Three Minutes to Nine

Hymn of the Month -- Jesus, Lover of My Soul

2012-03-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

I was looking for a hymn on YouTube recently, I think it was Jesus I Am Resting, Resting, but I could not find the tune that was familiar to me. All the songs posted were sung to a newer tune. It was a fine tune, but it wasn't the tune I wanted. As I was grumbling to myself about how many of the good old hymns have been set to more contemporary music, it occurred to me that the tunes I grew up on are not necessarily the original tunes. I've been singing modernized tunes, although they may be 300 years old! Maybe I shouldn't get so worked up about people setting the wonderful old hymns of the church to newer, more contemporary music.

I received an e-mail from my friend Jerry Piger, a pianist and former music professor at Seattle Pacific University. He shared some thoughts on hymns, hymn tunes, and John and Charles Wesley:

"I enjoyed your comments on John Wesley. In my own research I found that Wesley was very concerned about changes being made to his brother's fine lyrics. John made sure the theology was sound before he gave his "okay" to the hymn. John issued the statements that were in your last blog about not changing anything because there were unscrupulous men back then (no copyright laws) who had no compunctions about ripping off intellectual material.

"One of the funnier stories about John was when Charles presented him with Jesus, Lover of My Soul. John was shocked at this kind of thinking because of the common use of the word, lover. After thinking it through, however, John came around and decided that Jesus is indeed the Lover of our souls.

"John, to his dying day, and he lived most of the 18th Century, hated the tunes that were given to his brother's fine hymn lyrics. It wasn't until the Oxford Movement that gave us the marriage of the old lyrics to the melodies that we associate with them. Of course, the Oxford movement was much more than that, but giving the church some great tunes was one thing they accomplished.

"...There are some great differences in opinions regarding the tunes. The British, to this day, think we are nuts reserving one tune for one hymn (lyrics). As long as the meter is the same, the English sing many different tunes to the same hymn. In fact, I have seen "split" hymn books from England that allows the alignment of any hymn to any tune. And, by the way, the English own their own hymn books along with their Bibles. They bring both (or at least they did in the past) to church."

Here are several versions of Jesus, Lover of My Soul. Three of the tunes are from the 1800s. Aled Jones' rendition is sung to the Aberystwyth tune by Joseph Parry, (1879). The Refuge tune, circa 1865, and the Martyn tune from 1834 are the two tunes on the second video featuring the South African Mass Male Choir. There are two other videos, both new tunes. One is by the group Indelible Grace and the other by a Dutch woman, Judith Sportel.

Which do you like best? What do you think of old tunes in new settings? Do you have any you'd like to share?

How to Tie Your Shoes

2012-03-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

If you find that your shoes won't stay tied, listen to a simple technique that could make the difference for you. Even if you only wear slip-ons, you'll find this video entertaining!

The Colors of Africa

2012-03-05T08:57:00.000-08:00

Early on in Tanya Shaffer's story, The Girl Who Drank Petrol*, is a rather long descriptive paragraph that tells why she loves Accra, Ghana. She describes the pulse of the city, the diverse buildings, the way the people dress, the women's elaborate hair styles.

What most caught my imagination was this description, buried in the middle of the paragraph:

And the colors! Brilliant shades of orange and red, turquoise and lilac, fuchsia and teal. The African fabrics would make a flamingo look drab. The prohibitions against combining reds and pinks or circles and stripes were absent here. Fabrics of every description lived side by side in delirious dissonance, a dizzying visual feast.

In just four months I'll be able to experience Africa's colors for myself!

*from Best Travel Writing 2007: True Stories from Around the World, p. 103

Reading List

2012-03-02T08:57:00.000-08:00

I've heard several recommendations for books lately that I am putting on my reading list. Since I haven't read them myself, I can't give you my take on them, but they might be books you'd like to look in to.

Loving the Way Jesus Does by Phillip Ryken
According to blogger Trevin Wax, "Phil Ryken takes readers through “the love chapter” (1 Cor. 13: “Love is patient, love is kind …”) and illustrates it with snapshots from the life and ministry of Jesus. Ryken’s reflections are profound, his stories engaging, his quotes well chosen, and his exegesis accessible. Loving the Way Jesus Loves challenges our loveless attitudes and behaviors in light of the Savior who loved us “to the uttermost.”

Why Jesus?: Rediscovering His Truth in an Age of Mass Marketed Spirituality by Ravi Zacharias
I've hear Ravi sharing the truths that this book covers this week on his radio program, Just Thinking. With the mind of an apologist, the heart of a missionary, and the insight of a sage, he is able to divide between truth and falsehood and to teach with grace. I'm looking forward to reading this.

Lost Women of the Bible: Women We Thought We Knew by Carolyn Custis James
I am actually in the middle of this book and finding it to be a challenging and wonderful study. Here's the book description from Amazon: "You know the women of the Bible, but you don't know them like this... It's easy for Christian women---young and old---to get lost between the opportunities and demands of the present and the biblical teachings of the past. They live in a confusing world, caught in the crossfire between church and culture. Although home and family still remain central, more women than ever, by choice or by necessity, are blending home, career, and ministry. They need strong biblical role models to help them meet these challenges. Building on solid scholarship and a determination to wrestle honestly with perplexing questions, author Carolyn Custis James sheds new light on ancient stories that brings the women of the Bible into the twenty-first century. This fresh look at the women in the Bible unearths surprising new insights and a powerful message that will leave readers feeling challenged, encouraged, and deeply valued. Rediscover and be inspired by: * Eve * Sarah * Hagar * Tamar * Hannah * Esther * Mary * and others"

Sweeter Than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliott
One more that I have on hold and look forward to reading, it was recommended by Kevin Austin who is a modern day abolitionist. It is a novel set in Ohio in 1855 and is about a young woman with a beautiful voice and a man with a passion to rescue slaves through the Underground Railroad.

Seattle Monutments

2012-02-29T08:57:00.000-08:00

We took advantage of the beautiful blue sky and Tom's vacation day on Monday to take pictures of some of the Seattle's monuments. We had several sculptures and other points of interest on our list.

Our first stop was the Honey Bear Bakery, one of the eateries inside Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park. We wanted to see the carved honey bear, which used to be displayed at the original Honey Bear Bakery in the Greenlake Neighborhood. That's where Tom's sister Carol and I would meet for lunch years ago, and she'd tell me about her brother Tom. Hmmmm...

A modified bear hug at the Honey Bear Bakery

At 88th and Aurora we photographed the decorated elephant on top of the Aurora Rents building. For most of my life the business it promoted was a flower shop and each day the sign would inform the public of the far-away city or country where they had sent flowers that day.

The elephant at Aurora Rents

We found the troll under the Aurora Bridge, the sculpture in Fremont entitled Waiting for the Interurban, and JP Patches and Gertrude, the stars of a TV kids show for 23 years. In the meantime, we saw a few monuments we hadn't planned on seeing and came across several serendipities as well.

Where to find the troll

The Fremont Troll

At B.F. Day Elementary School in Fremont

At the Urban Earth Nursery in Fremont

Waiting for the Intururban in their St Patrick's outfits

Stopped by the Fremont Bridge as a sailboat goes under

Seattle PI's famous globe

Pacific Science Center's arches

Typewriter Eraser by Claes Olderburg
at the Olympic Sculpture Park

Tom made friends with a pigeon who posed for him
with the Space Needle in the background

A Bufflehead Duck swimming in the Sound (Photo by Tom)

Fountain at Pier 70 (Photo by Tom)

Statue of Lenin in Fremont. We came upon him
unexpectedly, and I snapped this photo. Sorry about his head!

JP Patches and Gertrude, dancing in Fremont

What Are You Doing For the Rest of Your Life?

2012-02-27T08:57:00.000-08:00

I posted a video on Facebook on Saturday, a wonderful condensed version of Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, and Toots Thielemans playing What Are You Doing For the Rest of Your Life? One of my Facebook friends -- thanks, Tim -- requested that I post the video on my blog. And, as I seldom get requests (maybe you'd noticed), I thought I should certainly fulfill his request. I'm always happy to oblige my readers if at all possible.

Enjoy the video. And if you'd like to know the song's lyrics, you can read them here.

Why I Love My Man

2012-02-24T08:57:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is our 23rd wedding anniversary. Even though we were in college together, we didn't meet until 18 years later. Maybe it took that long for us to be ready for each other. In the past 23 years, we've never looked back. Here are just a few of the reasons I love him.

1. Before I really even knew him, he sat in the front row of the balcony at church and watched as I walked to the second row of the sanctuary to find a seat. He was spying on me! And then and there he began to fall in love with me.

2. He accepts me just as I am, he supports my dreams, and he lets me blabber on about whatever is in my head.

3. Tom is a renaissance man. In his youth he created his own recipes, designed his own hot air balloons and rockets, tried his hand at creating a cotton candy machine. Long before I knew him he grew his own organic vegetables, raised pigeons, nurtured bonsai, ground grain for bread, and dreamed of constructing a pole barn. Our house is full of his artwork -- paintings, pottery, wooden bowls, and the violin he made for me. He's a renaissance man.

4. Tom has a tender heart and an open mind to the things of God. Like the day early on, right in the middle of a conversation, when he began to pray. It was just like he realized Jesus was in the room with us and he wanted to be sure and include him in our dialog.

5. He is the left brain to my right. Logical and practical, he anchors me. Yet for all his left-ness, he himself has a good dose of right-ness too.

6. Anyway, who couldn't love a man who, when you tumble out of bed at 5:00 in the morning with your hair poking out 37 different ways, your eyes tight as a newborn kitten's, and bedspread lines all over your face, looks at you and tells you you're beautiful!

High school senior picture, long before we met

One of our first dates, at Rosario Beach

Carving our "family tree," 1988

Revisiting the "family tree," 2008

Swan Sitings

2012-02-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

Tom's sister Marilee came up for a visit and we went out with our cameras, in hopes of finding some snow geese. What we found was swans, beautiful, mammoth creatures feasting on nearby fields, but they were far from the road and a bit, tricky to photograph, in spite of our using telephoto lenses. (Even if we were avid enough photographers to actually get out of the car on a cold late afternoon, we still couldn't have gotten as close as we wanted.)

So, with a few enhancements from Pixelmater, our photo editing program, I offer you a few pictures of our swan sitings.

Off to Africa!

2012-02-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

Even as a child I was captivated by world missions. I loved the missions stories Lucille Robinson told each month at CYC. I loved reading the Missionary Tidings, our denominational magazine, and getting to know who was serving where. Even more, I loved to meet the missionaries when they were home on furlough and visited our church or family camp. Early on I began to dream of far away places where I might one day go to tell people about Jesus.

Africa was the first place I dreamed about.

Once Dr Marguerite Palmer, medical missionary to Mozambique, was the guest speaker at our midweek service. The CYCers were invited to join the adults in the sanctuary. After her slides and comments, Dr Palmer asked if there were any questions. A girl raised her hand and asked, "Do you have any black widows in Africa?" (I do believe she was thinking of spiders, but it really threw Dr Palmer for a loop!)

It turns out there are many, many widows in Africa. In Burundi, especially. During a twelve-year (1993-2005) ethnic conflict in this central African country, nearly a million people were killed -- mostly men -- and thousands of women were left widowed.

Sister Connection was created to provide monthly support for Burundi's widows and offer them healing, dignity, and hope. Through Sister Connection, women are provided the resources they need to feed and clothe their children and find meaningful work. These women, once despised and victimized, are now getting their lives back. Sister Connection also builds homes for women with inadequate housing. This is all done through the help of sponsors, much like programs for child sponsorship that you have seen advertised on TV.

Each summer, Sister Connection provides a retreat for the sponsored widows and camps for their children. Three hundred widows and nearly 1500 children and youth will attend Sister Connection events this July!

And I am planning to be there!!

Here's what happened:

At 1:30 last Monday I was folding clothes upstairs when a very clear thought passed through my mind. Denise Patch (US director of SC) told me she'd take me to Africa with her some day. The thought passed and I finished up my task. When I went back to the computer, I saw that I had an e-mail from Denise, asking me to join the team that is going to Burundi for the widow's retreat. She said she felt the Lord prompt her to invite me. Shad posted her e-mail at 1:30!

There are many details to be worked out, but I believe it was the Lord who spoke to my heart and to Denise's. I am so looking forward to watch how He brings the details together to make this trip a reality.

And now I invite you to pray with me that I will depend fully upon the Lord and that He will work out the details to make this trip happen.

At long last, my dream to go to Africa is being fulfilled.

(You can read more about Sister Connection here and here. And you can meet Denise Patch as she explains this wonderful ministry here.)

