a wedding where they are firmly committed to Christ's being the center of their marriage.
Cherry pie in the oven baking. The cherry tree is loaded with beautiful fruit. I don't know if it was that the weather was just right this year, or if the tree's flourishing was due to my lack ofmangling pruning the last two springs.
Gary is still doing ALL the mowing. He does not permit me to help. I am spoiled. Also, Maggie and Katie seem to be accomplishing any housecleaning that happens around here.
I gave up on the garden. I planted some lettuce and almost none of it came up. I've harvested almost none of the strawberries -- Gary, Maggie, Katie, and the kids have done whatever picking has happened. Not all the raspberries have been pruned and weeded. Grape-vine shoots and tendrils look nice but need to be tied to their supports. I guess we'll be buying tomatoes from the farmers' markets this year. The garden spot is covered with dead leaves, a little hay, and the kitchen scraps for composting. This is the seventh year of the garden. We'll call it our "fallow year" and just pretend like we planned it this way all along. Yup. Sure. Absolutely.
This year's catechetical symposium had a smaller attendance than usual. But the topic was good.
Took a trip down to my hometown to start helping with cleaning out my mom's house. Between the travel, the late nights, and the simple physical work of going through drawers and closets and carrying things and walking back and forth, it took a week and a half of recuperating before I could do anything more than lie around (when I wasn't at work). I was even too tired to read. My appetite went away, and I still haven't cooked a real meal since before that trip. I fear that I'm not going to have the strength to do what I should in this project.
What is it with all the rashes this past year? It seems like, if somebody merely looks at me cross-eyed, I'll develop another rash. Well, no, it's not people looking at me; it's plants getting anywhere near me. Thus the disincentive to be putzing in the garden very often.
I heard two different conversations at the wedding yesterday from young unmarried men. You know what they each want in a wife? Number 1 requirement: a woman. What a different world it is today that this would even be mentioned in a joking way.
One of the gals at work just had her baby, and the two college-aged gals are doing temporary internships (thus limiting their hours available for work). I hope my hours get shuffled a bit for the next few weeks so that I can fill in holes instead of working my usual hours. Thing is, I'm still under doctor's limitations on how many hours per week I may work -- that will keep me from overdoing.
I've got some editing to do, so all the rest of my to-do list for church tasks is getting ignored.
I tried going back to Curves to "exercise" -- with a very slow and easy trial of getting back to some physical activity. That was right before we went on the trip to Illinois, so I haven't been about to go back to Curves again.
It happened again today: I decided that no matter what went undone, I had to call Mom because it's been so long since I talked to her. And then I realized ... no, I wouldn't be calling Mom. I wonder how long it will take before I quit forgetting.
Cherry pie in the oven baking. The cherry tree is loaded with beautiful fruit. I don't know if it was that the weather was just right this year, or if the tree's flourishing was due to my lack of
Gary is still doing ALL the mowing. He does not permit me to help. I am spoiled. Also, Maggie and Katie seem to be accomplishing any housecleaning that happens around here.
I gave up on the garden. I planted some lettuce and almost none of it came up. I've harvested almost none of the strawberries -- Gary, Maggie, Katie, and the kids have done whatever picking has happened. Not all the raspberries have been pruned and weeded. Grape-vine shoots and tendrils look nice but need to be tied to their supports. I guess we'll be buying tomatoes from the farmers' markets this year. The garden spot is covered with dead leaves, a little hay, and the kitchen scraps for composting. This is the seventh year of the garden. We'll call it our "fallow year" and just pretend like we planned it this way all along. Yup. Sure. Absolutely.
This year's catechetical symposium had a smaller attendance than usual. But the topic was good.
Took a trip down to my hometown to start helping with cleaning out my mom's house. Between the travel, the late nights, and the simple physical work of going through drawers and closets and carrying things and walking back and forth, it took a week and a half of recuperating before I could do anything more than lie around (when I wasn't at work). I was even too tired to read. My appetite went away, and I still haven't cooked a real meal since before that trip. I fear that I'm not going to have the strength to do what I should in this project.
What is it with all the rashes this past year? It seems like, if somebody merely looks at me cross-eyed, I'll develop another rash. Well, no, it's not people looking at me; it's plants getting anywhere near me. Thus the disincentive to be putzing in the garden very often.
