Happy Things

Singing descants.
Happy.




Oh, as part of "happy things," why not toss in all of choir?

Happy Things

My friend Jane started a blog-plan this week:
Right now I feel a little bit of a need to focus, specifically, on all of the large and small things in my life that add to my happiness. So, each day for at least a month, I am going to post a picture and blog about one of these things. Some will be totally frivolous and some will be big and obvious. I'm doing this for me, but I hope that you will enjoy it too. 

I don't have a cell phone that takes pictures, so I'm not likely to come up with photos to accompany my posts.  I'll try, but I ain't promisin' nothin'.  For instance, yesterday I could've posted the most lovely sunset... if I'd had a camera.  It sure did put a joy in my heart to see all those lovely colors swirled in the evening sky!

Today is likewise photoless.  (Even if I'd had a camera, it's a security problem to take pictures of a bank.) 

Today at work I was in drive-ups.  Alone.  Introvert heaven!!  Sure, I had customers.  And now and then I had to interact with coworkers.  But overall, I had a day of working in my own little drive-up room, by myself (an unusual occurrence).  And between customers there was no radio.  And there was an awesome book to read.  And nobody to make small-talk with.  I could even sing hymns when I wanted to.  And (of course) no floors to sweep, no socks to fold, no onions to chop, no lawn begging "mow me!"  Even with a humongous number of transactions (almost double my normal load), today was a rest, a vacation, a rejuvenation-day.

Drive-ups by myself.  Happy.

Redemption

Some of us are too young to remember redeeming Green Stamps.

Pastors try to find ways to explain what it is to redeem something.  You buy it back.  It was yours.  But now you have to pay to get it back.  Kind of like a pawn shop, eh?

So it was just a mite mind-blowing what Pastor explained the other day.



The Lord gave to Adam and Eve dominion over creation.  And with that authority, they sold all of creation into bondage.  If everything everything everything was given over to death and sin and Satan, what did God have left with which to pay?  With what could He buy back the creation that had been His?  Everything He made had been corrupted.  It's not like He could trade mountains to buy back the roses.  It's not as if He could relinquish fish to redeem ducks.

But His life and His love were not corrupted.

His life was the only thing that could buy back everything everything everything. 

Getting a Driver's License

Oh, the logic of a 4-yr-old!

As my daughter and granddaughters are out walking, they see Auntie Maggie and Olivia (Andrew's girlfriend) drive past.  Olivia is driving.

Alia (age 4) is shocked.  "Olivia is driving?!"

Her mommy says, "Yes, she's a grown-up."

The wheels turn in Alia's head.  "But Maggie is the same age as Olivia, and she doesn't drive."

"Well, Alia, people are different.  Some grown-ups don't drive."

Alia thinks.

And thinks.

And thinks some more.

Then she concludes, "So, Olivia can drive because she's in love."




Now, stop laughing.
Virtually every driver that Alia knows is part of a couple.  So her logic is fabulous.
Even if it is wrong.

Two Sunsets

SO cool the other night --
Leaving work, I saw a big, bright fireball of a sun slipping below the horizon.  A gorgeous sunset!  I turned my back to that sliver of light as I stepped into my car and pulled out of the parking lot. 

I climbed the sideroad and turned onto the main thoroughfare, headed east.  When I glanced into the rearview mirror, that huge sun was up again and just barely touching the horizon. 

Really?  That little of a height difference meant a second view of the dipping down below the horizon?  The timing was perfect.  The sun was beautiful.   And this is what can mean to live in kettle-moraine area.  Wow!

House Painting

Oops.

Check out that color.

Our house was orange. Yes, yes, a brownish orange, indeed. But oranger than I liked. So when it was time to paint, we were looking for darker and browner. But when the paint was mixed and the first strokes applied to the siding, it was obvious that my paint was brighter and more orange than what we had before.

But with my work schedule and the weather forecasts and how late it is in the fall, this is the color we've got for at least the next half-year. I keep telling myself that the point of paint is to protect the wood from the elements. And orange paint will do that just as well as brown.

Three afternoons. That was all it took. Of course, my body aches from the work. But the job is done. (Well, it's done until we decide to change to a better color.)

Maggie helped with toting and fetching. She helped with getting supper on the table. She even tried her hand at a bit of the painting.

Note to self for next time: A four-inch paint brush is too big.  It's ridiculous that holding a paintbrush full of paint wears out my hands and wrists so fast.  In that vein, I need to allow more days for the task next time.  I realized this week that all the painters I know are men under 40, thin men, men with muscular physiques.  Painting is more physically draining than I recognized.

Second note to self:  A neighbor suggested using drop cloths on the driveway, concrete stoop, and the ledge that sits atop the brick. Boy, I'm glad he said that! I was thinking that being outside meant I didn't have a floor to protect. But as messy as I think the paint job turned out, it's still neater and spiffier than the previous two paint jobs. I could correct only a few of the errors that were tucked under the earlier paint jobs. But even that helped erase part of the old Sloppies.  Gary commented that it all looked so clean and tidy when he drove in tonight.  I'll count that as a Success!

Does the Bible Have Errors?

"Not everything in the Bible actually happened."

Some people think that. 

Some people think that God didn't really say what's in the Bible, but some humans made it up.  Or at least, people added stuff to jazz it up.

A)  If the Bible isn't entirely true, then how do we know which parts are and aren't true?  If the part about miracles were iffy, then how would I know whether the Bible is right when it says "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"?

B)  Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."  How could the One who is truth give us His en-scripturated word with errors?  That would mean He wasn't the truth.

C)  Who was it that suggested in the Garden of Eden, "Did God really say ...?" 

A Pharmacy Without the Abortion Pill

About a month ago I was horrified to see the abortion pill on sale at Walgreens, big and bold, obvious and in-your-face, on the shelf next to the Claritin and Zyrtec.  I was wishing for a pharmacy that didn't carry the abortion pill.  Or at least didn't push it quite the way Walgreens does.

Well, guess what?  A new pharmacy has opened in the Pick-&-Save strip mall at 164 and VV.  It's next to George Webb.  I went in today and asked if they carried the abortion pill.  The pharmacist apologized that she didn't have any.  She said she'd planned to order it but hadn't yet.  I explained that I had been shocked and offended over the situation at Walgreens, and I was stopping by to determine if I might want to change pharmacies. 