Hymn of the Month -- And Can it Be?

2012-02-17T08:57:00.000-08:00

Charles Wesley

When I open my hymnal, I discover that it includes 53 hymns written by Charles Wesley, just a few of his approximately 8000 that he penned!

Howard Snyder's Great Church Earthquake!, which I posted a couple of days ago, prompted me to use a Wesley's hymns this month, even though one of his was included last month as well. I chose a video that puts us in the pew, singing along with a women's quartet as they lead the congregation in And Can it Be?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32_Fz0tXCVE&feature=related

I think you'll enjoy John's directions for singing, which also were brought to my attention by Howard Snyder.

John Wesley

John Wesley’s Directions for Singing (1761)

I. Learn these tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please.

II. Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise, unlearn it as soon as you can.

III. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a single degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.

IV. Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, then when you sung the songs of Satan.

V. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.

VI. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung be sure to keep with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend close to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can; and take care not to sing to slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.

VII. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.

From John Wesley’s Select Hymns, 1761

The Great Church Earthquake!

2012-02-15T08:57:00.000-08:00

Cashel, Ireland
(Photo by H. Snyder)

Guest post by Dr. Howard Snyder

It happened in 1947. A great earthquake demolished a large church building that had been used for centuries by a devout Christian congregation.

The building was completely destroyed internally. The roof had collapsed, covering the basement with debris. But the stately stone walls remained, little damaged.

The ruins stood abandoned for nearly a century. But then a new and growing congregation called Lifesong, looking for facilities, discovered this wreck of a building and saw possibilities.

Lifesong bought the property, re-roofed it, repaired and modernized the interior, and made it their church home. Of course the sanctuary area was totally redone. Folding chairs in a semicircular formation, rather than pews; a large, low platform to accommodate musical ensembles and drama presentations; two large video screens at the front; a coffee station at the rear.

In remodeling the building the new congregation had installed a new floor, sealing off the old basement area. A few years later, however, a staff member named Merlin found a small doorway in the stone wall that opened onto a stairway leading to a storage room below ground—an area the church wasn’t aware of.

There was no light, so Merlin went to the church office, grabbed a flashlight, and went down to explore this subterranean storage room.

The first thing Merlin noticed was a large bookcase filled with dozens of books. They all looked the same; fairly large, dark blue, clothbound. What were these? He pulled one from the shelf and blew off the dust. He opened it and found it was full of words and musical notations. A strange book. Some of the words seemed to rhyme. And there were a hundred or more such books.

“What is this?!” Merlin wondered out loud.

He took the book back to his office and began leafing through it. It was quite fascinating. He saw by the cover that it was called a “Hymnal.” He had never seen one before.

He began reading some of the hymns. He was surprised how many there were—nearly a thousand! He noticed that they were written at different times and in different places over many centuries. The hymnwriters were men and women from varying church traditions, and he noticed that many hymns had been translated from other languages—Latin, Greek, German, French, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Japanese, Chinese. Quite amazing!

As Merlin examined the hymnbook further, he noticed it had been published many years ago by a Methodist publishing house, and that many of the hymns were by Charles Wesley. Also near the front was a page entitled “Directions for Singing,” written by John Wesley. Merlin thought he recognized that name; perhaps he heard it once when he took a church history course.

“I wonder what Pastor Sherry will think of this,” Merlin thought.

The next day Merlin met with Pastor Sherry and they examined the hymnal together. “My grandmother used to have a book something like this,” Sherry said. “I remember that it was kind of falling apart.”

“What is the book for?” Merlin asked.

“I think churches used to use them in worship,” Pastor Sherry said.

“Maybe that’s why there’s so many of them downstairs,” Merlin reflected.

“Probably so,” Sherry said. “In the olden days, people didn’t have video screens and such.”

Pastor Sherry arranged a meeting with Josiah, the church’s music coordinator. Josiah picked through some of the hymns on his keyboard while Merlin and Pastor Sherry followed along.

“Some of the tunes are kind of catchy,” Merlin said.

“Yes,” said Josiah; “some are fast and some slow; some are peppy and some more majestic. And most of them have four or more verses!”

“Look at this one!” Pastor Sherry said. “I kind of like the rhymes. And the doctrine is pretty deep.”

Merlin came across the hymn, “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go.” Once he figured out what “wilt” meant, he was fascinated with the hymn. “‘I lay in dust life’s glory dead, and from the ground there blossoms red life that shall endless be.’ Wow!” Merlin said.

Well, that’s really how the revolution started. Josiah gradually introduced the hymns to his music team, and then to the congregation. It took awhile for the congregation to learn how to sing four-part harmony. Once the people learned, however, the music swelled marvelously. Sometimes Pastor Sherry could see tears in people’s eyes as this brand-new music, “hymns,” touched deep places in the hearts of persons who themselves had passed through deep waters.

Word got around. A buzz lit up Facebook and Twitter. “Have you heard about the new music at Lifesong?” a teenager posted. “Is this re-retro, or what?” someone from California asked. “This is the ‘new contemporary,’” someone else tweeted.

Lifesong gradually discovered the depth and breadth of the church’s long hymnic tradition. The full range of doctrine and experience; the flow of the church year; the depths of Trinitarian theology; the resonances of profound poetry. The God-focus that then enriches and clarifies the me-focus and the us-focus.

“No reason why good hymns can't be flashed on our video screens,” Josiah said.

With time, Lifesong learned how to blend the best of the church’s long singing, hymning tradition with a range of good new tunes and lyrics. Just as the church at its best has always done.

The Great Church Earthquake. That's how it happened. The result was a singing, celebrating, doctrine-learning, happy, deepening, mutually-encouraging, outreaching, world-conscious, missional church.

* * * * *

Howard A. Snyder is the author (with Joel Scandrett) of Salvation Means Creation Healed: The Ecology of Sin and Grace – Overcoming the Divorce between Earth and Heaven (Cascade, 2011) and other books, including The Problem of Wineskins. Website: wineskins.net.

Our Children's Heritage

2012-02-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

Our boys come from a line of long lovers! Between their two sets of grandparents and Tom and me, we have, to date, been married for 155 years. In just eleven days we will add another year to the mix, as Tom and I celebrate our 23rd anniversary. I am humbled and grateful that the Lord has allowed us to be a part of this heritage and to pass it on to our boys.

Should the day come that you, our sons, marry, we pray that the example of your elders will inspire and encourage you to stand together through the difficulties -- and the joys -- of marriage, and that you will trust the Lord through your years.

Harold and Lynda Kauffman, married in 1938

With Gramma and Grampa at Letchworth State Park

Ken and Helen Fosket, married in 1949

With Gram and Gramps on the Olympic Penninsula

Tom and Ginger, married in 1989

Our family, 1995

The Right Brain Person's Budgeting Solution

2012-02-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you have seen this image on Facebook, a visual description of the left and right sides of the brain. I am a very, very right brain and can easily get lost in the clearly-laid-out pathways of the logical left side.

Take bookkeeping, for example. More specifically, take budgeting. A straight forward matter of adding up what you take in, and what you spend -- it seems simple enough. But I've never found a system that works for me. It is too rigid for me, too black and white. No wiggle room. Way too complicated for me to know where I stand at this very moment.

But now I have discovered PearBudget.

Having read about the husband/wife team who developed this really simple budget, I'm guessing they are also right brain folks. According to their website, "Five years ago, we created PearBudget as a spreadsheet to help us track our spending. On a whim, we posted it online, in case other people might find it helpful. It was downloaded over 100,000 times, and was written up in the Wall Street Journal, Popular Science, and dozens of popular websites and blogs. We decided to make a good thing better, so we turned PearBudget into a web-based application. It’s now even friendlier and easier than it had been before. As best we can tell, it’s the simplest budgeting and expense tracking tool on the internet."

They are now helping lots of people (both right and left brained folks, I'm guessing) keep track of their finances.

So here's how this three-step program works. Step 1 -- develop your plan, putting in amounts for monthly income and expenses, knowing that the numbers are not set in stone. You don't even have to know all the exact amounts; you can come back later and change your information. Step 2 -- enter your receipts, both income and expenses. Step 3 -- review your spending. With the click of a mouse, you can see how much you've spent in each category and how much you have left to get you through the month.

You can also print out an up-to-date card which you can carry with you while you shop or pay bills.

I need a hands-on, real-time visual to take with me into the financial arena. PearBudget has filled that need. Check it out; you may also find that it's just what you've been looking for. Maybe you don't need it yourself, but look around at your right brain family and friends. Make their day; tell them about PearBudget!

* * * * *

If you'd like to see a larger view of the left brain/right brain picture, and read the accompanying text, click here.

Yes You Can -- Give the City the Solar System!

2012-02-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

"Even though the sky is accessible to everyone, few people look up to appreciate it. I believe I can change this..." ~Eli Menaker

With a deep love for astronomy and a great idea, Eli Menaker gave the people of Anchorage, Alaska a chance to see the sun all day long, every single day of the year. With the help of the Rotary Club, he designed the Anchorage Lightspeed Planet Walk. It was 2003, and he was a senior in high school.

It was a trip to the Carl Sagen Memorial Planet Walk in Ithica, New York, that planted the dream in his mind. Having organized an annual Astronomy Day event for several years, this was a way to share his passion in an even broader way.

According to the Planet Walk's website, "the Anchorage Light Speed Planet Walk is a scale model of our solar system. Taking the walk, you experience the relative size of the planets and their distance from the Sun. The scale was chosen so that a leisurely walking pace mimics the speed of light. On this scale, each step equals the distance light travels in one second (300,000 kilometers or 186,000 miles).

"It should take you about 8 minutes to walk from the Sun station at 5th and G to the Earth station at 5th and K, just as it takes 8 minutes for a light beam to travel from the real Sun to the real Earth. Similarly, it takes you and a light beam 5 1/2 hours to reach Pluto at Kincaid Park."

Now, I've seen models of the solar system that are designed as mobiles to hang from the ceiling with different sized balls representing the planets. But even with these visuals I cannot fathom the distance between the planets or their size in comparison to the sun. I think my boys could visualize it, but I just could never get it to work for me.

But this -- yes, this would do the trick!

Have you got a love for something that you want to share with others? Use Eli Menaker for a role model, and go for it. Think you can't? Yes You Can!

The Great Exchange

2012-02-06T08:57:00.001-08:00

This is the Great Exchange. I give all that I am to God and He gives all that He is to me. The amazing thing is that He does not feel shortchanged in the bargain. He is just as thrilled as I am with this breathtaking transaction.

Twelve Trivial Tidbits

2012-02-03T08:57:00.000-08:00

With thanks to Mental Floss, which posted a list of trivia on January 4, National Trivia Day, I present you with some stunning facts. With thanks to me, I give you only 12 of Mental Floss' 119!

1.The string on boxes of animal crackers was originally placed there so the container could be hung from a Christmas tree.

2. When the computer mouse was invented, it was called the "X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System."

3. Only one McDonald's in the world has turquoise arches. Government officials in Sedona, Arizona, thought the yellow would look bad with the natural red rock of the city.

4. The term "lawn mullet" refers to a neatly manicured front yard with an unmowed mess in the back.

5. There was a long-lost fourth member of the Snap/Crackle/Pop gang. "Pow" represented Rice Krispies' explosive nutritional value.

6. In Peanuts in 1968, Snoopy trained to become a champion arm-wrestler. In the end, he was disqualified for not having thumbs.

7. For $45, the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing will sell you a 5-lb bag with $10,000 worth of shredded U.S currency.

8. At an NOAA conference in 1972, Roxcy Bolton proposed naming hurricanes after Senators instead of women, She also preferred "him-i-canes."

9. For one day in 1998, Topeka, Kansas, renamed itself "ToPikachu" to mark Pokemon's U.S. debut.

10. Andy's evil neighbor Sid from Toy Story returns briefly as the garbage man in Toy Story 3.

11. During a 2004 episode of Sesame Street, Cookie Monster said that before he started eating cookies, his name was Sid.

12. The Corduroy Appreciation Club celebrated 11-11-11 as the Day That Most Resembles Corduroy.

A Three-Way Thai

2012-02-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

We were meeting friends for dinner last night, and Everett was the mid-point for us. We wanted Thai food but didn't know of a restaurant in town. A quick Google search led us to Jasmine Thai Cuisine at 2725 Colby in downtown Everett. It was tastefully decorated and we were served promptly by welcoming staff.