I heard two different conversations at the wedding yesterday from young unmarried men. You know what they each want in a wife? Number 1 requirement: a woman. What a different world it is today that this would even be mentioned in a joking way.
One of the gals at work just had her baby, and the two college-aged gals are doing temporary internships (thus limiting their hours available for work). I hope my hours get shuffled a bit for the next few weeks so that I can fill in holes instead of working my usual hours. Thing is, I'm still under doctor's limitations on how many hours per week I may work -- that will keep me from overdoing.
I've got some editing to do, so all the rest of my to-do list for church tasks is getting ignored.
I tried going back to Curves to "exercise" -- with a very slow and easy trial of getting back to some physical activity. That was right before we went on the trip to Illinois, so I haven't been about to go back to Curves again.
It happened again today: I decided that no matter what went undone, I had to call Mom because it's been so long since I talked to her. And then I realized ... no, I wouldn't be calling Mom. I wonder how long it will take before I quit forgetting.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Satan Doesn't Care
Best line from last week's sermon at the church we were visiting:
Satan doesn't care so much whether you sin,
but where you turn when you do.
Satan doesn't care so much whether you sin,
but where you turn when you do.
Monday, June 01, 2015
Lobotomy
My brain changed.
Gary and I have noticed that, since my brain injury, I've been less emotional. I don't cry anymore. Well, let's say I don't blubber anymore. There have been occasional times where a tear or two might be shed. This is weird, although not exactly unwelcome.
Last night he showed me a website with optical illusions. For one trick, you stare at a picture's negative for 15 seconds, and then the positive image appears next to it. It didn't work for me. I did try a colored one this morning -- one that's in our set of old-fashioned encyclopedias (book form instead of Wiki). That illusion worked, but not as well as it used to.
There was another illusion that Gary thought was mega-cool. He showed it to me. It was nifty and sparkly and kind of freaked you out how it worked. But after a few seconds, there was a sharp, stabbing pain in my brain.
Last year I could not watch the fireworks in summer. After the first one went off, I had to get away immediately; the pain was intense and I thought my head would explode. I don't know how much healing I've had and what this summer's firework displays will do to my brain.
Maggie and I decided my "Test of Tears" will be when I watch Something the Lord Made. If I can watch that with only a few tears, we will have proof positive that my aneurysm blow-up was also a lobotomy.
Gary and I have noticed that, since my brain injury, I've been less emotional. I don't cry anymore. Well, let's say I don't blubber anymore. There have been occasional times where a tear or two might be shed. This is weird, although not exactly unwelcome.
Last night he showed me a website with optical illusions. For one trick, you stare at a picture's negative for 15 seconds, and then the positive image appears next to it. It didn't work for me. I did try a colored one this morning -- one that's in our set of old-fashioned encyclopedias (book form instead of Wiki). That illusion worked, but not as well as it used to.
There was another illusion that Gary thought was mega-cool. He showed it to me. It was nifty and sparkly and kind of freaked you out how it worked. But after a few seconds, there was a sharp, stabbing pain in my brain.
Last year I could not watch the fireworks in summer. After the first one went off, I had to get away immediately; the pain was intense and I thought my head would explode. I don't know how much healing I've had and what this summer's firework displays will do to my brain.
Maggie and I decided my "Test of Tears" will be when I watch Something the Lord Made. If I can watch that with only a few tears, we will have proof positive that my aneurysm blow-up was also a lobotomy.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Notes from Bible Class
"The glory of God's undying love" didn't die ... even when He did.
John 3:6 -- "That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
That's like in Genesis 1: "after its own kind."
John 3:11 -- Nicodemus was a teacher in Israel. Jesus thought he obviously should've known the things Jesus was talking about -- known them from the Old Testament scriptures. Jesus says, "We speak what We know and testify what We have seen." That's like in Luke 24 where Jesus shows the disciples how the entire Old Testament is all about Him and His atoning work. Nicodemus should've known the first promise of salvation (Gen 3:15), He should've known the story about the bronze serpent (Num 21). He should've known about the "Son of Man" (in Daniel). He should've known about all those water stories (Gen 8, Ex 14, Josh 3, Jonah, et al) and also how washing was used in the tabernacle worship. He should've known about the Spirit's blowing where He wills (Gen 1, Psalms, 1 Kings 19, et al). But when Nicodemus didn't know these things that he should've known, what does Jesus do? He talks about the Son of God on the cross, and that God wants to save, not to condemn.