I also told her that, when I asked friends about a pharmacy that didn't push abortion, I heard from several people that they'd want to patronize such a pharmacy if there were one available.  She said she wanted to fit in with the community and serve the community, and she was open to not-carrying the drug.  She said that, if she did decide to carry the pill, it would be more appropriate for it to be behind the counter instead of out on the shelf.  She said that, if Walgreens has it, it wouldn't be like she was preventing access to the pill for someone who really needed it.  So if you're interested in encouraging this pharmacy to not-carry, now would be a good time to stop by and kindly ask if they might make a decision to win your business.

The Unjust Steward -- Shrewdness

Shrewd.  It sounds sneaky.  And slick.  And cheaty.  And bad.

So in Psalm 18, it seems weird to pray,

With the merciful, You will show Yourself merciful.
With the blameless man, You will show Yourself blameless.
With the pure, You will show Yourself pure.
And with the devious, You will show Yourself shrewd.

God is shrewd?  IF I were merciful and blameless and pure (in and of myself) I could look at this psalm and say, "Whew!  God needs to ante up.  He owes me.  He's going to be merciful and blameless and pure to me because I am SO good."

There's just one small problem with that ....




So with the devious, He shows Himself shrewd.
I've never been keen on that verse.  It seems damning.

But ...
if it's true that Jesus is "unjust,"
if it's true that Jesus is "shrewd,"
if it's true that the Father commends Him for
"shrewdness" and for "wastefulness,"

(Luke 16)

maybe ...
I can comfort myself in thinking that His shrewdness includes mercy to us who don't deserve it, thus changing our devious hearts.  Maybe He "brings down haughty looks" not by smashing people, but by bringing them to repentance so that they are no longer haughty but can humbly receive His wasteful forgiveness.

Shrewd indeed.

The Unjust Steward -- Wastefulness

Pastor has been having fun recently pointing out connections between stories.  He keeps reminding us that the chapter/verse divisions weren't in the original manuscript of the Bible.  We tend to isolate the stories into the chunks we read as a unit.  But Pastor keeps pointing out how a story in one chapter is connected to a story in the preceding or following chapters.

For example, the parable of the unjust steward is in chapter 16 of Luke's gospel.  Well, if we have a hard time understanding it, what can we learn from the parable's location in the gospel? 

The stories immediately preceding the parable are the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son (also known as "the prodigal son," and occasionally known as "the prodigal father").  We've got this wasteful shepherd, leaving his flock in danger to go search for one naughty lambkin.  We've got this wasteful son, frittering away his father's money.  We've got this wasteful father, loving the wayward son, and then throwing a wasteful party for the boy when he returns.  Wasteful wasteful wasteful!

And what instigated those parables in chapter 15?  The Pharisees were all crabby because Jesus was being wasteful, hanging out with scumbums, and frittering away forgiveness on people who obviously didn't deserve it!  Oh, such wastefulness!

And then we come to chapter 16.  "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods."

Yup.  That was the accusation against Jesus.  That was what got Him killed.  They said He was wasting God's goods, wasting God's forgiveness.

And the Master commended Him.

The Unjust Steward

Remember the parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16)?  It's one of those confusing stories -- the master commends the guy who did something unfair.  At first blush, it sounds like God is saying, "Good for you, Mr Cheater." 

Jesus did something very unfair: He doesn't require us to pay what we owe.  That is, what is due to God [perfection, and punishment for imperfection] is something we can't pay.  And we don't have to.

But there was one thing that kept leaving me unsettled about the parable.  The dude in the story says that he's going to cook the books so that, when he's fired, the folks he helped will receive him into their homes.  Well, that's self-serving manipulation.  That's not like Jesus!  And I kept getting stuck on that point.  Of course, I realize that parables aren't exact in their correspondence.  But still....

Pastor explained that the motivation of the steward-in-the-story was irrelevant to how much help the people received.  They benefited, regardless of whether the steward was trying to benefit them or trying to benefit himself. 

Okay.  That helped.
Now I can get back to paying attention to the rest of the story.

The Law Within the Heart

Sixteen hymns in our new hymnal by Timothy Dudley-Smith, several mentioning God's sovereignty.  Overall there's not really anything wrong with them, but there are so many richer options.  And I tend to get cranky over the line that says Christ's sacrifice for sin begins "the covenant of grace, the law within the heart."  When the line flies past during a church service, it always strikes me as equating grace and law.

Now, if we understand "the law within the heart" not to be a new law, new rules, new demands, maybe this turn-of-phrase could be okay.  Between Hebrews (10 and 8) and Jeremiah (31), the "law within the heart" appears to be freedom from the written code of the law, the mercy of God poured out on you so that you are made new, and so that you joyfully and freely do what is good and right and of service to the neighbor.

Is that what the hymn indicates?  I don't know.  But this is what I'm trying to convince myself it's saying.

A Lapful of Girlies

God's Word Is All-Sufficient

Luke 9:13 --
"You give them something to eat."  "We ain't got nuthin'."

But earlier in the chapter, Jesus had sent out the twelve apostles, without money or food or backpack or anything.  The only thing they possessed was His word to preach.  And it was sufficient!  Amazingly, it "worked" to have nothing but God's word.

Not long afterward, they're in the wilderness, faced with people in need, and they told Jesus, "We have nothing to give."

Guys!  Guys!  Of course you have something to give!  You have the Bread of Life.  You have the message of the kingdom of God.  You have forgiveness for sinners.  You have life.  You have God's word. 

We just don't get it.  We believe God's word is sufficient.  Except we don't.

Two Tables

Quick review, in case you don't remember what you learned in confirmation class:  The first three commandments are the First Table of the Law ("you shall love the Lord your God ...") and the rest are the Second Table of the Law ("... and your neighbor as yourself").

You know what?

The Lord's Prayer is kind of like that too.  A "first table" and a "second table."

We pray that God's name is hallowed,
that His kingdom come, and
that His will be done.

That is about doctrine.  And who God is.  And what He does for us.

The rest of the prayer is more about what happens to us here on earth, that He would provide for our temporal needs, and that we be forgiven and rescued from our sinfulness, and that this world and our sinful nature not overwhelm us and destroy faith.

Molly Sweeney

A modern play.  Not the kind we usually go see at APT.  But boy, I'm glad we went. 