Ordering took a while, as there were so many dishes that sounded delicious. We settled on Pad Thai, Rad Nah, Swimming Rama and Oyster Beef. Each one was tasty and satisfying. I was surprised that the Pad Thai had a thin crust of egg around it, something like an omelet, making it different than I have had before but really good. The Rad Nah had noodles that were at least two inches wide, and was served in a "special yellow bean gravy sauce." It was a two star dish, but quite mild. The Swimming Rama and the Oyster Beef came with brown rice. It was no trouble for the four of us to finish off the dinner; we were satisfied but not stuffed.

Next time I'm in Everett and feeling the urge for Thai food, I know where I'll go!

I have a little more trouble deciding where to go when I'm looking for a Thai restaurant in Stanwood. That's because we have two shops that serve fine Thai food.

Stanwood's own Jasmine Thai Cuisine (as far as I can tell, it's not related to the one in Everett) is in the granary building downtown. I've never been disappointed with the food and the decor is quite authentic with many Asian art pieces on the walls. As well as a full list of Thai dishes, the menu offers nearly two dozen sushi items. Jasmine is a popular eatery for folks in the area.

One evening last fall several of my friends attended a clothing exchange at Stanwood's Jasmine. The restaurant was providing a wonderful venue for women to recycle clothes and accessories they no longer needed and find a few to take home. From what I hear, the event was well attended and was a great success.

The Chatter Box Restaurant is located at 9819 270th NW in Stanwood, just west of the library. It is "a unique Asian restaurant in your neighborhood," and features food from Thailand, Malaysia, and India, as well as some western style sandwiches and burgers. The food and service here are also excellent, and the bright, sunny rooms invite you in. When I eat here I usually order the Nutty Monkey fried rice and always enjoy it.

On my first trip to the Chatter Box I asked how the restaurant got its name. I was told that the owner used to have a restaurant in Boston a tall and narrow building, like a box, and she wanted people to chat over their meals, so she called it the Chatter Box. When she opened in Stanwood she kept the name.

I like all three of these three restaurants. The prices at Everett's Jasmine are the most reasonable, but parking could be a problem during the day. (There are free 90-minute head-in parking spaces along Colby, but that doesn't guarantee you will find an empty space.) The Chatter Box is the most expensive of the three restaurants with the price of some dinner items as much as $2-3 higher than you will find at Jasmine in Everett. The prices of menu items at Stanwood's Jasmine are right in the middle.

Here's my recommendation: try them all out for yourself. Chances are you will also find that you end up with a three-way Thai.

For the Love of Ginger

2012-01-30T08:57:00.000-08:00

Here's a post by Mrs N, an American who lives and blogs in Japan. She said I could share it on my blog. I imagine you can guess why I got excited when I first read it! (You can read more of Mrs N's thoughts at Simply...Life.)

I am a nut for ginger.

I love the taste, but did you know that ginger has amazing health benefits?

ginger combats heart disease

Here are a few other things I found out a while ago while researching the health benefits of ginger:

*Ginger essential oil helps ease sore muscles. Place freshly grated ginger in a cotton bag and toss the bag into your bathtub filled with hot water. Let sit for a few minutes to release the oils in the ginger and then enjoy a relaxing soak.

*Ginger tea can relieve period cramps.

*Crystalized or pickled ginger works better than store-bought medicines for motion sickness according to Brigham Young University research.

*Ginger works great as a body scrub. Mix 4 ounces Epsom salt, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1 tablespoon chopped ginger; microwave at 15-second intervals until warm. Apply scrub all over, then rinse. The ginger gives you a healthy glow, while the lime's vitamin C smooths skin.

And here is another whole list of ginger benefits! I found this list here.

Ginger and the Immune System

strong antioxidant
Antimicrobial (kills bacteria - including salmonella) - internally and topically as an antiseptic
two natural antibiotics are found in ginger
contains anti-inflammatory agents
helps eliminate congestion
contains zingibain that dissolves parasites and their eggs
ginger root tea eases some throat pain
kills cold viruses
inhibits production of cytokines which cause pain and swelling
combats chills and fever
ginger inhibits 5-LO enzymes, the only food for prostate cancer cells, prostate cancer cells die in one to two hours without this enzyme
gingerol (an extract of ginger) inhibits pancreatic cell growth
beneficial to prevent constipation-related cancer
an effective ani-tumor agent in leukemia cells
an extract of ginger causes lung cancer cell death
gingerols inhibited the growth of Helicobacter pylori associated with dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease and the development of gastric and colon cancer
ginger extract raises significantly the thymus index, spleen index, percentage of phagocytosis, and thus improves the immunologic function relating to tumors
gingerol inhibits cell adhesion, invasion, motility and activities ofbreast cancer cell lines
gingerol induces viability reduction (killed) gastric cancer cells
a ginger extract causes apoptosis (cell death) of breast carcinoma cells
ginger inhibits cell growth and modulates angiogenic factor in ovarian cancer cells
6-shogaol (component of ginger) induces cell death in colorectal carcinoma cells
compounds of ginger inhibits proliferation (stops growth) of ovarian cancer cells
a component of ginger suppresses metastasis (stops the spread) in any type of cancer cell including leukemic, skin, kidney, lung, and pancreatic cancer cells - one of the most exciting and powerful health benefits of ginger!

Ginger and Circulation

stimulates circulation
may help prevent heart attacks
has natural blood thinning properties
lowers blood cholesterol levels
cleanses and stimulates blood
prevents internal blood clots
may prevent TIA’s (mini strokes)
therapeutic properties for hypertension

Ginger and Digestion

cleanses colon
reduces colon spasms and cramps
helps clear gas
relieves indigestion
excellent for nausea, vomiting and motion sickness
stimulates production of digestive juices
helps bowel disorders

Ginger and other Body Systems

lungs: helps with respiratory problems, eases asthma symptoms
helps eliminate hot flashes
relieves headaches
promotes menstrual regularity
helps with morning sickness
helps reduce inflammation of arthritis
supports kidney health
topical gingerol provides protection against UVB-induced skin disorders
reduces the severity of post chemotherapy nausea

Ginger and its Nutrients

high in potassium
manganese which builds resistance to disease, protects lining of heart, blood vessels and urinary passages
silicon which promotes healthy skin, hair, teeth and nails
helps assimilate calcium
also contains Vit. A, C, E, B-complex, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, zinc, calcium, beta-carotene

Other Facts and Health Benefits of Ginger

was listed in U.S. Pharmacopoeia from 1820-1873
British research has found ginger to be as effective as drugs at relieving nausea after surgery
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis studied at Denmark’s Odense University got relief from pain and swelling after taking ginger daily for three months
gingerol promotes healing of inflammation and minor burns
may prevent transient ischemic attacks (TIA’s) know as mini strokes
Israeli researchers found that standardized ginger extract has dramatic effects on cardiovascular health, lowering cholesterol levels and preventing oxidation of LDL which contributes to cholesterol deposits on artery walls

Did you know that you can grow ginger at home? A ginger plant is easy enough to get started. Just go to the store, buy a fresh piece and plant it. The ginger found in grocery stores is native to the moist forests of tropical Asia, so keep the plant warm and add extra peat moss or compost to the potting soil to help the soil mix hold more water. You can begin harvesting as soon as five months after planting. No need to unearth the whole plant; just poke into the soil with a knife and take what you need. For more information -Google it!

The Wheels on the Bus

2012-01-27T08:57:00.000-08:00

I took the bus yesterday, for the first time in many years. It was just a short trip and the sun was bright. I should have walked, but I took the bus instead.

When it was time to pull the cord that would notify the driver I wanted off at the next stop I found myself getting just a bit giddy, just like when I was a kid. Growing up, I usually rode the bus with other people so I could never be sure this responsibility would fall to me. But yesterday I was alone. Pulling that cord was sweet.

There were about 50,000 people in Everett when I was growing up, not a huge city, but no village either. Life was simple in those day. As we lived just south of the city limits, we often relied upon the bus to get us to town. I usually traveled with my brother Tom. He was a year older than I, level headed and dependable, so I just trotted along behind him and he always got us where we were going.

We signed up for swimming lessons the summer I was seven. I put my clothes on over my swimsuit and we walked down to Taylor's corner store and boarded the bus for Silver Lake. The teachers walked us into the lake, told us to form a circle, the instructed us to put our faces into the lake and blow bubbles. I was indignant. My face? In this dirty lake? No Way! All I wanted to do was get back into my safe, dry clothes and go home. But when I returned to the dressing room, I couldn't find my undies. I had to put my clothes on over my wet bathing suit and get back on the bus.

It was during the two block walk from the bus to our house that I found the undies on the sidewalk. Oh, the humiliation!

I sometimes rode the bus with Tom when he went to his Saturday morning violin lesson. Mr Nastri was a fine musician and he saw promise in Tom. As I remember it, his studio was on the second floor of an older downtown building. The studio was smallish, filled with printed music and magic. It was always an adventure to take bus trips with my brother.

One summer day between 8th and 9th grades, I got to go downtown by myself to pick out fabric and a pattern to make a dress. It was a huge opportunity for me, and I was very proud of myself.

When I finished my shopping, I realized that I didn't know which bus to catch to get home, and Tom wasn't there to help me. I was just starting to panic when I saw two girls from school, with some little kids in tow, queuing up for a bus. I didn't really know the girls, but I did know that if we went to the same school, we lived in the same part of town. When the bus door opened, I, too, climbed on.

The bus pulled away from the curb and headed due north, far from where I needed to go. I spoke to the girls from school and discovered that they were babysitting and were delivering the kids home after an outing to town.

It was clear this bus was not going to take me home; I needed a back-up plan. Then I remembered that my great-uncle Lewis and great-aunt Nellie lived on the bus line in the north end of town. Just before their stop, I reached up confidently and pulled the cord, notifying the driver of my intentions. Gathering my bags, I walked with head held high, dropped my coins in the money box, and stepped off the bus.

What I lack in planning skills, I make up for in resourcefulness.

The Longing Season

2012-01-25T08:57:00.000-08:00

I wasn't in the mood for a romance novel, not at all. I had no intention of reading this book. But before I put it in the go-back-to-the-library pile I thought I'd just thumb through it. Next thing you know, I was hooked!

The Longing Season by Christine Schaub is set in the mid-1700s. It tells an intricately woven tale of 20-year-old John Newton and the woman he loved, Mary Catlett. Having just watched the film Amazing Grace, in which we meet and old and blind John Newton, I was curious to get a glimpse into his earlier life.

The story of John and Mary was beautifully told. They met when John was 17 and Mary 13, but they were separated by John's life at sea. The Longing Season focuses on the years in which John was both a seaman and a slave, from 1746 to 1748. With well developed characters and comfortable familiarity with such varied topics as 18th century England, herbal medicines, British military and the perils of life on the sea, the author draws you into John and Mary's love and the separation they must endure.

Not only was John far from Mary during these years; he was also far from God. A dissipated infidel, it was a storm at sea and the story of the prodigal son that drew him to God on March 21, 1748. Ever after he would mark that date as a day of humiliation and thanksgiving for his great deliverance.

I had often heard that John Newton was the captain of a slave ship, but that was not a part of this story. Could he, indeed, have participated in the slave trade after trusting in Christ? Schaub's story answered -- and raised -- enough questions to make me want to know more.

I discovered a sermon about John Newton that John Piper preached at a pastors' conference in 2001, in which he said:
"For six years after [Newton's conversion], he said he had no 'Christian friend or faithful minister to advise me.'[20] He became the captain of a slave-trading ship and went to sea again until December, 1749. In his mature years he came to feel intense remorse for his participation in the slave trade and joined William Wilberforce in opposing it. Thirty years after leaving the sea he wrote an essay, Thoughts upon the African Slave Trade, which closed with a reference to 'a commerce so iniquitous, so cruel, so oppressive, so destructive, as the African Slave Trade!'"

It is a great sadness to me that Newton should have participated in the sale of human beings even after his conversion, yet it is also a testimony to God's willingness to take us where we are, bring us to Himself, and, for the rest of our lives, complete His work in us. Conversion makes us a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), but that's just the beginning. By God's grace, mercy and power, we are "being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:15). And there will be many areas of our lives that God will put His finger on, saying, "I want this part of your life too."

This is why John Newton could sing -- and we can join him:
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see!

StoryCorps Animation

2012-01-23T08:57:00.000-08:00

Here is a delightful video that combines two things I care about -- sharing stories and autism. It is an animation of 7th grader Joshua Littman, who has Asperger's Syndrome, interviewing his mom for StoryCorps.

Q&A from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

Snowbound Bean Soup

2012-01-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

This wild weather prompted Tom to take a vacation day on Wednesday, avoiding the possibility of a 33-mile slide to work. It was a perfect day for a pot of soup, especially since we had made bread the night before. So we raided our pantry and created a very tasty Snow Day Bean Soup.