John 3:6 -- "That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
That's like in Genesis 1: "after its own kind."
John 3:11 -- Nicodemus was a teacher in Israel. Jesus thought he obviously should've known the things Jesus was talking about -- known them from the Old Testament scriptures. Jesus says, "We speak what We know and testify what We have seen." That's like in Luke 24 where Jesus shows the disciples how the entire Old Testament is all about Him and His atoning work. Nicodemus should've known the first promise of salvation (Gen 3:15), He should've known the story about the bronze serpent (Num 21). He should've known about the "Son of Man" (in Daniel). He should've known about all those water stories (Gen 8, Ex 14, Josh 3, Jonah, et al) and also how washing was used in the tabernacle worship. He should've known about the Spirit's blowing where He wills (Gen 1, Psalms, 1 Kings 19, et al). But when Nicodemus didn't know these things that he should've known, what does Jesus do? He talks about the Son of God on the cross, and that God wants to save, not to condemn.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Reading Challenge 2015
How to Respond to Eastern Religions -- finished Jan 7
Crunchy Cons, by Dreher -- finished Jan 13
Holy Housewifery -- finished Jan 17
Wild Swans, by Chang -- finished Feb 25
Light in the Dark Belt: Story of Rosa Young -- March 7
Heidelberg Disputation -- finished April 2
On Being a Theologian of the Cross, by Forde -- April 13
Broken: 7 "Christian" Rules ... to Break-- May 1
Let's Roll, by Beamer-- finished May 4
Christ for Us, by Preus
Flatland
Pioneer Girl (biography of Laura)
The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You, by Aron
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good, by Karon -- March 30
Beyond the Mists, by Benchley
Cutting for Stone, by Verghese
Re-reads:
Narnia
~ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe -- May 17
~ Prince Caspian
~ Dawn Treader
~ Silver Chair
~ Horse and His Boy -- finished April 16 [audio]
~ Magician's Nephew -- finished May 12 [audio]
~ Last Battle
Harry Potter
Hammer of God
With Maggie:
Anne of Ingleside -- finished Jan 16
Rainbow Valley
Rilla of Ingleside
Penderwicks -- finished Feb 24
Carry On, Mr Bowditch
On to Oregon
Across Five Aprils
Swallows and Amazon series
or Little House series (again)
or Little Britches series
or Five Little Peppers
Additional Suggestions from Friends:
Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Hardcore Poor, by Sangree
Joel Salatin's 2007 book about food practices in the USA
Simply Classical
On Our Way Rejoicing, by Trobisch
Richest Man in Babylon
Finding Kansas
Our Island Story
Luther the Reformer, by James Kittelson
The Right to Be Wrong, by Seamus Hasson
How to Bake Pi, by Cheng (SCI 510.1)
Bitter is the New Black (817.6 LAN)
Faith, Hope, and Ivy June
House of Living Stones
Bride Most Begrudging
A Star for Mrs Blake
Caleb's Crossing
Crunchy Cons, by Dreher -- finished Jan 13
Holy Housewifery -- finished Jan 17
Wild Swans, by Chang -- finished Feb 25
Light in the Dark Belt: Story of Rosa Young -- March 7
Heidelberg Disputation -- finished April 2
On Being a Theologian of the Cross, by Forde -- April 13
Broken: 7 "Christian" Rules ... to Break-- May 1
Let's Roll, by Beamer-- finished May 4
Christ for Us, by Preus
Flatland
Pioneer Girl (biography of Laura)
The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You, by Aron
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good, by Karon -- March 30
Beyond the Mists, by Benchley
Cutting for Stone, by Verghese
Re-reads:
Narnia
~ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe -- May 17
~ Prince Caspian
~ Dawn Treader
~ Silver Chair
~ Horse and His Boy -- finished April 16 [audio]
~ Magician's Nephew -- finished May 12 [audio]
~ Last Battle
Harry Potter
Hammer of God
With Maggie:
Anne of Ingleside -- finished Jan 16
Rainbow Valley
Rilla of Ingleside
Penderwicks -- finished Feb 24
Carry On, Mr Bowditch
On to Oregon
Across Five Aprils
Swallows and Amazon series
or Little House series (again)
or Little Britches series
or Five Little Peppers
Additional Suggestions from Friends:
Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Hardcore Poor, by Sangree
Joel Salatin's 2007 book about food practices in the USA
Simply Classical
On Our Way Rejoicing, by Trobisch
Richest Man in Babylon
Finding Kansas
Our Island Story
Luther the Reformer, by James Kittelson
The Right to Be Wrong, by Seamus Hasson
How to Bake Pi, by Cheng (SCI 510.1)
Bitter is the New Black (817.6 LAN)
Faith, Hope, and Ivy June
House of Living Stones
Bride Most Begrudging
A Star for Mrs Blake
Caleb's Crossing
Friday, May 29, 2015
Catechism Olympics
The last day of school at church is a short day. Nearly all of it is spent with chapel, Catechism Olympics, and closing prayer.