Molly Sweeney isn't just a story.  The words were carefully crafted so that's it's almost like poetry in its prose.  It's a story of a blind woman who is given sight at the age of 41, and what it means for her to learn to see.  Because, after all, seeing isn't something our eyes do -- it's something our eyes and brain do together.  And it's the story of how her new sight affects her world.

It's a story that will resonate with homeschoolers and others who watch learning take place.

If you love someone with Asperger's, this story will make you laugh with warm recognition.

It's a story that shows the immense ability of the "disabled."

And it's a story that teaches us about contentment and joy ... and how coveting robs us of joy.




I would love to sit down and read the text of the play again, 
to catch more of what slipped past so quickly during the play.

Using the Same Old Liturgy All the Time

Novelty, simply as such, can have only entertainment value. And [Christians] don’t go to church to be entertained. They go to use the service, or, if you prefer, to enact it. Every service is a structure of acts and words through which we receive a sacrament or repent or supplicate or adore. And it enables us to do these things best (if you like, it "works" best) when, through long familiarity, we don’t have to think about it. As long as you notice, and have to count the steps, you are not yet dancing but only learning to dance. A good shoe is a shoe you don't notice.  Good reading becomes possible when you need not consciously think about eyes, or light, or print, or spelling.  The perfect church service would be one we were almost unaware of; our attention would have been on God.  But every novelty prevents this.   It fixes our attention on the service itself, and thinking about worship is a different thing from worshiping. 

C. S. Lewis

in Letters to Malcolm

(partially quoted in Jan Karon's

A New Song, page 254)

And this would be the explanation for something I find in my own life.  Once I say "we beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord" while the rest are praying "we implore you to hear us, good Lord," ...

or I say "conceived by the Holy Ghost" when y'all say "conceived by the Holy Spirit," ...

or I sing "go before the face of the Lord to prepare His way" while the others sing "go before the Lord to prepare His way," ...

that clash in wording

(or even focusing on the words

so that I am able to say what y'all say)

means I stop praying

and "think about praying."

Today's Laugh

I told a chemistry joke....


There was no reaction.

stolen from Melody

Computer Fix

I think I fixed it!

Loads of old programs were wiped out and not re-installed.  I even figured out how to delete the back-up file that was space-hogging after I'd re-installed everything.  (Okay, so some of you are shaking your head at the simplicity of this.  Shhh!  I am proud of myself.)  The computer moved a whole lot faster after I ditched everything and put it all back.  But when I got rid of the back-up file (which the computer self-generated) everything moved much faster yet.  Hot diggity dog!

Now I suppose it's time to get back to housecleaning and yard work and homeschooling and all that other Regular-Life stuff.


In other news, the girls are back from a visit to Texas.
Nathan quit his job at Xerox to start a new job editing.
We've been singing unusually good hymns the last few weeks.
Maggie started volunteering at school again, a fabulous experience.

Philip took a brief trip to Canada just for fun.
Brewers game and tailgating with some friends this week.
The strawberry bed has been undone and planted to grass.
Two APT plays so far this year, and two still on the docket.
Olivia went to college (nearby) so Andrew is gone more.
Maggie and I joined Curves so that she can get in shape.
Now that the computer is fixed, maybe we can turn our attention to the water situation next.  It's getting funny how the gals at the grocery store expect to see us every day for water refills.
It's been nice to hear several other adults in the last week or so say that at 9:00 they're getting ready for bed.

Don't Look Back

So this fellow wants to follow Jesus.  But first he wants to say bye to his family.  Jesus says that no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:57-62). 

But when Elijah told Elisha to follow him, Elisha wanted to hold off long enough to say bye to his family (1 Kings 19).  And Elijah said, "Go ahead."

That always seemed oddly inconsistent to me.

But recently someone suggested something.  "No one is fit for the kingdom of God."  No one. 

What if I can be committed enough?

No one.

What if I can be pious enough?

No one.

What if I can love the Lord my God with ALL my heart and all my soul and all my strength and all my mind?

Oh, really?  What if you can? 
Let's see how that goes for you....
(In other words, no one ....)

What we see in Elisha is that God (through Elijah) is patient and giving.  God understands our weakness.  And He forgives it and bears it.  And He chooses us even though we --in ourselves-- are not "fit for the kingdom of God."

Today's Laugh

Can you tell the difference between a piano, a tuna fish, and a bucket of glue?

Well,
you can tune-a piano,
but you can't piano a tuna.


But,
wait, ...

what about the bucket of glue???


I knew you'd get hung up on that!

stolen from a co-worker

Not Willingly

Jeremiah talks about suffering and mercy and the Lord's compassion (Lamentations 3). 

Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.  For He does not afflict willingly.

Paul talks about how we are sons of God, joined to Christ, suffering now but awaiting redemption and glory (Romans 8).  Again we hear about God's unwillingness.

The creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope.

That must be why we call it God's "alien work." He doesn't want to punish, but He will do it if necessary to rescue us.



It's like Paul and Jeremiah are saying and believing the same thing.

Doth

Boy, the things you learn in choir....

"Doth" does not rhyme with "moth." It says like "duth," like as if it rhymed with "us" said-by-a-kid-with-a-lisp.

I guess it makes sense: it should sound like "does" except for the zzz.

Being in Love

Elad Nehorai writes that he didn't love his wife when they were married.  It is a most-excellent article about what love IS, and how selfish it is to "be in love," and even touches on Disney movies. 

A couple of quotes:

Marriage started sucking away that emotion.  I tried so hard to keep that fire going, to keep that emotion alight, but it got harder and harder.  I mean, how you can feel that burning love when you're sitting at the table discussing how to use the last $20 in your bank account?

Through giving, through doing things for my wife, the emotion that I had been so desperately seeking naturally came about.  It wasn't something I could force, just something that would come about as a result of my giving.



Megan, thanks for pointing out the article.
Other people, go read it.

Broken

Earlier this summer, we had to change filters on the Culligan water filters.  But after the maintenance, something went wrong.  The line keeps clogging.  We fix it.  The water works for a couple of days.  Then it clogs again.  Right now, we're buying water in town about 5 times a week.

Earlier this summer, I fixed the dryer.  Since then, the machine runs fine, but the exhaust vent keeps detaching from the exhaust hole through the window.  I keep fixing it. 

Last year, after I fixed the old [smaller] refrigerator, the temperature problem returned.  We struggled with puddles of water in the refrigerator for months until I finally fixed it a few weeks ago.  Well, at least, I think I fixed it.  Problems seem to recur around here recently.  I still hold out hope that the fridge is fixed-fixed.