Snowbound Bean Soup

2 cloves garlic
1 cup chopped onion
2 T olive oil
1 15-oz can black beans
1 15-oz can kidney beans
1 15-oz can pinto beans
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup truRoots Sprouted Bean Trio*
2 carrots, sliced thinly
1 bay leaf
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t Italian seasoning or oregano
pepper to taste
6 c water or vegetable stock

In a Dutch oven, saute the garlic and onion in the oil. Add the cans of beans and tomato sauce. Add the sprouted beans and the carrots. Add the bay leaf, cumin, Italian seasoning or oregano, and the pepper. Stir in the water or vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Serves 8

*You can get truRoots Sprouted Bean Trio at Costco. A few other suggestions for using this healthy mix: cook it up for a side dish, add it to rice for pilaf, puree it with olive oil and use it for a dip or spread.

Logophiles, Unite!

2012-01-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

I remember from my school days that occasionally a sadistic teacher would make unruly students copy pages from the dictionary while the rest of us went out for recess. And maybe once or twice I have met people who read the dictionary, just for fun.

Well, now I have come across a man who tackled the ambitious project of reading through the Oxford English Dictionary -- all 20 volumes -- in one year! Ammon Shea is a logophile, a word lover. In the introduction to his book Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages, he says, "Some people collect matchbox cars or comic books. Others collect more obviously valuable things, such as rare paintings or cars. Most of these collections are made up of tangible objects, things to which one can assign some sort of monetary value. I collect words."

For the past ten years this gentleman has been reading dictionaries -- all kinds of them -- with great relish. He would, in fact, be happy to read every one of the many dictionaries and word books he owns and then start over again. As for the Oxford English Dictionary, he says, "If you are interested in vocabulary that is both spectacularly useful and beautifully useless, read on, and enjoy the efforts of a man who is in love with words. I have read the OED so that you don't have to." And then, from Abluvion (n.) Substance or things that are washed away to Zyxt (v.) To see, he catalogs for his readers his favorite words that he came across and gives his own definition for them. What logophile would not be happified (v.) To be made happy by such a book?

Maybe the words themselves don't interest you as much as their story: who first used the word or phrase? why? what does it really mean? I've just found the man who can help you with that too! His name is Evan Morris, and he is the Word Detective. He grew up the son of the editor in chief of a publishing company in New York. Mr and Mrs Morris, enterprising people, also had a home business of preparing pamphlets to help people improve their vocabulary, and from an early age Evan and his siblings processed requests for these booklets and stuffed them in return envelopes. Living with people whose bread and butter was words, he absorbed a love for them himself.

For 35 years William Morris, Evan's father, wrote a syndicated newspaper column called Words, Wit and Wisdom. When he was ready to quit the column he announced his intention to his grown children, adding that Words, Wit and Wisdom was kaput -- unless one of his children wanted to take it over. Without intending to, Evan volunteered. For the past twenty years he has been the Word Detective, sleuthing out the origin of words and phrases that people would like to know. His book presents many of these words and the results of his research, accompanied by much tongue-in-cheek humor.

In one entry he explains that the name Idaho comes from Idahi, "which is what the Kiowa Apache tribe called their Comanche neighbors. Curiously enough, Idaho was first proposed as the name for what is now the state of Colorado. On the other hand, for some reason, folks originally wanted to call Idaho Montana."

And maybe you already knew that it was American Civil War General Ambrose Burnside whose facial hair -- a mustache, a shaved chin and cheek whiskers -- was the inspiration for the term sideburns. Prior to sideburns, the fashionable man's face was clean-shaven except for chin whiskers, which made him look like a male goat and was called a goatee.

If words are your thing, these books need to be on your reading list. And if you have any favorite words or word meanings you'd like to share, pass them my way!

What Influenced Martin Luther King Jr.?

2012-01-16T08:57:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting insight into the early life of Martin Luther King Jr. Well done, Simsbury High School students!

And here is an article from Sojourners about Martin Luther King and healing prayer. It's worth the read.

Of Corn Pops and Twinkies

2012-01-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

These are hard times for people of my generation. Two of our childhood favorites may soon disappear -- Hostess Twinkies and Kellogg's Corn Pops. The sentimental value of these, shall we say, foods is much greater than the nutritional value, but sentiment counts for a lot.

When we read recently that Kellogg's Corn Pops will disappear in 2012, we went to the store for a box, for old time's sake. Back in the 50s, Tom loved watching Wild Bill Hickok, starring Guy Madison and Andy Devine, and has fond memories of the Sugar Pops ads, with Guy and Andy shooting Pops from their guns. (Well, at least that is how Tom remembered the ads. We didn't locate any such ads on YouTube but if you find one, let us know!)

OK, everybody, sing along with me: "Oh the Pops are sweeter and the taste is new, They're shot with sugar through and through. Kellogg's Sugar Corn Pops; Sugar Pops are tops!"

Earlier this week we learned that Hostess, maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread, has filed for bankruptcy. The red, yellow and blue balloons on Wonder Bread's packaging and their claim of "building strong bodies 12 different ways" are as well-known to my peer group as are our own names. But what made Wonder Bread especially memorable for me was the nightshirt Mom made for my brother Tom when he was a teenager. Mid-calf, slits up the sides, long-sleeved and V-necked, Tom's roomy sleepwear was white with big red, yellow and blue polka-dots. He looked like an oversized loaf of Wonder Bread when he wore it. He loved that thing.

Twinkies, those sponge cakes with cream filling, have been around since the 1930s, when the Hostess company was founded. Of their 37 ingredients, perhaps only water would appear on today's stringent "good for you" lists. And you've probably heard jokes about the indomitable Twinkie that lasts for years.* With that in mind, NPR conducted an experiment to see how Twinkies would hold up in a bowl of Mountain Dew!

Now, like Corn Pops, Twinkies appear to be fading from the cultural scene. Not to worry. If you stock up on Twinkies now, they could last you for the rest of your life!

*(I'm perpetuating an urban legend here. Snopes says they really only have a shelf life of 25 days. But this is my blog, and I'm sticking with it!)

Hymn of the Month -- Worship Hymns

2012-01-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

Check it out. Most hymnals begin with a worship section, songs of adoration and praise to God. Look, for example, at the words of the first and last verses of O Worship the King, based on Psalm 104 and written in 1833 by Robert H Grant. They lift our eyes to God and raise us outside ourselves:

O worship the King, all glorious above;
O gratefully sing his power and his love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end!
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.

(Click here to listen to the hymn.)

* * *

In 1738, while Charles Wesley was studying under the Moravians in England, he found himself seriously doubting his faith. Laid up from pleurisy, he was visited by a group of Christians who shared testimonies with him and cared for his needs. Deeply touched by their visit, he turned to the Bible where his faith was renewed. A year later, in celebration of his faith, he wrote an 18-verse poem. Part of this poem included the verses of the song we now know as O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing. Here are the words to the verses 1, 2, and 6. Is this not the song of a man longing to express to God the praise due His name and inviting others to join him? (Information found on Wikipedia)

O for a thousand tongues to sing My great Redeemer's praise,
The glories of my God and King, The triumphs of His grace!

My gracious Master and my God, Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad The honors of Thy name.

Hear Him, ye deaf, His praise, ye dumb, Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Saviour come, And leap, ye lame, for joy.

(Hear it here.)

* * *

Another hymn that often appears in the earliest pages of hymnals is All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name, written by Edward Perronet in 1779. According to Hymn Stories website, "the music sounds particularly beautiful when played by a violin. One of the more famous stories surrounding All Hail The Power Of Jesus’ Name involves the use of a violin.

"A missionary to India named E. P. Scott learned of a wild mountain tribe that had never been introduced to the message of Christ. Since they had never been presented with the gospel, he decided to visit that tribe. When he reached their mountain home, he discovered a group of savages on a war expedition. They took him back to camp and threatened to kill him. He closed his eyes and starting playing All Hail The Power Of Jesus’ Name on his ever-present violin. The natives were so overcome; they dropped their spears and invited Rev. Scott to stay with them. He lived among them for over two years, converting many to Christianity."

Rev. Scott's experience makes verse 3 especially meaningful.

All hail the power of Jesus' name! Let angels prostrate fall;

Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all;

Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all!

Ye chosen seed of Israel's race, Ye ransomed from the fall,

Hail Him who saves you by His grace, And crown Him Lord of all;

Hail Him who saves you by His grace, And crown Him Lord of all!

Let every kindred, every tribe, On this terrestrial ball,

To Him all majesty ascribe, And crown Him Lord of all.

O that with yonder sacred throng We at His feet may fall!

We'll join the everlasting song, And crown Him Lord of all;

We'll join the everlasting song, And crown Him Lord of all.

(Here is a beautiful rendition of the hymn.)

Hymns for a Lifetime

2012-01-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

I love hymns, but maybe you already knew that. As I was growing up, each time we went to church -- Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday evening -- we sang. We had two hymnals, an older green one which we usually sang from in the evenings, and the "red hymnal" that was our book of choice on Sunday mornings. The songs required my eyes, my ears, and my voice and wrote themselves on my heart. They became a part of my very being.

My mini-collection of hymnals includes books published in 1909 and 1910. Other newer books are church hymnals and hymn arrangements for the piano. I also have a couple of sambika, Japanese hymn books.

We sometimes played "Name That Tune" in Japan. A combination of a sword drill and the popular old TV show, someone would play a few notes of a song on the piano and, in small groups, we would try to determine the name of the song and be the first group to identify it. My team always won. I would recognize the song, dash to the index of my sambika to find it in English, then turn to the page so one of my Japanese friends could call out the title in Japanese.

I don't tell these stories to show off. It's just evidence of my love and appreciation of hymns. But my familiarity with these grand songs is not the only reason I love them and share them here.

Hymns are the story of God and his grace. They are the theology of the church. From Miriam's song after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea to the songs of the redeemed in Revelation, music is integral to scripture and the life of God's people. Not unlike scripture itself, hymns can remind us of the depth of God's mercy, his power and holiness, his love for all people, and his arm outstretched to deliver us from peril. They help us identify with other believers, both those who composed the hymns and those who sing them with us. Many of the songs in our hymnals are hundreds of years old; they have stood the test of time.

There are many wonderful contemporary songs that we sing in church today. I could hardly keep from dancing yesterday while we sang the Newsboys song, He Reigns, which talks about the song of praise to God that our brothers and sisters around the world sing. Many other contemporary songs and musicians proclaim truth in powerful ways. Yet I am saddened that our younger generations are missing out on the hymns. We incorporate hymns in most of our services, at least at our church we do, but these are so few compared to the hundreds that we don't sing.

My Hymn of the Month posts this year will include some of those hymns that I grew up on, some that I don't want to see fade from the church. Grab a hymnal and join me as we celebrate the mighty hymns of the church and the God to whom we sing them!

Back to the Bread Board

2012-01-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

In the early days of our marriage we made a lot of bread, yeast bread that involves you up to your elbows. It was all new to me (I'd never worked with yeast before) but Tom was a seasoned baker. He'd experimented with it over the years so much that he had perfected his technique and had tweaked several recipes. As our family grew, we moved to a bread machine, preparing the ingredients in the evening and being roused from sleep by the aroma of fresh bread. A little less work and still as much joy.

And then we learned that three of the four of us have food issues and could no longer eat wheat.

We gave away the bread machine and started working with alternative grains. Our early attempts at feeding the family with the ingredients remaining on our "legal" list proved to be quite a challenge. Over the years new things were found that caused trouble for one or another family member, with the occasional lifting of the restriction on other items. We ended up with some great muffin recipes, but never had much success making bread. Until lately, that is.

After 11 years of store-bought bread we are moving back into the bread business. We're still in the experimental stages, but it does look promising!

With the help of a couple of books by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois from Artisan Bread in Five, we have found a simple and fun way to provide our family with fresh, home-baked bread.

This book includes a section on gluten-free bread.

The bread dough is mixed up and stored in a 7-quart container and requires no kneading. The system is quite similar with either gluten- or gluten-free flours, with the gluten-free being a bit more fussy. Here we are, making up a recipe of Gluten-Free Crusty Boule. You mix it together and leave it on the counter for a couple of hours while it rises. You can bake it the same day or leave it in the fridge for two or three days for later use. This batch makes enough for two round loaves. We've also used it for pizza crust and it turned out mighty fine!

We use a Danish dough whisk to mix the ingredients.

Because of the consistency of the gluten-free dough,
it is important to smooth the top of the bread
before you let it rise.

Forming the loaf

This pizza paddle makes it easy to slide the bread onto the baking stone,
which has been heating in the oven.

Taking the gluten-free loaf out of the oven

Aahhh!