I can't figure out why, but Catechism Olympics is FUN. I haven't been able to attend for quite a while, due to my work schedule. But this year I could go. Grown-ups cannot participate, but it's fun in the same way as observing a spelling bee or the geography bee.
First game: kids were divided into groups of three. It was pretty much just like their weekly term quizzes, but lots of terms, and from the Old Testament stories for the whole school-year.
Second game: Divided into girls versus boys. This seemed unfair to me, as it was 3 against 11. I was going to bolster the girl-side (even if I am a grown-up). Pastor would not allow it. The second game turned out to be "Name That Tune" with the learn-by-heart hymns from this past school year. No wonder I was kicked out. (I could've "named that tune in zero notes" for over half the songs.) But the girls did well. They didn't win, but it was close.
Third game: Another contest with terms, this time from Christmas stories and Easter stories. Miss a question -- sit down. Last one standing won. Candy bars for prizes.
Fourth game: Another elimination game. This time with reciting the catechism.
Finally, a hymn sing. Each kid got to pick something from the hymnal and we all joined in singing.
NICE morning.
I can't figure out why, but Catechism Olympics is FUN. I haven't been able to attend for quite a while, due to my work schedule. But this year I could go. Grown-ups cannot participate, but it's fun in the same way as observing a spelling bee or the geography bee.
First game: kids were divided into groups of three. It was pretty much just like their weekly term quizzes, but lots of terms, and from the Old Testament stories for the whole school-year.
Second game: Divided into girls versus boys. This seemed unfair to me, as it was 3 against 11. I was going to bolster the girl-side (even if I am a grown-up). Pastor would not allow it. The second game turned out to be "Name That Tune" with the learn-by-heart hymns from this past school year. No wonder I was kicked out. (I could've "named that tune in zero notes" for over half the songs.) But the girls did well. They didn't win, but it was close.
Third game: Another contest with terms, this time from Christmas stories and Easter stories. Miss a question -- sit down. Last one standing won. Candy bars for prizes.
Fourth game: Another elimination game. This time with reciting the catechism.
Finally, a hymn sing. Each kid got to pick something from the hymnal and we all joined in singing.
NICE morning.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
No Greater Joy
My favorite sympathy card arrived today. I had the biggest, silliest grin on my face as I read it. There was nothing silly about the card, but the joy I found in that card was so overwhelming that I couldn't help but laugh with delight. And pretty soon, as I continued to think on it while washing dishes, my eyes began to tear up.
In his third epistle John says, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth."
My goddaughter quoted a hymn for me. Only four stanzas because that's all that fit on the back of the card. "All Christians Who Have Been Baptized ...." Oh my goodness! What better hymn when a person faces death -- her own or the death of a loved one? And there were so many awesome bits of her note.
But the best part of all? The line on the card said, "May friends comfort you, faith uphold you, and loving memories heal your heart." She crossed out "loving memories" and wrote in "Jesus."
[Oh, shoot. Now I'm starting to get misty-eyed again.]
She said she didn't like the part about loving memories bringing healing. So she adjusted the wording.
John's right.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth.
In his third epistle John says, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth."
My goddaughter quoted a hymn for me. Only four stanzas because that's all that fit on the back of the card. "All Christians Who Have Been Baptized ...." Oh my goodness! What better hymn when a person faces death -- her own or the death of a loved one? And there were so many awesome bits of her note.