Over the last couple of weeks, my computer has been misbehaving.  So my job-of-the-week has been to carefully transfer files and back up everything, with the plan of wiping the computer clean and reinstalling everything.  That scares me.  But it needs to be fixed.

At my doctor's appointment this week, he diagnosed what's wrong with my wrists.  It's not carpal tunnel after all.  It's arthritis, especially at the base of my thumbs.  That explains the brokenness in my hands.  There's really no good solution for it.  But at least I know what it is and what some of the options are.

All the neighbors have lawn tractors.  We have two push mowers.  The older one died (beyond resuscitation) today.

I'm beginning to think it's time to give up on gardening.  I love the fresh produce.  But the work required doesn't seem to mesh with that whole arthritis-thing.  Or maybe I'm just a wuss.

If you will excuse me, I'm headed back to my Project List Of Repairs.

Maybe He WAS Making Sense After All

The other day at work, the customer said something so confusing.

We turned on the microphones and said hello.  He didn't respond.  Fine -- he was rummaging around looking for whatever paperwork he needed to conduct business through the drive-up.  Since he had nothing to say, we turned off the mic. 

After a bit, I noticed that he was facing the tube through which we send paperwork back and forth from the employees to the customers.  I guessed that he was talking to us.  My partner turned on the mic and said, "Yes?" 

The man responded, "Thank you," and sent the tube to us. It arrived empty.  Odd.

"Thank you?  What kind of response is that??" my partner wondered.


So I explained to the customer that the mics were off and asked him to please repeat what he'd said a moment earlier.  He had asked, "May I please have a pen?"  When my partner said, "Yes," he thought she was answering him, and he responded with a polite "thank you."

I laughed with delight over the way the miscommunication came out on both ends.  When all the pieces were put together, it made perfect sense.  But hearing only one end or the other -- weirdo indeed.


So why are we prone to be irritated when somebody does something like that?  When the clerk is crabby, but you don't know how she was reamed out three customers ago?  When a driver does something dumb on the highway, but maybe he's just learning to drive?  When a friend seems to make no sense?  So often, we're just missing a piece here, or misheard a word there.  A little forbearance and a little clarification goes a long way.

The Handwriting on the Wall

And you, being dead in your trespasses
and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
He has made alive together with Him,
having forgiven you all trespasses,
having wiped out the handwriting of requirements 
that was against us,
which was contrary to us.
And He has taken it out of the way,
and nailed it to the cross.  (Colossians 2)


Remember Belshazzar (Nebuchanezzar's son)?  Big ol' party.  Lots of drinking.  Lots of worshiping idols.  A hand that appeared out of nowhere and started writing something on the wall.  People freaking out.  (You would too, if a bodiless hand appeared and started graffiti-ing up your wall.)  "Hey, remember Daniel?  Let's get him here.  He's really wise."

And what had the hand written?  "You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting" (Daniel 5).




A long time ago, in a galaxy state far far away, there was no midweek Bible study at our church.  The men had 9-to-5 jobs.  The women were stay-at-home moms, and many of them were involved in Explorers, a humongous, city-wide, non-denom Bible study.  They finally talked me into going, due in part to my desire for a preschool-like experience for my eldest kid.  Oh my goodness -- I'd never heard of so many rules for attending Bible class!

I broke rules on my very first day.  Explorers begins with opening worship, followed by small-group discussion of the previous week's lesson, and then everybody gathers again for what is essentially preaching on the week's passages.  You are not allowed to talk in the small-group discussion if you have not completed your at-home study of the passages and written your answers to the homework.  My first week?  I obviously hadn't done homework.  And I dared to talk.  Can you believe it?

(The ladies in my class were thankful.  They were confused by how often the Old Testament talked about "So-and-so, son of So-and-so, son of So-and-so."  I knew the explanation and told them the brief history tidbit.  And everybody was happy.  Until a couple of women from my church found out later that I'd broken the No-Speaking rule.  They were not happy.  Apparently, our small group gained a naughty reputation with the leadership for speaking too much and too candidly with each other.)

Over the weeks and months I attended Explorers, I grew to love the women in my small group.  Most of them were Baptist.  (In the South, "non-denom" has a decidedly Baptist feel to it!)  These women were burdened by the law.  They wanted to be good Christian women.  They desired the Lord and yearned for Him, but they were constantly being beaten up by the law.  They did not know Him to be a God of grace, but a god of rules and commands and laws and requirements.

Oh, another of the rules for Explorers small-group is "no denomination-specific discussion."  Everything has to be non-denom.  Uh.  Yeah.  I guess I broke that rule too.  I did manage (most of the time) to hold it in with regard to the sacraments and the office of the ministry and other Lutheran views.  But the gospel?  I had to speak the gospel.  How could I not?  And after all, supposedly all Christians believe the Gospel, right?  We're readin' the Bible here, folks!  How could we keep mum about the mercy of the Lord in Christ Jesus??

So when those dear women fretted that God would zot them for their inability to live as they ought, I talked about Jesus and His cross and the forgiveness of sins.  A few bristled.  Many sighed with relief.  Several hugged me and thanked me. 

Near the end of the year came the story of Daniel and the handwriting on the wall.  "You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting."

Oh, the outpouring of words that day.  The baring of hearts.  The fear.  So much fear.  "I'm not good enough."  "I am going to be found wanting.  I deserve to be destroyed."

Is there any greater joy than to be able to speak to a sinner: "But Jesus was the One put in the balance.  He took your sin.  He was 'found wanting.'  But His blood forgives your sin.  His righteousness is your own.  When God weighs you in the balance, all He finds is holiness and perfection.  No, it's not your own, that you earned.  But it is yours, because your Jesus gives it to you in His mercy and love."  And the person argues with you: "No, it just can't be.   You don't understand.  You don't know what kind of secret sins I have.  You don't know my heart's doubts."  And you get to "argue" back with them, "No, really.  He forgave all your trespasses.  He has wiped out the handwriting of requirements."



Sometimes it's really cool to be with people who aren't Lutheran, people who are tickled pink when they hear the gospel in all its fresh comfort.


Given the age of most of the women, and given how long ago this happened, many of the dear saints in my small group are probably already in heaven.  Someday I'll see them again.  And hug them.  And talking to them, my hidden Southern drawl will creep back into my usually-Northern voice. 