No more waiting -- time to try it out!

Tom's loaf, made with wheat flour, has a more traditional texture
and taste than the gluten-free bread.

My Life in a Dresser Drawer

2012-01-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

I was digging through my dresser drawers, desperate for a set of shoelaces. I didn't find any that would meet my need, but I did find a veritable time capsule of my life in those drawers.

My college roommate was an art major. She made art look fun -- and easy. So in my senior year I decided to take a weaving class one night a week with her. Larry Metcalf, a master weaver known around the country, was our professor and we had amazing colors and textures to choose from. I labored over my wall hanging (top center), creating a tight, anxious work of art and a basket case of myself! Poetic justice that I should marry an artist!

I found remnants of three things I cared about in my young adult years -- photography, my wardrobe, and Ciara perfume. In my drawer were two rolls of undeveloped film, over 30 years old! I wonder what's on them. As for my wardrobe, Peach and I attended a class which we called "I Am Beautiful." I have no memory of what it was really called, but in that class I learned that I am a Winter. As a Winter I should wear strong colors -- black, white, red, blue, certain shades of pink -- but should avoid orange and yellow and other Fall colors. Please don't scold me if you see me wearing any color that doesn't show up on that color card in the middle of the photo. I loved the scent of Ciara, so much so that when I used up all the powder that was in the powder box above I kept the puff in the empty box in my drawer, just for the fragrance that lingered on it.

My white wedding stockings with the tiny bows on the side were elegant and I just couldn't give them up. Today I discovered in the right toe something like a small piece of bark. Was I so out of it that day that I didn't notice I was walking on a piece of bark?

I wonder, which of my babies was born to earn me those beautiful hospital socks?

Years later I worked in the public school as a substitute para-educator and kept my lanyard from the 2000-2001 school year. I picked up a Pokemon marble off the floor and hid it away in my drawer. And on the backside of Christmas wrapping paper in 2005 I jotted down the list of Christmas gifts for Tom, the boys, and the extended family. They all ended up in my dresser drawer.

One last thing I found today was a baseball. Actually there are baseballs in several of our dresser drawers. Tom has saved them over the years to give to our sons. Though the circumstances of my receiving one of these balls has passed from my mind to cyberspace, I am honored to have been included as a recipient.

Yes You Can -- Sara's Shoe Drive

2012-01-02T08:57:00.000-08:00

Today's blog introduces a new monthly series about people who have made a difference because they stepped out and did something bigger than themselves. Let's start with Sara. I met her through her blog, and that is where I heard her story.

Sara is a nurse in a psychiatric hospital in Michigan, where, she says, "our patients are often indigent and homeless. Believe it or not, several times a month we admit people without a pair of shoes. A single pair of shoes." The hospital issue socks these patients receive when they are admitted are sufficient for their stay in the hospital but they have no shoes to wear upon their discharge. And Michigan, especially in winter, is no place to be without shoes.

"So when they are ready to leave the hospital," writes Sara, "we need to give these guys a pair of shoes. Our staff donates a lot of shoes and clothing for our patients but there never seem to be enough shoes.

"I have seen staff take the shoes off of their own feet and go home in stocking feet because there were no appropriate shoes in the right size for their patient.

"I have seen staff go home to get their kid's shoes to bring back to a patient.

"I have seen staff take up a collection to buy a pair of shoes because all of our ideas ran out.

"I have seen a patient cry as he laced up a pair of used tennis shoes. I've also seen a man who had to wear women's shoes for discharge, it was all we could find."

"Do you have any shoes that are in decent shape that your family doesn't wear? If you could consider giving these shoes to our patients, you will make an incredible impact on a simple human need," Sara asked her readers. "While you are going through your closet, cold weather clothing and jackets are appreciated too."

This request was posted on September 25. On October 1 she reported that the staff was re-organizing the hospital's clothing closet and how they would identify people's needs. And on October 5 she reported, "Every morning our leadership team huddles to discuss the current hospital concerns. Yesterday I shared our progress. They couldn't believe it. People you've never met? Yup! Bags full of wonderful shoes (and clothes?) A box of brand new shoes? Yup and yup!

"Your generous response and allowing the Holy Spirit to use you to touch lives has had a profound impact. In fact, it's started a revolution!" The hospital leadership team got behind Sara's dream for an entire room of shoes and clothes to give away to patients. And rather than the staff exchanging white elephant gifts for Christmas, they requested that contributions be made to the clothing closet instead.

"I wish I could have captured on film the first young lady who asked if we had any shoes for her when we handed her a brand new pair of tennis shoes, still in the box that had been lovingly donated by Margie. 'Are these new? Oh my God these are brand new shoes? Oh thank you Jesus.'

"I set out to do a better job of meeting a need but to see the feeling of restored dignity of someone getting a pair of shoes is both heartbreaking and exhilarating" (December 8 post).

If you'd like to help support Sara's clothing closet, check out her blog to learn how. And if you feel the nudge to do something similar in your own part of the world, what's stopping you?

Change by Degree

2011-12-30T08:57:00.000-08:00

Graphic Credit

Two planes leave Los Angeles, one after the other. They follow the same route assigned by Air Traffic Control but their paths diverge by 3.3 degrees. Plane A arrives at its destination, Washington DC's Dulles Airport, and Plane B touches down at JFK in New York City.

Just a small change in their direction got them to destinations over 200 miles apart.

By nature, when I see a need for change in my life I'm inclined to dump my current approach and go for something entirely different. I make charts and lists and elaborate plans for creating profound change. And after a week or two I abandon my over planning and accept defeat. (You may be surprised by the number of "fresh start" notebooks I have around here!)

I've got several hopes for the new year, including some changes I'd like to put into place. But as I board Flight 2012, rather than taking the familiar route, I'm going to change my path by a degree or two and enjoy the flight.

(Thanks to Steve King, my pilot friend, for his help with this.)

All for Christ

2011-12-28T08:57:00.001-08:00

Our friend Phyllis, a missionary in Africa, recent sent this letter. I'm reprinting it here with her permission.

Let me introduce you to David, Christiana, their children and two grandsons, Gold and Wisdom. This family has been faithfully attending the Free Methodist church here for about two years, coming to Bible study on Thursdays and to morning worship service every Sunday. David and Christiana are elderly, David suffering from arthritis but still farming and fishing, taking primary care of Gold and Wisdom who attend [our area Christian school], never missing a day.

I was unaware of the unique story behind their attendance until last Thursday. Apparently around here no one thought their situation unusual - rather - their particular way of coping was just a normal part of life in this part of the country. But to me - it is simply amazing!

On Thursday morning Pastor John told me all of us would go out to their compound for Bible study, as Christiana wasn't feeling will. I was happy to add my Jeep to the van as means of transport, and at 4:45 pm loaded up as many members as possible then followed Clement across the main road onto a dirt track leading off in the general direction of the Niger River.

I'd never been to their place before so was surprised as we drove farther and farther into a desolate, uninhabited area, soon leaving the road and crossing stretches of barren hard pan - the dried out flood plains of the river. Finally we parked the vehicles and after a few minutes' walk came across the small compound. It was pitifully poor - only a tattered tent with an old thatched roof held down by driftwood. The family lives in a tattered tent in the flood plains of the Niger.

As we walked across the hard pan of the dried flood plains I began to wonder how this family managed in the rainy season. Well, I found out.

They SWIM to church, to Bible study and to school. David and Christiana showed us two big plastic wash basins into which they put the children and their Sunday clothes. The adults float the basins on the water, pushing them in front of them as they themselves swim the kilometers necessary to get to dry land and church.

When they get to dry land they change into their Sunday clothes. After church they change back into their wet clothes and swim back home. Amazing.

I chatted for a few minutes with David and Christiana after Bible study.

"What is it," I asked David, "that would push you to go through this kind of suffering, day after day, week after week, to get to church? What is it that makes it possible for you to endure this kind of hardship?"

"It's all for Christ," David answered. "What else can we do? Our canoe was borrowed by a neighbor who had an accident with it. As someone died in the incident, that canoe was confiscated by the police. We have no means of acquiring another.

"We must attend worship, no matter how difficult. We do it all for Christ."

Phyllis concludes: Will I ever be able to give ANY excuse for missing church again?

And I add: What am I willing to do "all for Christ"?

Mary's Musings

2011-12-26T08:57:00.000-08:00

He's beautiful. Perfectly knit, top to little round bottom to tiny pink toes -- all ten of them. I unwrap him too often just to look at him, to check once more and see if he's all boy. But each time he's the same, as fleshy as I, as male as Joseph, as predictable as any baby born to any woman on any night. Crying in wails. Leaking water. Sucking my breast. Burping his gas. He sleeps and sleeps and who knows what he dreams?

In my dream last night I heard the song the angels sang to the shepherds. I woke feeling as if the dream had been a gift, a reward for my labors, as if this squirming bundle weren't enough.

This morning down on the lower level, on his way toward the door and the shop, Joseph stopped to peer over Jesus, set in the day's fresh manger straw. Not very aware of my presence -- or anybody's -- Joseph talked to the baby as if he were an adult: "Hello there, and welcome to this fine house, a little crowded right now but we'll find a place of our own soon enough, don't you worry. My name is Joseph ben Jacob but you can call me Dad..."

From Mary's Journal, a Mother's Story by Evelyn Bence

Fifth Day of Advent, Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T08:57:00.000-08:00

Behold!

This is our God

for whom we have waited

that He might save us.

The is the Lord

for whom we have waited;

let us rejoice and be glad

in His salvation..

We have waited for You eagerly;

Your name,

even Your memory,

is the desire of our souls.

At night my soul longs for You,

indeed, my spirit within me

seeks You diligently.

Isaiah 25:9 and 26:8-9

The Nativity Story

2011-12-23T08:57:00.000-08:00

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Christmas Breakfast

2011-12-21T08:57:00.000-08:00

Our family will be together for breakfast on Christmas morning. It's the first breakfast we've shared since some time in May, and this mama is so looking forward to it. I will love going to the Christmas Eve service with Tom and both our boys, enjoying a wonderful Christmas Eve salmon dinner together, everyone sleeping under one roof, opening gifts on Christmas morning then spending the afternoon with my side of the family. But what I most look forward to is sitting together over a wonderful Christmas breakfast.

We recently discovered an amazing recipe for Salmon and Sweet-Potato Frittata which will incorporate leftover salmon from the night before. My, oh my, it is delicious! We'll also make up a batch of our favorite applesauce muffins and serve slices of pear. (Years ago we started putting pears in the toe of the Christmas stockings but I have to buy them early in the week so they will be ripe enough for Christmas!)

The frittata recipe comes from Real Simple. I'll give you the original recipe but will tell you how we adapted it to make it gluten and dairy free. I found the muffin recipe at GF-Zing!

Photo: David Prince in Real Simple

Salmon and Sweet PotatoFrittata

Serves 4 [We found it served 6-8]

Hands-on Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and grated (3 cups)

1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into ½ inch cubes

6 eggs

¼ cup milk [Use rice or soy milk]

2 cup Swiss cheese, diced (8 ounces) [We used a combination of Better Than Cream Cheese and Imo, both soy products. Or use a gratednon-dairy cheese such as Daiya.]

¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a deep 8- to 10-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the oil overmoderately high heat.

2. Add the sweet potatoes and onion and cook, stirring untiltender, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the salmon. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes oruntil cooked through. Remove the skilled from heat.

4. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, tarragon salt, anda few grinds of pepper. Add to theskillet. Stir.

5. Bake the frittata in the upper third of the oven for 20minutes or until set. Transfer to a plate. Cut into wedges.

Applesauce Muffins –Gluten Free

These yummy muffins weredeveloped for the GF-Zing! Website. The large amount of cinnamon balances the blandness of rice-basedflours. Makes 12 muffins.

In a large bowl, mix:

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar or sucanat

1 egg or ¼ cup eggsubstitute

1 cup unsweetenedapplesauce

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon cloves

1 ½ teaspoons xantham gum

Mix thoroughly, then stirin 2 cups Bette’s Featherlight Rice Flour Blend. (See recipe below)

Next, stir in 1 cup driedcranberries and ½ cup broken or chopped pecans. Stir to blend thoroughly. Spoon the batter into the muffin liners, then bake at 350degrees for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Featherlight Rice FlourMix by Bette Hagman:

3 cups rice flour

3 cups tapioca flour

3 cups cornstarch

3 tablespoons potato flour(not potato starch)

Such Wonder!

2011-12-19T08:57:00.000-08:00

I recently read a blog post by Dr Ray Pennoyer, in which he shares "the entire Christmas story in one verse." That verse (actually two verses, but one sentence) is Galatians 4:4-5.