But the best part of all? The line on the card said, "May friends comfort you, faith uphold you, and loving memories heal your heart." She crossed out "loving memories" and wrote in "Jesus."
[Oh, shoot. Now I'm starting to get misty-eyed again.]
She said she didn't like the part about loving memories bringing healing. So she adjusted the wording.
John's right.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth.
So What Does "Forgiveness" Mean
"Forgive the shooter." Those were the final words of the man who was shot in a murder spree a couple of weeks ago.
Charlie Sykes (one of our favorite talk-radio guys in our area) didn't understand. "How could he say that? I couldn't do it. Does that make me a bad Christian? What does it mean to 'forgive'?!"
"Peter from Sussex" called in with a very good answer. He got to say a lot. (The set-up and the conversation with Pastor went from about the 5-min mark to about 13-minutes.) Then Charlie continued the topic with other callers, as he struggled to understand forgiveness. Now Charlie should come to Didache.
Charlie Sykes (one of our favorite talk-radio guys in our area) didn't understand. "How could he say that? I couldn't do it. Does that make me a bad Christian? What does it mean to 'forgive'?!"
"Peter from Sussex" called in with a very good answer. He got to say a lot. (The set-up and the conversation with Pastor went from about the 5-min mark to about 13-minutes.) Then Charlie continued the topic with other callers, as he struggled to understand forgiveness. Now Charlie should come to Didache.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
The Passing of a Homeschooling Era
This morning I purchased postage stamps. The artwork is exemplary. Half the sheet is full of quotes and history-tidbits.
And nobody will say, "MOM, let ME see!!" "No, me first!" "Wow!" And my favorite: "You aren't going to put those on letters and send them AWAY, are you? Do you HAVE to?"
This morning was a huge reminder of a life that's been left behind.
And nobody will say, "MOM, let ME see!!" "No, me first!" "Wow!" And my favorite: "You aren't going to put those on letters and send them AWAY, are you? Do you HAVE to?"
This morning was a huge reminder of a life that's been left behind.
Monday, May 18, 2015
If Your Heart Condemns You
I never noticed how those two verses work in tandem.
John tells us (1 John 3)
If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
If our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
A condemning heart? No problem. God is right and our heart is wrong.
A confident heart? Again -- no problem.
John isn't giving us a message of "Buck up and stop letting your heart condemn you, you pitiful weakling of a doubter." Quite the contrary. John says, "No matter how you feel, no matter what kind of accusations the devil hurls at you, Jesus' forgiveness takes care of it all and we are safe in Him."
It sure is great to have somebody who can point these things out to me ... even though it seems so obvious now that I wonder how I never saw it before.
John tells us (1 John 3)
If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
If our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
A condemning heart? No problem. God is right and our heart is wrong.
A confident heart? Again -- no problem.
John isn't giving us a message of "Buck up and stop letting your heart condemn you, you pitiful weakling of a doubter." Quite the contrary. John says, "No matter how you feel, no matter what kind of accusations the devil hurls at you, Jesus' forgiveness takes care of it all and we are safe in Him."
It sure is great to have somebody who can point these things out to me ... even though it seems so obvious now that I wonder how I never saw it before.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Belle
A 2014 movie set in the 1700s in British society. Rated PG. A biracial girl is being raised by her dad's uncle and aunt. Who is prejudiced, and who pretends not to be? Beautiful costumes and scenery. Awesome acting. Based on a true story. Plot covers the biographical aspect of Dido and her family, as well as the legal aspect of slavery in Britain.
Rachel told me she knew I'd want to see this. Boy, she was right! After she loaned me her Netflix DVD and I returned it, I left the movie on my Netflix queue so I can see it again.
Rachel told me she knew I'd want to see this. Boy, she was right! After she loaned me her Netflix DVD and I returned it, I left the movie on my Netflix queue so I can see it again.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Blessed Are the Dead Who Die in the Lord
Random thoughts:
Mom's family is awesome. I have the funnest cousins in the world, and some mighty nifty uncles and aunts.
When my daughter-in-law saw a picture of Mom (in a swimsuit) in her late teens (one of the photos that Dad took with him when he went off to his military stint), Mandy said, "Paul, your grandma was a fox!" For some reason, Paul did not appreciate this perspective.