Today's Thought

When you are dead,
you don't know you are dead.
It is difficult only for the others.


It is the same when you are stupid.

stolen from Jane's Facebook

Prayer Chains

Elijah heckled the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 19): Your gods are asleep.  Or on vacation.  They can't heeeeear you.  Better speak up.

That's how we often treat prayer chains.  God doesn't know what's going on, so we need to tell Him.  Or God doesn't care very much, so we will arm-twist Him into doing what we demand.  Doesn't "storm the gates of heaven" sound a little like the storming of the Bastille -- crowds overpowering an enemy?

When we join in prayer (at the altar or via prayer chains), the point is not to make God do what we want.  In times of national disaster, or at times of cancer diagnoses, or when there's been a nasty accident, we pray for the sake of faith.   We pray that none of us would be scandalized in the Faith because of the circumstances of our own lives: "If this is happening to me, surely God has abandoned me."  We pray likewise that none of us is scandalized by the tragedies of our brothers and sisters: "What kind of a God allows this to happen?"

We pray that we trust the Lord.
We pray that suffering does not turn us from Him.
We pray that He uses events (good or bad) to draw us closer to Him.

Oh, yeah -- and we also pray that temporal suffering be alleviated if it be His will.

"Drain the Fat"

Those recipes are always telling you to brown the meat and then to drain the fat.  For years I was a good girl; I followed the directions.

Then butter grew more expensive.
 
It bugged me: I would drain the fat off the hamburger, and then I would add olive oil or butter or whatever to the recipe.  Why?  I began to use the grease from the hamburger as the fat in the recipe.

I understand that, for many years, it was popular to decry saturated fats.  "Drain the fat from the sausage?  Oh yes, then use margarine in the recipe."  "Throw out the hamburger grease, and then put Crisco in the skillet to saute the veggies for your casserole."  Science is beginning to catch up to my mantra of: "The fat God made must be healthier than the fat the chemists invented, regardless of what current scientific studies conclude."

But how do we explain decades-old recipes that said to "drain the fat" -- recipes before Hate-Saturated-Fats became trendy?

In one of our food-history books, I came across information about rations and scrimping during WWII.  According to this book, "drain the fat" (and donate it for needs pertinent to the war effort) was a patriotic thing to do.  Keeping your bacon grease or your hamburger fat to use for your own family's needs?  Selfish! 



Ah ha!  That may be part of the answer to The Great Drain-the-Fat Mystery!

Today's Laugh

Trying to understand the behavior of some people 

is like trying to smell the color 9.

stolen from Pam's Facebook

On the Straight and Narrow

Do you know the right way to behave?  Do you "walk the walk"?  

After all, Jesus said (Matthew 7:13), "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

And, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 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,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you'" (Luke 13:24-25).

That's got to be a frightening proposition for some people.  

But is it about poor behavior?  Is it about making sure you know the right rules and trying diligently to follow them? 

Or are these passages about how many gazillion ways we can concoct of not putting Jesus first?  Of course that would include wild living and selfish indulgence.  But even good, holy behavior and "pure living" can become the thing that displaces a Savior who rescues sinners.



The narrow gate?
Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture" (John 10:9).

Scoring the Soap

Due to a refrigerator malfunction, I've been on a soap-making binge here the last week.  The frozen tallow (which usually lives in the fridge's freezer) was taking up space in the deep-freeze.  In a bid to make more freezer space, I determined to make enough soap to rid the freezer of tallow.  (The lard gets to stay frozen for the sake of tortilla-making.  Thank you, Glenda!)

First lesson: do not score the soap too soon.   Soap recipes usually instruct you to let the soap sit for 12-24 hours before scoring/cutting.  No!  I did that once.  Scoring the soap was an atrocious job that time: the soap had hardened too much by the time I tried to cut it.  So I fell to the opposite extreme -- scoring the soap as soon as it would hold a shape (maybe after 60-90 minutes in the soap-mold).  I learned this week that the soap is much smoother and prettier when I wait 3-5 hours before scoring. 

So far I've done three regular 3# batches (27-30 big honkin' bars) and one small batch of olive-oil soap.  Two batches to go, and I'll have all the old tallow used up.  That should be enough soap to last me and Maggie four years!

Besides my standard lard/tallow, I've made soap out of Crisco before, but never anything else.  Due to the aforementioned refrigerator malfunction and its drips, my tiny little deep-fryer had water mixed in with the fat.  Dangerous!  So I washed the fat several times.  Then I found an awesome chart for how much lye and water to use when you're making soap out of oddball fats.  In a few months we'll be able to try a bar of olive-oil soap and see what we think. 

With All Your Heart, With All Your Soul, and With All Your Strength

Last week's Bible verse was about loving God with all your heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).  This week's Bible verse is a continuation (verses 6-7)

These words which I command you today
shall be in your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
when you walk by the way,
when you lie down,
and when you rise up.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart."
"These words shall be in your heart."

"Love the Lord your God with all your strength."
"Teach them diligently."

"Love the Lord your God with all your soul"
(which is sometimes translated "life").
And the verse talks about how all our being and doing (at home and away, morning and night) is when we are to speak God's words.

Y'know, a person might almost be tempted to conclude that loving God has something to do with being filled up with His words, clinging to His words, bubbling over with His words.

Caulking the Cracks

The tiny cracks in the siding should be sealed.  We don't want bugs or dampness to get in. 

And yet, in my recent wasp debacle, one of the prime rules I discovered is to NEVER seal a hole or crack in the house where bugs come and go.  After all, you may seal them in, and then you'll have a worse mess.

But ...

But if you don't seal the crack, then the insects will keep sneaking in. 


So the point is that cracks ought never to develop -- because there is no right way to deal with it?  Who comes up with this advice?

Reading Challenge: Update

Instructions were found on Jane's site to set up a reading challenge of a mere 5-10 books, something that seemed daunting as of last Christmas. Everything on my primary list (plus some extras where the book was the initial one in a series) has been read.  I've also read two books from the alternate list and some others.  I can now declare, without reservation, that I have met the goal. 

What's funny is that Gary mentioned a few days ago that he's so happy to see me being able to read again.  I wasn't sure what I thought of that: the weeks where I made great headway on my reading list was when I was too sick (or too crippled from wasp stings) to do much but lie on the couch, reading.  So the stories and/or learning are great.  The reason I'm lazing with a book -- not so great.  But maybe I'm learning something about not knocking myself out?