But when thetime had fully come,

God sent hisSon,

born of awoman,

born underthe law,

to redeemthose under the law,

that we mightreceive the full rights of sons.

I don't know what made that time in history the right time, but from God's perspective, it was the right time. He himself, God, sent his own divine Son, to be born of a human woman (Jesus was both human and divine). Jesus came to a world that was under the law, and we all are under the law. Romans 2:15 tells us that even unbelievers who do not have the law have the requirements of the law written on their hearts. But Jesus came to redeem us from the law so that we would no longer be slaves to the law but sons and daughters of God!

No wonder the angels sang at Christ's birth! No wonder despised shepherds ran to the stable to see this Jesus, then told everyone what they had seen! No wonder kings from afar traveled a great distance to pay homage to this King! No wonder we still celebrate his birth! No wonder we still fall at his feet in worship and offer him our lives! Such wonder!

Forth Sunday of Advent

2011-12-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

In that day the Lord of hosts

will become a beautiful crown

and a glorious diadem

to the remnant of His people.

Isaiah 28:5

Carpenters - Christ Is Born

2011-12-16T08:57:00.000-08:00

Ladies in Waiting

2011-12-14T08:57:00.000-08:00

In Luke's rendering of the Christmas story we are introduced to three ladies in waiting -- Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Anna the prophetess.

Upright and blameless. That describes Elizabeth, wife of Zechariah the priest. For many years she had longed for a child of her own, but they were now old, and she was barren.

Her husband had been chosen to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a priest put Zechariah in the very presence of God. While serving, and angel appeared to him and said, Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you are to give him the name John (Luke 1:13).

Zechariah questioned the words of the angel. How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years. Because of his doubt, he was struck dumb and would not speak until the birth of his son. But after long years of waiting, Elizabeth accepted the news with joy. The Lord has done this for me... In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people (1:25).

Elizabeth's cousin, Mary, was young, maybe only 13 or 14. She was engaged to Joseph, a carpenter. When an angel appeared to her, telling her that she would bear a son, the Son of the Most High, she humbly accepted his words. She said, I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said (1:38).

Mary's waiting had just begun. As the story unfolded and the child was born and shepherds and wise men and an angry king all became a part of her life, Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart (2:19). Until her final breath, she would wait to see what God would do through the life, death and resurrection of her son.

And then there's Anna. She was not just old, she was very old. Widowed after just seven years of marriage, she has lived in the temple ever since, and now she was 84. She never left the temple, but spent her time worshipping God, fasting and praying. When Joseph and Mary presented Jesus at the temple, Anna was there. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem (2:38). Her waiting was over.

We wait in hope for the Lord;

he is our help and our shield.

In him our hearts rejoice,

for we trust in his holy name.

Psalm 33:21

(I was unable to find attributions for the art work.)

The Tree of Light

2011-12-12T08:57:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas tree began in a pot in our backyard, about eight years ago. A sequoia sapling, which Tom had planned to bonsai, decided instead to settle in for the long haul and put its roots down into the ground, where it happily grew into a good-sized tree. It was between the deck, a large pine tree, and the neighbor's fence, no place for a tree that could eventually grow to 300 feet! (You might remember the tree from an earlier post.)

So Tom cut off the top and turned it into a Christmas tree!

I'd been thinking about having a theme tree, inspired by The Isaiah Tree and an article I recently wrote for an online publication called Ruby for Women (see pages 22-24). When our youth pastor, Brian Hoyer, spoke a couple of weeks ago about the Christmas tree and the significance of light as a symbol of Christmas, I decided to make this year's tree a Tree of Light, representing Jesus, the light of the world, and His light reflected from the lives of His followers.

And now I wish you a bright and joyful Christmas season!

Here's the tree at 10 feet tall in July, 2010

The tree was now 15 feet tall!

Cutting the top off

Ready to catch the tree

Finding its good side

Placing the star

Mom, Peach and her daughters helped make
the mirror ornaments for the tree

Before the decorations

With lights, balls and mirrors

The Tree of Light

Third Sunday of Advent

2011-12-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

Surely our griefs He Himself bore,

and our sorrows He carried...

He was pierced through for our transgressions

and crushed for our iniquities.

Isaiah 53:4-5

Bold Spirit

2011-12-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

I've just finished reading Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America, by Linda Lawrence Hunt. It is, in fact, the third book I have recently read about this remarkable woman and her even more remarkable journey.

The first two books I read were both novels, published this year. Carole Esty Dagg's book, The Year We Were Famous, told of the wager that set Helga Estby and her daughter Clara on a 3000 mile trek from Spokane to New York City. The Daughter's Walk: A Novel, was written by Jane Kirkpatrick, and also tells the story of the walk, but includes several additional years when Clara left home in pursuit of her own life. Both books deal with the harsh realities these women must have faced along the way and developed the relationship between mother and daughter. They are good reads, but they are fiction. I wanted to meet Helga Estby as a historical character.

Because the records of their trip were stolen in New York, and Helga's memoirs were destroyed, we have no first person account of her life. Ms Hunt became aware of Helga Estby through a middle school student, Doug Bahr, a great-great-grandson of Helga, who wrote about her for the Washington State History Contest. From there, through "years of tenacious sleuthing," she was able to reconstruct this story. In her acknowledgements she lists dozens of people who helped her with research, from librarians of several universities and public libraries, to historical societies of 13 different states, to the National Archives of Norway. It is a tremendously researched book -- the bibliography is 17 pages! -- which provids invaluable information about Helga and Clara as well as giving great insight into the life and times of the turn of the 20th century.

Through the pages of Bold Spirit I met a complex woman, willing to take a stand for what she believed, who cared deeply for her family, so deeply, in fact, that she walked across the United States in hopes of winning a $10,000 wager which would be more than enough to pay off the mortgage. It was a life-threatening trek and many times she and Clara were in perilous situations. But in just over seven months they made it to New York.

As they passed through towns, newspapers would cover their progress. When they got to Salt Lake City they were given new outfits to wear for the rest of the trip -- bicycle skirts, a few inches above the ankle and much less restrictive than Victorian dresses which most women still wore.

At that turn of the 19th century, only four states had granted women the right to vote: Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Colorado. With Clara's growing passion for women's suffrage, the fact that two women were traveling unaccompanied across the country, and the unconventional clothing they, they were heralded by some and scorned by many, including their own family.

While the women were gone, disaster struck at home. Upon their return, the family refused to allow them to talk about their experiences. Even the memoirs that Helga worked on in secret were discovered and destroyed. Helga's great accomplishment was never celebrated in her family and the story, which is a significant part of American history, would have been lost forever if it weren't for Ms Hunt's extensive research and subsequent book.

I encourage you to read Bold Spirit, even though I have given a spoiler or two! The style of the writing, the many historical and cultural details that are included, and the final chapter, "A Reflection on the Silencing of Family Stories," teach us a lot about the value of story for understanding who we are and how we got here.

My hat is off to Helga Estby, her daughter Clara, and to Linda Lawrence Hunt for saving them from vanishing from the face of American history.

What's Your Favorite Christmas Movie?

2011-12-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

Do you have a favorite Christmas movie? I'd love to hear what you love to watch!

I've heard a lot of talk this season about It's a Wonderful Life. I haven't seen it for a few years; this will be the year we watch it again. There is, in fact, a Seattle theater group doing an improv show based on the movie called It's Your Wonderful Life where each performance will be based on the life of one of the audience members!

Our favorite kids' Christmas video is Alabaster's Song, about the angel on the top of the tree that tells the story of the first Christmas to the littlest child in the family.

I saw an article the other day that talked about Christmas movies that incorporate creation, the fall and redemption. The author's favorite is a 1941 movie starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunn called Penny Serenade. It's not available at the library, but I did find the full movie on You Tube. We plan to watch it tonight.

Why not take a few minutes right now to share your favorite Christmas movie with us? We'll all appreciate your input!

{Photo Credit}

Hymn of the Month -- Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

2011-12-05T08:57:00.000-08:00

"Let all the earth keep silence before Him" (Habakkuk 2:20)

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence was written in the 4th century, composed in Greek as a chant to use for Offertory. Although it is an ancient chant, it has been set to a popular Medieval French tune, making it much more accessible to modern times. I'm afraid my musical bias is showing; this is the second month in a row to choose a hymn sung by Fernando Ortega!

Like many more commonly known Christmas carols, this hymn tells the story of Christ's advent, His purpose, and His ultimate victory. And it calls us to respond with worshipful reverence.

Cynthia Clawson performs a shortened rendition of the hymn that you can hear here. It is haunting and beautiful, and hangs in the air long after it's over.

Second Sunday of Advent

2011-12-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

And now says the Lord,

I will also make You a light to the nations

so that My salvation

may reach to the end of the earth.

Isaiah 49:6

Smile!

2011-12-02T08:57:00.000-08:00

Mountaintop Experiment
Paul Bellis Jones, a 24-year-old university student from Wales, hiked up a mountain in Snodownia and shot a picture of his friend with his disposable camera. Then he slipped the camera into a plastic bag, left it on the mountaintop, and headed home.

It was an experiment, a little peek into human nature. Inside the bag was also a note, inviting others to take a photo of themselves and leave the camera for others to use. Would people really take a photo? And would he ever see the camera again?

Three months later he got his answer when Park Ranger Brian Jones delivered the camera to his door. There were over 30 pictures of hikers who had enjoyed the use of the camera and had left it there.

Check out the Daily Mail to read the article and see some fun photos!

* * * * * * * * * * *

Tongue Twisters

Here are three tongue twisters I chose from the 500 listed here, in case you'd like to try a few more.

East Fife Four, Forfar Five

an actual football result from the Scottish third dvision

11 was a racehorse,

22 was12.

1111 race,

22112.

Wunwun was a racehorse, Tutu was one too. Wunun won one race, Tutu won one too.

A tree toad loves a she-toad,

who lived up in a tree.

He was a three-toed tree toad,

but a two-toed toad was she.

The three-toed tree toad grid to win

the two-toed she-toad's heart,

for the three-toed tree toad loved the ground

that the two-toed tree toad trod.

But the three-ted tree toad tried in vain,

he couldn't please her whim.

From her tree toad bower,

with her two-toed power,

the she-toad vetoed him.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Validation

Grab a cup of coffee and take a 16-minute break. This wonderful award winning video is lots of fun and is sure to make you smile!

{Art Credit}

The Family Car

2011-11-30T08:57:00.000-08:00

DCJ621. That was the license number of the 1948 Hudson that our family had when we were young. It was back when gas prices sometimes dipped below 19 cents a gallon and people took Sunday drives.

Cars were bigger back then, with wider seats, more leg room, big back windows, and wings. I'm not talking flying cars here; the vent windows on the car doors were called "wings," I guess because they stuck out like wings when you opened them.

We'd pile into that big old green Hudson and head off to visit the cousins or the grandparents, and stay till we should have been home in bed. When we'd finally get ourselves out to the car for the long ride home, Dad and Mom would help each of us kids settle into our places. Tom and I would lie down in the back seat, my head up against one back door and his against the other, like you might put chicken legs in a pan to bake. Tim and Ted, the babies, would lie across the front seat of the car, one with his head on Mom's lap and the other with his head on Dad's lap. Peach always got the back window.

This was the 50s, years before we knew anything about seat belts, car seats, and airbags.

As we got older we moved into 9-passanger station wagons, the precursor to the mini-van. They had three rows of seats; the third row usually faced forward, but we had a couple of cars where the third seat faced out the back window. As you can image, it was a little tricky to get into that back seat!

The two back seats folded down so that you could carry lots of cargo -- or kids. Every now and then Mom would declare a "Why Not Day" and she and her friend Margie would load the five of us kids and Margie's four into the back end of the car, stop by to pick up three of our cousins, and head out of town for the day, to Vancouver BC or some other exotic destination. Twelve kids and two moms stuffed into our car drew a fair bit of attention from others on the road, even back then.

All our cars were pre-owned until I was pretty well grown, when my parents bought a brand new Rambler station wagon, a sweet looking butterscotch colored car with wood paneling. It turned out that the car had one fatal flaw, a faulty starter. We kept a hammer under the driver's seat so that if we had trouble getting the car to start someone would jump out , pop the hood open, and whack the starter with the hammer. It never failed. In a matter of moments we were on our way.

Ahh, those were the days!

What was in Lincoln's Pockets?

2011-11-28T08:57:00.000-08:00

Just thought you'd like to know.

First Sunday of Advent

2011-11-27T08:57:00.000-08:00

Water will gush forth in the wilderness

and streams in the desert.

The burning sand will become a pool,

the thirsty ground bubbling springs.