The nurses in the oncology dept are superb. Is it because they're more used to people dying? Or maybe it's just the individual nurses we happened to encounter. In my opinion, they outshone the nurses on other floors.
I'm impressed by the funeral home. They're not "slick." They have been genuine and helpful and kind.
Boy oh boy, I heard over and over and over from visitors how nice Mom was, how sweet, how they'd never met anyone so kind. (Yup. Pretty good assessment, that's for sure.)
I guess I'd never realized (until talking with Pastor while making funeral arrangements) that Mom didn't really have any hobbies. She was at church for everything. She invested a lot of time in her family. She had her job. And other than that, she helped people. She didn't have time for hobbies and interests: she was too busy providing assistance others.
We didn't eat ham-buns at the funeral dinner. (The funeral was obviously not in Wisconsin.) County Market makes phenomenal chicken. Delicious call on my sister's part to go with the chicken instead of the sandwiches. Mmm mmm mmm.
Isn't it amazing that God gives pastors who will minister to those who are sick and dying? Men who will come even when it's past their bedtime. Men who keep coming back, even if there be no visible response from the member. But still they come with the gospel of forgiveness of sins. Thanks be to God.
My brother pointed out that, when the funeral home came to pick up Mom, she did not moan or grimace or cry out in pain. Every time somebody had moved her for the previous 3+ weeks, it had been excruciating for her. No more. "And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.... There shall be no more pain."
Death cannot destroy forever.
From our fears, cares, and tears
it will us deliver....
Lord, my Shepherd, take me to Thee.
Thou are mine. I was Thine
even e'er I knew Thee.
I am Thine for Thou hast bought me.
Lost I stood, but Thy blood
free salvation brought me. TLH 523
ADD footnote:
For certain of you who object to the word "funnest," I'll have you know that the computer did NOT flag that word as a misspelling or grammar-oops. So HA.
Saturday, May 09, 2015
Advent Wreath
A friend of mine does gorgeous wood-working. He's been turning his hobby into a small business. Look at some of the things he's made.
The Advent wreath is in the shape of a cross. It can hold tapers or the little votive candles. (I can find votives in purple and pink much easier than I can find tapers. So I prefer the little glass globes for the stumpy candles.)
The Christmas-tree ornaments are delicately worked and make a full nativity set. When I saw them on the Christmas tree at church, I coveted them. When a set went up for sale at our school's annual fund-raising auction, we were lucky enough to get a set for ourselves. Woo hoo!
Matt's website isn't fully set up yet. But for those of you who know us, the website will give you enough information that you would know how to contact him if you want to purchase something to be crafted over summer for gift-giving next fall/winter. For those who will be attending symposium, there may be some of these beauties for sale there; there were last year, at least. For those of you who don't know us, there's information on the website about a craft booth in Spring Green. (He doesn't know that I've bragged about him here in public, and I'm not finding information online. So there's nothing for me to point you to, for easy-breezy ordering information. If there's something you'd be interested in, you'd just have to write or call and start asking questions.)
The Advent wreath is in the shape of a cross. It can hold tapers or the little votive candles. (I can find votives in purple and pink much easier than I can find tapers. So I prefer the little glass globes for the stumpy candles.)
The Christmas-tree ornaments are delicately worked and make a full nativity set. When I saw them on the Christmas tree at church, I coveted them. When a set went up for sale at our school's annual fund-raising auction, we were lucky enough to get a set for ourselves. Woo hoo!
Matt's website isn't fully set up yet. But for those of you who know us, the website will give you enough information that you would know how to contact him if you want to purchase something to be crafted over summer for gift-giving next fall/winter. For those who will be attending symposium, there may be some of these beauties for sale there; there were last year, at least. For those of you who don't know us, there's information on the website about a craft booth in Spring Green. (He doesn't know that I've bragged about him here in public, and I'm not finding information online. So there's nothing for me to point you to, for easy-breezy ordering information. If there's something you'd be interested in, you'd just have to write or call and start asking questions.)
Friday, May 08, 2015
Mom
Things continued to go downhill for my mom. Two weeks after her fall, there was a precipitous decline, but somehow she managed to live through it. We enrolled her in in-hospital hospice. Her gazillion meds were discontinued. Not long after that, she was awake and aware and discussing with my brother that she agrees it's time to stop all these life-extending measures.