My primary list:
Anne of Green Gables   by L. M. Montgomery  Jan 24
Anne of Avonlea   (these two with Maggie) Feb 24
Christ Have Mercy   by Matt Harrison April 7
Mara, Daughter of the Nile   June 7

Love Divine   by Alan Kornacki July 30
A Great and Mighty Wonder July 31
One Thing's Needful Aug 5

Mitford's These High, Green Hills Aug 16
Out to Canaan    by Jan Karon Aug 27
A Common Life Sept 2


The list that someone else made for me:
Lutheran Catechesis   by Bender Dec 27, 2012
Old Testament Catechesis   by Bender March 1
New Testament Catechesis    by Bender
Bible Stories for Daily Prayer    by Fabrizius



Alternates:
Kristin Lavransdatter  by Sigrid Undset
To Kill a Mockingbird   by  Harper Lee May 8
Luther, the Reformer   by James Kittelson
The Right to Be Wrong   by Seamus Hasson
On Being a Theologian of the Cross   by Forde
Luther on Vocation   by Wingren July 15


Books not on the original list:
A Long Way from Chicago by R Peck audio book April 16
A Year Down Yonder by Peck audio book April 18
And She Was a Christian: Why Do Believers Commit
Suicide by Peter Preus May 7
Heaven Is for Real June 27

Psalm 119:176

I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
seek Your servant, 
for I do not forget Your commandments.

 "I do not forget Your commandments."  Worth a pat on the back for me?  "Oh yeah, man, I am such a good Christian and do such a fabulous job of obeying God's commands."

Then why, pray tell, do we need to be sought after?

How can someone go astray, be in need of rescue, and still say, "I do not forget Your commandments"? 

We're always so quick to make it all be about me ME me and my obedience.  But that just doesn't jive here.  If I am lost, I can't very well makes claims on God because of my obedience to His commands.

"I do not forget Your commandments" maybe, just maybe, means more about His promise to be faithful to us even when we're off gallivanting in selfishness.  Maybe "I do not forget Your commandments" is a bold prayer that He will hunt me up when in sinful blindness I am erring hour by hour.

The Pastor's Tone of Voice

The Word is the Word.  Does it matter how it's spoken?  Won't it be efficacious no matter how we say it?

The other day, as Pastor discussed the first commandment during chapel, he spoke in Jesus' stead: "Trust Me.  Trust Me." 

And my heart melted.
And I keep hearing that particular configuration of sounds: "Trust Me."

I don't know about you, but I've heard "trust Me" spoken in a scolding voice.  The tone carries the message that it's going to be a chore to trust God, but we'll just have to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and do it.

I've heard "trust Me" spoken in an arrogant voice.  The tone carries the message that God deserves to be trusted, and we are peons, and we just better get our groveling-act up-to-snuff.

But "trust Me" is a sweet invitation.  It's a word like unto a daddy telling a child, "I've got it all under control; it's going to be fine; I will take care of it for you!!!" 

And it's lovely when the non-verbal communication communicates that.

Deviled Eggs

James Beard advised in his book Hors D'Oeuvre & Canapes that no matter what else was served at a cocktail party, a tray of deviled eggs would always be popular and disappear the quickest.

from a kids' history book subtitled 

American Cooking from the 1920s through Today

by Loretta Ichord

Deviled eggs?  Oh YES please!

At a homeschool potluck once, three people brought deviled eggs.  About 7 dozen.  Some who proffered deviled eggs worried, "Oh, too many."  Nope.  They disappeared easily.

For symposium reception, I volunteered to bring deviled eggs one year.  Another woman told me that she was bringing three dozen deviled eggs, so I didn't have to.  Three dozen?  For 150+ people?  I brought several dozen.  So did someone else.  They disappeared easily.

My mantra is that there can never be too much fruit salad, and there can never be too many deviled eggs.  

And this history book backs me up!

"I Don't Believe in God"

Tuesday, October 8, 6:30 pm

Fireside Lounge at UW--Milwaukee

Pastor Weedon

The topic is

Tell me about the God you don't believe in --

I probably don't believe in Him either.

Huh.
That's some title.
The more I think about it, the truer I find it to be.
It is rare for someone to reject the God I believe in; it's almost always that they reject a god who -- somehow someway -- is a god-of-merits instead of a God-of-grace.

What's weird is that even many Christians reject the God I believe in, preferring instead of god-of-merits. (But they wouldn't say "I don't believe in God.")

I hope we can finagle a way to attend the presentation.

Daniel and the Lions' Den

So the governors and satraps hated Daniel (Daniel 6:4).  Why??  He was a good worker, honest, smart -- a good boss.  Why be against a good man promoted to being your boss?  That says something about human nature, about unwarranted hatred.

The decree to worship the king alone (6:7) wasn't just affecting Daniel.  It was a law for everybody.  Even if Daniel was the only person for whom they were intending to enforce the law, the other exiled Jews didn't know that.  Think how the families and the priests and everybody would have responded to this command.  And think how they would respond when they heard of Daniel's death-sentence and his 'resurrection.'

The law of the Medes and Persians could not be changed (6:15).  The sentence had to be carried through.  Not even the one who made the law could set it aside.  That's sort of the way God's law is.*    When Adam sinned, God's law ("in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die") could not be changed.  Man had to die.  And as in the story of Daniel, the Man was sentenced to death.  And yet, after He/he was sealed in the lions' den, He/he came out alive.



* Footnote: The difference between God's law and Darius's law is that the inviolability of the law of the Medes and Persians was something of their own design.  But God's law being unchangeable and inviolate is because it simply IS; it's not, like, y'know, God being stubborn or something.

Abortion Pill

Granted, I was feeling a bit nauseated from pain anyway.  But it got worse as I stood in line at the Walgreens pharmacy.  The abortion pill was on display by the prescription counter, as well as perched alongside the Benadryl and Claritin, prominently displayed. 

Really?  Allergies.  Abortion.  Sneezing.  Itching.  All the same stuff, right?

I took a deep breath and willed myself not to cry.

The question is: Is there a drug store left that I could patronize without supporting the death of babies?  I'm guessing not.  There may be small independent pharmacies owned by Christians who refuse to sell abortifacients.  But I don't know of any around here.  

Fighting Wasps

AfterBite is amazing stuff.  So is baking soda.  I usually keep AfterBite in my purse.  But this past week I emptied the container and had to buy a new tube.