In the haunts where jackals once lay,

grass and reeds and papyrus

will grow.

And a highway will be there;

it will be called the Highway of Holiness.

The unclean will not journey on it;

it will be for those who walk in that Way.

Only the redeemed will walk there,

and the ransomed of the Lord will return.

They will enter Zion with singing;

everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake them,

and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Isaiah 35:6-10

Advent 2011, Jesus in Isaiah

2011-11-25T08:57:00.000-08:00

Do you remember Sue Staple's Isaiah Tree from a blog I posted last December? Taking names and descriptions of Jesus from the Old Testament book of Isaiah, Sue designed a Christmas tree that would highlight Jesus in Isaiah.

In Advent we anticipate the coming of Christ. For each of the five Sundays of Advent this year (November 27 through December 18 and Saturday the 24th) we will look at one of the names of Jesus found in Isaiah and the decoration from the tree that illustrates that name. I invite you to meditate on Isaiah's descriptions and attributes of Christ which he made known 400 years before Jesus' birth.

Thanksgiving Blessings

2011-11-23T08:57:00.000-08:00

Family, food and football, the essence of American Thanksgiving. The house is filled with the aroma of roasting turkey, fresh pie and homemade rolls, and the table, set with the best china, is laden with salads and vegetable dishes, a heaping dish of potatoes, the family's favorite stuffing, gravy, pickles and olives. Have I forgotten anything?

We prepare for the meal for days, cleaning the house, checking the ads for the best prices on holiday items, polishing the silver, whatever is important for us to enjoy the perfect Thanksgiving. Over dinner we join hands and offer a prayer of thanks to God for His blessings -- Aunt Susie's improved health, the birth of the newest baby, snow (or no snow), a day off work -- all things that are worth celebrating. But I wonder, have we lost sight of the greater significance of the holiday?

The Pilgrims who suffered great loss in their journey and settlement in the New World, gathered to share a feast with the Wampanoag Indians after their first bountiful harvest. Later the Puritans gathered for times of thanksgiving for God's care and provision.

By the mid 1800s many states celebrated Thanksgiving, but there was no unified date for the holiday. Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor who was concerned for the nation that was moving toward Civil War, began a letter writing campaign to have a united Thanksgiving day in hopes of averting war. Her campaign lasted forty years; finally, in 1863, President Lincoln designated the last Thursday of November as a national day of Thanksgiving.

God has abundantly blessed our country. Whether you are gathered at a family feast tomorrow or are alone with a turkey pot pie and the Hallmark Channel, spend a few moments to consider God's rich blessings, both to our country and to you, and, from a sincere heart, give Him the thanks due His name.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

How to Shop for Christmas and Impact the World

2011-11-21T08:57:00.000-08:00

Four days till Black Friday, when the craziness of Christmas shopping erupts. Shoppers, beating a path to the mall in the wee hours of the morning drag home with sore feet, throbbing heads, and empty wallets. Is that really what you want?

Here's how you can save yourself a trip to the mall, provide wonderful gifts for your family and friends, and support women from around the world!

This Christmas, give gifts from Sister Connection and Heavenly Treasures!

Sister Connection serves the women of Burundi who were widowed during more than a decade of civil war. Not only does Sister Connection connect Burundian women with sponsors, build homes for the widows, and provide camp opportunities for their children, they also teach the women sewing and other skills by which the widows can earn a living. And their aprons and purses are available for purchase for $10 each!

My Sister Connection apron

Aprons in other fabrics ($10)

Handbags

All bags (10"x9") are $10

Recently Susan Rice, a SC board member, hosted a Sister Connection Craft Event, where they raised $550 for the widows. All proceeds go directly back to the widows, with none being held out for administrative costs.

Should you be interested in purchasing aprons or purses, send me an e-mail with your contact information and I will tell you how to reach Susan to shop Sister Connection! You can reach me at (threeminutestonine@gmail.com).

Another organization that sells a wide variety of products made by people from around the world is Heavenly Treasures. "Since 1998, heavenly treasures has assisted refugees, single mothers, widows, the physically disabled, women & children rescued from human trafficking, orphans, the disenfranchised, and many others. Lives around the world are affected each day through the sale of handicrafts. Each product made reflects the heart and soul of one or more of our artisans around the world. Assistance is provided to artisans in the areas of Business Development, International Marketing, Leadership Training, Product Development and Spiritual Guidance. We desire to see people fed physically, spiritually & emotionally" (taken from their website). Like Sister Connection, 100% of all sales go back to the crafters.

You will find jewelry, table linens, toys, ornaments, paper products, gifts for men, and many other handmade items, available through Heavenly Treasures. Here are some examples:

Teak notebooks ($6 each)

Ceramic car ($10)

Silk scarves from Thailand ($10)

Make your Christmas shopping count for not only the receivers, but also for the crafters who made the items by hand. And spread the word!

Reaching Out to Kids in Need

2011-11-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

My friend Briana is the director of The Spot, "a safe place for youth" in Stanwood. She and two other women, Kristi and Leslie, work full-time for Youth for Christ, "coming alongside [young people] wherever they are in life, meeting their needs and sharing the hope of Jesus," according to their brochure.

This all sounds good on paper, but it's even better when you meet these passionate women and hear of the lives being touched by the ministry of Stanwood YFC. That's exactly what I was privileged to do earlier this week.

Leslie Hauck is the director of a new program called Step Up, and she works with kids at Lincoln Hill, Stanwood's alternative high school, helping at-risk youth develop job skills and find mentorships that will equip them for the future. She has an office on campus, where she is available to meet with students for guidance counseling or assist school staff with office work, whatever the need may be. Her open heart and warm smile are just what these kids need as they try to navigate a world that could so easily swallow them up.

Another group of kids in need is teen parents. As a former teen mom herself, Kristi Foster knows how to connect with the nearly 30 young women with whom she works. The Stanwood YFC brochure states that "the YFC Teen Parents ministry connects gained adults with pregnant girls and teenage parents in programs designed to help them make good choices and establish a solid foundation, not only in their lives, but also in the lives of their babies." These young women find love and support in this very caring arm of Stanwood Youth for Christ's ministry.

I've spent time with Briana Gibson, the Spot's director. To know her is to know her heart for kids and her love for Jesus. She is passionate about working with teens. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday after school and every Saturday evening the Spot is open for youth in middle school and high school. And each time the doors are open, caring adults from the community are there to serve the kids, whether laying out a spread in the kitchen, playing pool with them, or engaging one-on-one in conversation. My son has spent many hours at the Spot, so I know firsthand that it is a great outreach to kids in Stanwood.

The other day Briana posted a story on her blog. At a recent staff meeting she asked what they could do to enhance their ministry. One of the volunteers suggested that they should always honor the Lord through the Spot. Out of that comment came a new policy -- each time the doors open they would take a few moments to remind the teens why the Spot exists and pray. It's not mandatory; no one is required to come into the room where this takes place. At first the kids listened but didn't participate. But soon there were prayer requests from the students and now they are more open with their questions about God and sharing their own lives. As the staff at the Spot strive to intentionally honor the Lord each day, God is honoring their efforts.

Thinking about my last post, praying for the kids served by Stanwood YFC and the volunteers who work with them is one way we can love them. Maybe God will even show us concrete ways to reach out to needy young people right where we are with His love.

Hymn of the Month -- Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing with lyrics

2011-11-16T08:57:00.000-08:00

Robert Robinson penned the words to this hymn 250 years ago. He was born in Norfolk, England in 1735, to poor parents. His father died when he was eight, and his mother sent him to London at 14 to be apprenticed to a barber. There he joined a street gang and got involved in drinking and gambling. He and some members of his gang once plied a fortune teller with enough alcohol to get her to tell their fortunes for free. She pointed at Robinson and told him that he would live to see his children and grandchildren. Her words startled him and made him think about living a better life.

When he was 17 he gathered a group of hoodlums and went to an evangelistic meeting where George Whitfield was preaching. Their plan was to heckle the preacher and interfere with the meeting, but Whitfield's words pierced his heart and set in motion a battle in his soul that would last three years. When he finally surrendered his life to Christ he found forgiveness and peace.

He joined the Methodists and John Wesley later appointed him to the Calvinist Methodist Church in Norfolk as pastor. It was while there that he composed this song for Pentecost Sunday in 1758.

There are lots of teenagers today whose stories are similar to Robinson's. Living in a single parent home, barely scraping by financially (or maybe not), hanging out with other kids whose backgrounds are the same, getting into trouble. They are on the streets of every community. We see them, shake our heads, and comment on their sense of hopelessness. Too bad, we say, as we drive past them.

But that's not how God sees them.

He who has known them from before they were even born (Psalm 139, Jeremiah 1:5), has His eye on each young person who struggles, whose home life is difficult, who hangs out on the streets, who seem so hopeless. And He loves them and is intent on drawing them to Himself, just as He did Robert Robinson. He knows their hearts, and He knows how to reach them.

What does He require of us? He wants us to love them too. He wants us to pray for them. He wants us to open our hearts to them, to smile at them, to listen to them, to help them as we can. He wants us to see them with His eyes. He is as anxious to set people free from their hopelessness today as He has ever been. And He is just as able.

Soaring with Eagles

2011-11-14T08:57:00.000-08:00

New friendships formed

Our church was bursting at the seams on Saturday as we hosted the first ever Eagle Wings Thanksgiving Dinner. With 160 dinner guests coming from all over the county and more than 100 volunteers cooking, serving, hosting tables, helping with parking, and caring for a myriad other details, the place was buzzing.

Eagle Wings serves the developmentally disabled adult population of Snohomish County. As Executive Director, Kinder Smoots (whose wedding last month was a wonderful event) works with churches and other groups to provide annual events for our often overlooked neighbors. With the addition of the Thanksgiving Dinner, there are now 19 events throughout the year sponsored by Eagle Wings. Coming in December are three events -- the SeaFair Christmas Cruise, an evening at the Lights of Christmas, and the annual Christmas Celebration hosted by an area church.

The events fill up fast. Once the invitation goes out the reservations always come quickly; in just three days we were up to capacity!

Saturday night was a time for reconnecting, good food and fellowship, and joy. As guests entered, they received a name tag and sat down at one of the two photo booths to have a professional photo taken. Before they left for home, each guest was given his or her photo to display in the nice frame they had made as a craft project before the meal was served. My friend Ginger ran into a woman she'd known at a church she attended 30 years ago. It was a sweet reunion for them. My son and his housemates and caregiver sat at the table I hosted. So did Neal, the best man from Kinder and Jim's wedding last month. It was a joy to get to talk to him and his sister, who drove from Kirkland so that he could be at the dinner.

I was so impressed with the food preparation and serving. The delicious dinner -- turkey gravy served over mashed potatoes, green beans with onions and red peppers, strawberry jello, cranberry sauce, dinner roll and slushies, and followed up with pumpkin pie -- was set before us by a host of servers who were thoughtful and efficient. The organization required to provide and serve such a grand dinner for so many was impressive as well.

The worship team provided background music and also led us in song at the end of the meal. When the singing began, I watched a young woman from the table closest to the back wall stand up in the aisle and raise her hands in joyful praise. Soon she was right in front, joined by a number of others who sang and danced to the Lord.

I do hope the guests enjoyed the evening as much as the church family who got to participate in this wonderful evening did!

Kinder doing a Volunteer Training before the guests arrive

More volunteers

A happy guest

Ginger and one of the guests

"Let the serving begin!"

Crafts at the table and a video on the screen

Guests and volunteers worshipping

Do you want to know more about Eagle Wings? Do you want to get involved in one of their ministries, or do you or a loved one have a special need and would like to included in Eagle Wings activities? Be sure to check out their website. Kinder would love to hear from you!

I Am Second: Chris Plekenpol - Army Captain, Iraq Veteran

2011-11-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

The Monet Tea Set

2011-11-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

My friend Lorie visited us over the weekend. Thirty years ago we shared an apartment in Japan and have had a sweet friendship since that time. Remembering my teapot collection, she brought me a lovely gift, an exquisite teapot/cup and saucer set. It came in a beautiful box with Monet's Poppies on it, and inside was this delicate porcelain teapot that sits perfectly into the cup, with a matching saucer. I love the fine china feel, the colors and beauty of the pieces, the way the hot tea steeping in the pot warms up the cup. It was a loving, thoughtful gift and I appreciate it very much.

And if you come to my house for tea, I will serve you with my Monet Poppies tea set.

Snoqualmie Falls

2011-11-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

Tom and I bundled up on Saturday morning and headed toward Preston, Fall City and Snoqualmie Falls. We were in search of cheese, beautiful scenery, some photos of Snoqualmie Falls and lunch out.