She's been 10 days without dialysis now. She's not eating. Mom is dying slowly. At one point, someone reminded her about going to be with Jesus, and she asked plaintively, "What's taking Him so long?"
The hospital lost her hearing aid. That's sad. When you wish for her to be able to hear many times "I love you" and "Jesus loves you and forgives you and cherishes you," she struggles to hear. Last time I was there, she kept reaching for the volume-control on her hearing aid, trying to turn up the sound, and she couldn't find it. Nevertheless, God will be faithful to His promises to her.
Every wound that pains or grieves me
by Thy stripes, Lord, is made whole.
When I'm faint Thy cross revives me,
granting new life to my soul.
Yea, Thy comfort renders sweet
every bitter cup I meet,
for Thine all-atoning passion
has procured my soul's salvation. (TLH 144:3)
She's been 10 days without dialysis now. She's not eating. Mom is dying slowly. At one point, someone reminded her about going to be with Jesus, and she asked plaintively, "What's taking Him so long?"
The hospital lost her hearing aid. That's sad. When you wish for her to be able to hear many times "I love you" and "Jesus loves you and forgives you and cherishes you," she struggles to hear. Last time I was there, she kept reaching for the volume-control on her hearing aid, trying to turn up the sound, and she couldn't find it. Nevertheless, God will be faithful to His promises to her.
Every wound that pains or grieves me
by Thy stripes, Lord, is made whole.
When I'm faint Thy cross revives me,
granting new life to my soul.
Yea, Thy comfort renders sweet
every bitter cup I meet,
for Thine all-atoning passion
has procured my soul's salvation. (TLH 144:3)
Anniversary
The doctor has been telling me all along, "You're still healing. You have to give yourself a full year."
Okay. It's been a year now.
Changes to learn to live with:
~ sciatica
~ need for an extra two hours of sleep per night
~ headaches when I overdo
~ a perpetual infection that needs to be kept to a minimum
~ introversion has been greatly magnified
~ walking slower
~ easier to get rashes and sunburn
~ fuzzy-brainedness (that irritates Gary when I complain of it because he says I still have a better memory and thinking ability than most people ... which doesn't make it any easier for me to adjust to)
BUT ...
I'm talking, driving, going to work, and able to do pretty much whatever I did before (except that I must do So Much Less of it.)
Okay. It's been a year now.
Changes to learn to live with:
~ sciatica
~ need for an extra two hours of sleep per night
~ headaches when I overdo
~ a perpetual infection that needs to be kept to a minimum
~ introversion has been greatly magnified
~ walking slower
~ easier to get rashes and sunburn
~ fuzzy-brainedness (that irritates Gary when I complain of it because he says I still have a better memory and thinking ability than most people ... which doesn't make it any easier for me to adjust to)
BUT ...
I'm talking, driving, going to work, and able to do pretty much whatever I did before (except that I must do So Much Less of it.)
Monday, April 20, 2015
Mom's Escapades
When a frail woman's walker meets a snag on the parking lot, at the same time a gust of wind pushes at her, the results are not happy.
My mom fell last week. She was unresponsive. The trauma team's first concern was the bleeding in her head. Second concern was getting her on dialysis. They finally got around to a feeding tube, both for nutrition and some critical daily medicine that's available orally but not for IV's. For the first few days there were some brief periods of mumbled speech and quasi-awareness. But after three days she finally began to wake up. That's also how long it took us to convince the doctors to take x-rays to check for a broken hip. "Our first concern is the head trauma." Right, guys. And that's been stabilized, so quit poo-pooing her excruciating pain and check for broken bones.
After two days of her "being here" again, delirium set in. My brother finally convinced the doctors to treat the infection she had begun prior to the fall, the infection which was the reason for taking Mom out to the doctor last week, which was when she fell.
Mom is lucid again and has improved enough to leave ICU.
At one point last week, when she was first beginning to wake up and there was great pain from being repositioned, Mom said, "Jesus died for me. That's all that matters. He died for me. That's the big thing." Yes.
And when I was remarking on her doozy of a black eye, I suggested that she looked like she'd been in a fight. "A fight with the sidewalk," she mumbled. Yes. I agreed. Mom quipped, "The sidewalk won." Ah, a sense of humor peeking out from behind all those injuries!