"They" say to deal with wasps at dawn and dusk when the pests are less active.  However, there is a problem with this plan.  When the boogers get hacked off that you're there, and they land on you, you don't realize this until they begin stabbing with their stingers.  Yeah.  And then you're FULL of bites. Do NOT try this.  "Dawn or dusk" should be when there's still enough light for you to see your enemy.

Wasp spray is better than flying-insect spray.

Don't Be So Judgmental

Sodom and Gomorrah.
The angels came to check out the place.  Lot saw them and invited them to stay at his house.  When they said, "Thanks, but no thanks, we'll camp out here," Lot wouldn't allow it.   When Lot would not allow his guests to be raped by the villagers who were banging on the door of his house, but offered his daughters instead, the men were hacked off (Genesis 19).  And what did they say?

"This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge."

THAT is being judgmental?  

This Lot dude doesn't participate in their activities.  And he doesn't turn his guests over for abuse.  And their response is "he keeps acting as a judge."

Wow.  It doesn't take much to be labeled judgmental, does it?

You don't even have to say anything negative.  You don't have to scold.  You don't have to preach.  "Judgmental" is seen simply by not making the same choices that they do.

Wow.

Don't Be So Judgmental

So.  Apparently I was the troll yesterday.

A friend linked to a blogpost which kind of surprised me.  When I read it, I thought that some of the things we discussed last week at VBS were entirely pertinent and affirming and comforting.  So I made a brief comment, even though I didn't know the blog writer.

Dang it.  Never post comments when the discussion is with strangers.  I know that!  Why did I have a lapse today?

Oh, right -- I thought I had something encouraging to say.  But I was wrong wrong wrong, you see.  It's bad of the Church to extol marriage, you see, because it makes singles feel like second-class Christians.  We shouldn't be promoting marriage, you see, because what is truly important is love and community.  If that comes in marriage, fine, but there are plenty of friendships and couple-situations that are just as important as marriage.

And when I was foolish enough to mention what God's word SAYS about the blessing of marriage and how it reflects the image of God, that was naughty of me.   Bible verses are no help for people who are suffering, you see.  (???)  My experience and your experience count for something, you see, and let's not clutter what we know with old-fashioned stuff like God's word. 

Not only that, but even when I mentioned a Savior who forgives and rescues sinners, that was naughty too. 


This is what passes for Christianity?
This is how irrelevant Christians think God's word is?
We care more about hurt feelings than we care what God says?
Heaven forbid anyone talk about forgiveness, as that might imply sin.

It kind of shocks you to say something supportive and comforting and loving, and get smacked down for being a meanie. 

Time to Dig Potatoes

Ouch!  Shhhh: don't tell the bees and wasps where I am.  I'm hiding indoors, behind screens, waiting for them to chill out.  One little sting and two humongous stings/bites, and I'm a little worried about finishing the potato-digging.  Those angry fellows and their stingers had a ground hive (of which I was unaware until 10 minutes ago!) in my compost pile masquerading as a potato patch.

Apparently, I should have dug potatoes sooner.  Next year, Susan, do not wait until the vines dry up.  Go out and dig when the potato vines BEGIN to wither and dry.  This year, the red potatoes did okay.  [Rachel, Rachel: warning.  Do not swoon or puke at the rest of this paragraph.]  The Yukon Gold, however, with their tenderness and their thin skins, were a feast for the centipedes.  Yuck yuck yuck.  I did keep some that were unmolested.  But it was icky to dig in a spot where there should've been several potatoes and find only a swarm of fat centipedes.  Or to pull out three nice potatoes with a couple of slimy ones that were half eaten.  Next year, be earlier!!

About a month after planting potatoes this year, I had a huge pile of wood ash from the burn pit.  I spread it on half the potato patch, not knowing whether I was helping or hurting.  It was mind-boggling to see how the potato plants thrived where the ashes had been added to the compost pile.  But would the huge showy greenery mean lots of top and not much potato growing underneath?  Turned out there wasn't much difference between the two sections of the patch.  If anything, I think maybe the end with the ashes resulted in more food for the table. 

Well, time to head outside and see if I can finish the task.  But this time, I know what I'm up against.  I expect to disturb the wasp nest and make a run for it!   And if that doesn't work, I suppose the centipedes will enjoy the rest of my potatoes.

Flea Market

One of my jobs in an attempt to create margin has been cleaning out stuff for the flea market.  The sale was today, and it went well.  Hmmm, as far as the sales and the getting-rid-of-junk, it went well. 

We've been pulling things out of cupboards and the attic and the basement all summer, pricing it, and piling it in the garage.  Bright and early this morning, we set up the booth at church.  I headed to work while Maggie was in charge of selling junk precious goods.  After the bank closed, I joined the party.  Fun day, sitting outside with friends!  Warm, but not hot.  At the end of the day, a few items came home with me, while Julie hauled virtually all my leftovers to Goodwill with her leftovers. 

When we came home and counted the money, we cleared over $150 after paying for the booth and lunch and everything.  That's way more than I anticipated.  And there's more space in the house!  And we can park inside the garage again!



Only downside of the day: Zoe was injured.  I wasn't there, so I'm getting stories second and third hand.  But somehow she was hit with a toy while some kids were playing.  At the sound of her whimper, the grown-ups turned around and saw Zoe's face, hands, and dress covered with blood from a cut in her forehead.  She was very good in ER for the doctors to give her stitches.  Her momma reports that she's doing fine. 


And now, after a week of VBS and the flea market, it's time to get back to normal.  We haven't mowed in two weeks.  It's been longer than that since the house was cleaned.  Catch-up time!

I Have My Life to Live!

Those who have abortions are "not willing to sacrifice their comfort or convenience for a child, but they have no problem sacrificing a child for their comfort and convenience." 

Kristen Hatten

Prayer Walk for Peace

Re-enactment weekend at a nearby park.  From Greek Hoplites to Roman warriors to medieval Scots to fur traders to colonial America to War of 1812 to Civil War to WWII.   Great stuff!

One of the re-enactors was a Native American.  While helping kids do some beading, she was telling me about her recent mission trip to Russia for a prayer walk.  She was telling me how the trip was designed to help cultures understand one another, so that the cultural divide between eastern Russia and western Alaska (all of about 150 miles apart) might be overcome.  "I would talk to you and tell you what I believe, and you would tell me what you believe.  And since it doesn't matter, since we're all the same, since there's really no right or wrong, then we can learn to get along."