My mom fell last week. She was unresponsive. The trauma team's first concern was the bleeding in her head. Second concern was getting her on dialysis. They finally got around to a feeding tube, both for nutrition and some critical daily medicine that's available orally but not for IV's. For the first few days there were some brief periods of mumbled speech and quasi-awareness. But after three days she finally began to wake up. That's also how long it took us to convince the doctors to take x-rays to check for a broken hip. "Our first concern is the head trauma." Right, guys. And that's been stabilized, so quit poo-pooing her excruciating pain and check for broken bones.
After two days of her "being here" again, delirium set in. My brother finally convinced the doctors to treat the infection she had begun prior to the fall, the infection which was the reason for taking Mom out to the doctor last week, which was when she fell.
Mom is lucid again and has improved enough to leave ICU.
At one point last week, when she was first beginning to wake up and there was great pain from being repositioned, Mom said, "Jesus died for me. That's all that matters. He died for me. That's the big thing." Yes.
And when I was remarking on her doozy of a black eye, I suggested that she looked like she'd been in a fight. "A fight with the sidewalk," she mumbled. Yes. I agreed. Mom quipped, "The sidewalk won." Ah, a sense of humor peeking out from behind all those injuries!
Monday, April 13, 2015
Garden Report
Strawberry bed is under control. It did not receive necessary attention last summer, so it was thinned-with-a-vengeance in the last couple of weeks. Soil somewhat loosened, without threatening the roots of remaining plants. A couple inches of compost applied. I have Good Intentions (TM) of treating the bed properly after the plants bear this year.
Last year's dead vines have been burned to a small pile of ash. That was no simple feat, but it has been accomplished.
Gary cleaned out the dead asparagus leftover from last year. I really should get out there and till a bit, before the new growth begins to pop up. It's weedy.
A bunch of last year's leaves have been piled deep on one of the raised beds, with potatoes planted [today] in those nice loose leaves. I've been seeing good results in both growth and harvesting when the potatoes aren't buried in dirt. I topped the humongous pile of leaves with some of that lovely old compost, partly to encourage the leaves to compost down, but mostly to keep the leaves from blowing away.
I took some of that spare compost and filled in the big hole by my clothesline. After septic-line repairs last fall, the soil has settled badly. I planted a bit of grass seed there. And I laughed at the oddball spots the tulips are popping up after last fall's visit from the backhoe and the whole dirt-rearrangement scheme.
Lots of pruning to do -- fruit trees, berries, grapes.
Still need to get a bed ready for lettuces.
Lots more outdoor work awaits, but I'm trying to prioritize tasks and to limit how much I allow myself to do. Can't overtire because of the repercussions to health.
Last year's dead vines have been burned to a small pile of ash. That was no simple feat, but it has been accomplished.
Gary cleaned out the dead asparagus leftover from last year. I really should get out there and till a bit, before the new growth begins to pop up. It's weedy.
A bunch of last year's leaves have been piled deep on one of the raised beds, with potatoes planted [today] in those nice loose leaves. I've been seeing good results in both growth and harvesting when the potatoes aren't buried in dirt. I topped the humongous pile of leaves with some of that lovely old compost, partly to encourage the leaves to compost down, but mostly to keep the leaves from blowing away.
I took some of that spare compost and filled in the big hole by my clothesline. After septic-line repairs last fall, the soil has settled badly. I planted a bit of grass seed there. And I laughed at the oddball spots the tulips are popping up after last fall's visit from the backhoe and the whole dirt-rearrangement scheme.
Lots of pruning to do -- fruit trees, berries, grapes.
Still need to get a bed ready for lettuces.
Lots more outdoor work awaits, but I'm trying to prioritize tasks and to limit how much I allow myself to do. Can't overtire because of the repercussions to health.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Jam-Packed Parking Lots
Menards, on the first lovely, warm, springy weekend-day after a long Wisconsin winter
rivals the parking lot of
a Walmart on the Saturday before Christmas.
People checking out with rakes,
building materials,
landscaping paraphenalia,
bushes or seeds to plant,
and anything else to do with OUTDOORS.
rivals the parking lot of
a Walmart on the Saturday before Christmas.
People checking out with rakes,
building materials,
landscaping paraphenalia,
bushes or seeds to plant,
and anything else to do with OUTDOORS.
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