A)  What if I believe there IS a right and a wrong?
B)  If you believe there's no right or wrong way to believe, do you really believe what you "believe"?

That Wouldn't've Been MY Answer

Story: the raising of Lazarus (John 11)
Time: shortly before Holy Week
Characters: Jesus and Martha
Question:  I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?

And the answer from Martha?  

Nothing that looks like a reasonable answer to a direct question.

Yeah, yeah, sure, we're used to hearing the reading, so it may go in one ear and out the other.  But look how odd the answer is.

"People who believe in Me will not die, even though they die.  Do you believe that?"

"You betcha, Jesus.  I believe You're the Messiah."  



Wait -- He was talking about resurrection.  This interchange would make sense: "Do you believe I'm the Messiah?"  "Yes, I do."  And this interchange would also make sense:  "Do you believe that I give/am life for those dead?"  "Yes, You are."

But Martha's answer to the question about death-vs-life was "Yes, You are the Messiah."  

In other words, she knew the Old Testament scriptures to teach that the Messiah would come into the world to overcome death, to be the resurrection, to be life, to give immortality.  

I don't remember anybody teaching me when I was little that that's what the Old Testament was all about.  I don't even remember hearing that the Old Testament was all about Jesus -- much less that it was about the Anointed One who would bring to us eternal life.

But that was a no-brainer for Martha.

Dates of Easter

Grievous indeed that I need to have this in an easily accessible place, but what I think matters not.

2014:       April 20          April 20

2015:       April 5            April 12

2016:       March 27            May 1

2017:       April 16          April 16

2018:       April 1             April 8 

2019:       April 21           April 28

2020:       April 12           April 19

2021:       April 4               May 2

(Western Church in the first column.  Eastern Church in the second column.)

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Not hot.  Not cold.  Not humid.  Not dry.  A sweet softness to the air.

Picked raspberries to go on the breakfast oatmeal.

Ate the first tomato sandwich of the year.  Big fat slice of tomato from the ONE tomato that's ripened so far.  With avocado and onion and cucumber-from-the-garden and homemade mayo and freshly made pesto (with just-picked basil from the garden) on homemade whole wheat bread.

And lettuce salad for supper.  With cucumber salad.  And the first potatoes I dug this year. 

Is this heavenly, or what??  You go out to your garden and bring in fresh food and feast on it!



When I began to realize that heaven was far more than fulfillment of every hedonistic desire (that is, fruit salad galore, chocolate chip cookies without getting fat, seafood chowder, etc), I began to think that the food of heaven would be the Lord's Supper.  And only the Lord's Supper.  Although that certainly is the primary feast, it is also true that God made the world and said it was good.  So maybe we do get fruit salad in heaven!  And tomato and avocado sandwiches!

Those Thin Tent Walls

God is my refuge.

It's all through the psalms.  Refuge.  Rock.  Fortress.  Strength. 

And yet, when David wrote those psalms, the temple was not yet built.  They still had the tabernacle as the place of the Lord's saving presence.  It was constructed of cloth.

Not what we usually think of as a stronghold.




It is not just plain cloth, but the Word of God in and with the cloth.  For without God's Word, the cloth is just a plain tent and no refuge.  But with the Word of God, it is a refuge, that is, a life-defending fortress.

Vanity and Chasing After the Wind

Poor Solomon.  He's on his soapbox about how it's all useless.  You work your butt off, and then your stuff all goes to the man who comes after you (Eccl 1-2).  And who knows what that fellow is going to do with it -- how he's going to screw up all you worked for?

So, did he already know Reheboam would be his successor?
Did he already know that his son was the type of guy who couldn't hold the kingdom together?
Was he expressing not only "You can't take it with you" but also "You can't keep being an influence for good after you're gone"?

Pure Plastic?

So Andrew comes home with a bottle of water.  FIJI Natural Artesian Water.  It was what was available when he needed to buy some bottled water, so it's what he bought.

When I was washing the bottle for refilling, I noticed the spiel on the label:

Why travel to the South Pacific islands of Fiji for a drink of water?  FIJI Water’s aquifer is in a virgin ecosystem at the edge of a primitive rainforest, thousands of miles from the nearest industrialized continent.  This natural artesian aquifer protects the water until is is bottled at the source and shipped to you.  

So people want pure water from unpolluted sources.  Okay.

And some people are willing to pay extra for it.   Gotcha.

And they package this water in plastic?

That's where they lost me.

Keep on Praying

A slight twist on Dory's song:
Just keep praying.
Just keep praying.
Just keep praying praying praying.
What do we do?  We pray pray pray.

(I hope Nemo doesn't mind the tweaking.)

Pastor likes to make the point that the story of "The Friend at Midnight" (Luke 11) is NOT comparing God to the neighbor who doesn't want to hand over the bread.  It's contrasting God with that fellow.  The neighbor didn't love the demanding guy who was banging on his door, but God DOES love us.  How much easier it is to ask (and ask and ask) somebody who loves us and cares about us and has made promises to us!!

But [she wondered] if I really believed that God would give what I need, then why should I keep pestering him about it?  After all, I could pray once, and then just trust Him to do what is good and right, and not keep asking (and asking and asking).  So is my persistent prayer due to my lack of faith???

Pastor said no.

He said a mother would know what it is like to have children talk to them.  Don't parents delight when their children talk?  Isn't that what parents want?  Isn't it great to know that they trust you and enjoy talking to you?  Don't we love to hear their stories and their discoveries and their thoughts and their feelings?

Yeah.  We do.

(Now, hang on just a minute.  I know some of y'all are at the stage with kiddoes that you're thinking, "Uh ... uh ... well, uh ... sometimes I'm not so sure I delight in that.  Sometimes I kinda sorta want to lock myself in the bathroom to hide from it...."  Okay, let me put it this way:  If one of your kids stopped talking to you someday, your heart would break.  And you would miss him.  And you'd have no way to pour out your love to him.  And you'd rejoice when there is some small chance to talk again.  So yeah, you young moms, tired though you may be, hiding in the bathroom though you may be, you do TOO love hearing your kids talk.  It may not always be apparent to you, but deep-down you treasure it.  Trust me on this.)

So, yeah.  I guess I can "just keep praying praying praying."  And it's okay.  It's not annoying God.

Quite the contrary.