We drove through farm country as we traveled Pioneer Highway from Stanwood to I-5, which we don't do often enough. I should have had my camera ready, because, as beautiful as the sights were that we saw later in the day, nothing compared to the barns and fields bathed in sunlight and backed by colored trees that we passed in the fresh mid-morning.

Going south on I-5, we turned off at I-405 and then east onto I-90. The cheese we buy, Greenbank Cheese, is made in Preston, just 15 miles down the road. According to the internet they have a store and we were looking forward to doing a little shopping. Alas, no cheese company at the address we found online, and no sign of them anywhere we went in Preston. Oh, well, the day is young. Let's move on.

Snoqualmie Falls is another seven miles, and I watched as we climbed higher and higher above the river gorge. The falls were beautiful! Next time we'll go later in the day, when the sun is further to the south and not shining in our eyes as we try to photograph the falls. Still it was a spectacular sight to view this 268 foot waterfall spilling over the rocks. I've read that, next to Mount Rainier, this is Washington State's most popular tourist attraction.

With well-built walkways and lookout points and native Northwest landscaping, the two-acre park is inviting. The hiking trails, as I understand, will be closed until 2013.

Our biggest disappointment was that both our cameras gave us some trouble. My camera's battery went dead and I didn't have a recharged replacement for it, and Tom's photos turned out quite grainy. Still we were able to capture a few good photos.

On our way home we stopped at the Fall City Roadhouse where they heat up their biscuits on the grill (yummy) and serve food that continues steaming long after they bring it to the table! Tom enjoyed the Hangtown Fry, featuring oysters, eggs, bacon and hash browns, and my Country Scramble was loaded with vegetables, including Yukon Gold potatoes, and topped with goat cheese. I recommend the food and the service.

Next time you have out-of-town company, or the next time you just want an enjoyable trip that's not too far from home, why not head to Snoqualmie Falls!

Pick a Little, Talk a Little

2011-11-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

We had a phenomenal apple crop this year. It was our best ever, yet it was a total bust.

We've got this tree in the front, just beside the road, and this summer we noticed it had one little apple on it. It's never borne an apple before, so we were quite excited. Except for these little red berries that were growing on branches that intertwined with the apple tree, there was no other fruit to be found. And this little apple was beautiful! But one day, when we had our heads turned, something happened to our solo apple. Was it one of the neighbor kids -- or some kind of wildlife -- that got our apple, or did the wind knock it off the tree? I guess we'll never know.

So that made Heather's e-mail especially sweet. She said, "Martha's got lots of fragrant, delicious apples that you can go pick. Any takers?" So Karen and I went to her house on Wednesday to pick. We had a bucket and two baskets; Martha had the "apple pickers" and the trees. We'd never used an apple picker before. It is a long handle with a wire basket with a rake-like set of teeth around part of the the basket to pull the apples from the tree. You can get several apples at a time, if you're careful.

The apples were firm and delicious, with snowy white flesh. Great eating apples. And now I'm singing that song from The Music Man, "Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little..." I guess that's what friends do when they pick apples together!

Karen and our harvest of Martha's apples

A little art shot

Falling Short

2011-11-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

Art by Patrick Slaven

For months I've been pondering the meaning of Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... I always assumed it was talking about God's standard of expected behavior from His followers. I would see myself, heels pressed against the wall while I stretched to my full height, hoping to be a little closer to the top of God's huge yardstick designed to measure my righteousness. I saw this verse from a legal point of view, and I always fell short.

Charles Stanley says that we fall short of God's likeness. This is falling short of God's standard, and even more. Created in God's likeness (Genesis 1:26), we fall short of it. We are incapable of living up to all that God had in mind for us. We are sinners, we are fundamentally flawed!

But there is hope! It is found in Jesus Christ.

Here's how the Message Bible renders Romans 3:23 and 24: Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners...and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. (emphasis mine)

Praise the Lord for the gift of Jesus Christ, who makes us righteous and qualifies us to experience the glory of God in our lives!

That's What Friends Are For

2011-10-31T08:57:00.000-07:00

It was Halloween, 1967, not quite three months since my 18-year-old brother, Tom, had passed away. My parents were deeply grieving the death of their eldest child while caring for the remaining four of us.

Dad and Mom had been out, taking the younger kids trick-or-treating. When they pulled into the driveway Mom noticed a couple of strange looking characters on the front porch. They seemed too big to be kids, but they looked pretty odd and Mom was curious about them.

When she got to the porch she realized that the strangers were actually two of her very good friends, Dolly and Sarah, in oversized, mismatched clothing and goofy hats pulled way down over their eyes. "Come on," they said, "we've come to take you trick-or-treating!"

Mom gave them plenty of excuses -- she didn't feel like it, she didn't really want to, she didn't have a costume. "Oh, yes you do!" they said, as they pulled an entire outfit, just as goofy looking as their own, from a bag.

Finally she relented. And she had a wonderful time. She considers it one of the greatest kindnesses she received during that period of grieving. Those dear friends pulled her out of herself that night, allowing her to laugh and reminding her that she would be okay.

There's nothing like good friends!

Seattle's Hat and Boots

2011-10-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

1950s

Today

A Seattle icon for over 50 years, Seattle's Hat and Boots is true Americana. You will enjoy this delightful video about the history of this piece of Seattle's culture, produced by the Seattle Channel.

Seattle Hat and Boots

The Old Piano

2011-10-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

The old piano is now in my parents' garage, awaiting a new home

I couldn't have been more than five the day the piano showed up. It was one of the great surprises our parents liked to do for us kids. In those early years it was covered with a bumpy white naugahyde, and the piano looked like something you might see in the lounge of a restaurant in the 1950s. Dad and Mom eventually took it apart, refurbished the keys and strings, and recovered it in walnut formica. It was the centerpiece of our living room.

The top of the piano was always a focal point for our Christmas decorations, with spun glass "angel hair" covering the top and the shelf, small lights reflecting in the mirror, and a collection of porcelain choir boys and angels on display. That's how it was, except the year that we had to put the Christmas tree on top of the piano so the twins wouldn't knock it down!

Tom and I took piano lessons from George Rhoads, the grandfather of church friends, and the spitting image of the Rainier Beer Brewmaster. He came to our house each week and guided us through an hour of piano. He was a gentle, good teacher, but I wasn't ready for the structure of the lessons, and struggled to make progress. I quit piano lessons.

Eventually all five of us kids had at least a few lessons, and each of us learned to play. As for me, it took a couple more teachers and a lot of determination. I would sit down to play and, chord by chord struggle through an entire hymn, taking so long that no one could remember what the song was supposed to be by the time I reached the end. After years of dogged determination, I got to the place where I can play decently.

As an adult I bought a piano from my friends Danny and Glenda. It's also an upright, heavy and difficult to move. So for years it was at the home of my friend Kris, waiting for us to reclaim it. We'd had it back for a year or so and I'd walk past it several times a day but was always too busy to stop and play. One particular day, in the midst of the stress and turmoil of life, I stopped at the piano rather than pass by. A couple of notes just above middle C were stuck, so I started running my fingers over the notes an octave above. I picked out a tune and found that a song came spilling out of me. Playing it on the higher notes gave it a lightness, a sweetness that fit the melody. Based on Psalm 23, I wrote a song that has quieted my heart on many occasions.

Other songs have followed. Most flow out of a specific experience and are based on scripture. It was a gift from the Lord that I never expected.

I'm no virtuoso, but I am so grateful for our old piano and the encouragement of my family to just play at my own pace. Surely this is one of the sweetest gifts I have ever received.

The Cinderella Wedding

2011-10-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of The Herald/taken by Sarah Weiser

I've never seen happier bridesmaids -- all 30 of them! They stood with Kinder Holdaway as she was married at 4:00 on Saturday, October 22, to Jim Smoots. Among Jim's two dozen groomsmen was our son Samuel. It was his 20th birthday.

As Executive Director of Eagle Wings Ministries, Kinder works to bring Snohomish County's developmentally disabled adult population together with the community at large. Jim is a PE teacher and coach at Arlington High School. They met in January of 2009 when Kinder was at Jim's church, sharing about Eagle Wings. On Christmas morning, 2010, he proposed.

Kinder wanted to share this special day with the many friends she has made over the past eight years she's been a part of Eagle Wings, and Jim agreed. So after they announced their engagement at the annual Valentine's Dinner earlier this year, they circulated through the crowd with a clipboard, signing up whoever wanted to be in the bridal party.

For most of the participants, this was the first time to be in a wedding.

The men were dressed in white shirts, black slacks, black shoes and ties. There were plenty of extra red ties on hand, just in case one of the guys didn't have his own. The women wore red dresses of their own choosing, which looked beautiful with their boquets. Volunteers were on site to do the women's hair and make-up, and to help the guys with their ties and boutonnieres. The flowers, the food, the co-ordination, the church, were all gifts to the bride and groom from New Life Foursquare Church in Everett.

My family stopped by to see Samuel and the other men while they waited for the wedding to begin. Oh, the energy in that hallway! It was the same kind of holy chaos that I felt in the women's lounge as they were preparing!

We were among the 200 guests who experienced the joy and excitement of this special wedding celebration. From the moment the first pair of attendants walked down the aisle till the processional, the atmosphere in the chapel was electric. Family, friends and proud parents watched as the men and women were paired to walk down the aisle. Henk Wapstra, Eagle Wings' founder and Kinder's dear friend, walked her down the aisle and performed the ceremony. Her 4-year-old granddaughter was her flower girl.

A reception followed. And, like at most every Eagle Wings events, there was dancing. The party ended at 6:00, when DART buses and families and caregivers whisked the tired participants home.

The party ended, but the joy of this day, the day Kinder and Jim got married, will last a lifetime.

Bridesmaid's boquets

Bridesmaids waiting to go down the aisle

Samuel escorting a bridesmaid

Flower girl Genesis, Kinder's granddaughter

The recessional

Samuel with Jim and Kinder

You can click here to read a wonderful article that appeared in The Herald on Sunday morning, and see more photos like the one at the top of this post.

An Amazing Concert

2011-10-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

We heard Duane Funderburk and Alex Russell, The Los Angeles Collaboration, last night. Oh, it was glorious!

Duane Funderburkis a graduate of Seattle Pacific University, and he was in Seattle to honor his former piano teacher, Marcile Mack. She certainly taught him well! He went on to study at Boston University and at USC. His piano artistry and his thoughtful, powerful arrangements, full of life and grace, were very moving.

Alex Russell transports you to another place with his delicate, compelling violin playing. He glides effortlessly to the highest possible notes on the violin, creating a lovely contrast to the lower notes drawn with a full, steady bow.

I couldn't suppress my joy as I listened to these two gifted musicians. They have played together across the country and around the world, yet last night's performance seemed as fresh and exciting to them as it was to the audience. After the performance they chatted with concert-goers and were personable and appreciative of the many positive responses they received.

The concert consisted of classical pieces, hymns, and a couple of Gershwin numbers. They were joined by an 18-piece orchestra for the second half of the concert. Some of the orchestra members were current or past SPU students, a few were faculty members. Others were friends of Patrice Weed Shearer, SPU alumnus and concertmaster of the Everett Philharmonic Orchestra. And a contingent -- students from Central Washington University in Ellensburg -- arrived at 6:00, just in time for the only rehearsal. You would have thought they had spent weeks in preparation for the concert but a few had never seen the music before! Such accomplished musicians.

Indeed, the entire concert was a tangible expression of the name, The Los Angeles Collaboration. Many thanks to all who worked together to bring such a fine concert to the area.

* * * * *

They will be in the Northwest through Monday evening. If you missed the concert and would still like to hear The Los Angeles Collaboration, or if you'd like to order a CD, check out their website.

Ten Ways to Love

2011-10-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

On Facebook the other day, several of my friends posted a list entitled "Ten Ways to Love." I have put them in a slightly different order, and I have written out the scripture that was included, with an occasional thought of my own. It is a good reminder of what it means to love, in a very practical and biblical way.

1. Listen without interrupting. He who answers before listening, this is his folly and his shame (Proverbs 18:13). Ouch!

2. Speak without accusing. My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry (James 1:19).

3. Answer without arguing. Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid (Provers 12:1). Don't justify yourself or make excuses. Listen for the truth. It just may be that the one speaking to you is offering you a gift that will help you grow.

4. Trust without wavering. It [love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:7).

5. Share without pretending. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is, Christ (Ephesians 4:15). Be real: live the truth; speak the truth.

6. Give without sparing. All day long he [the sluggard] craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing (Proverbs 21:26). If God did not spare his Son on our behalf, we can be generous with others.

7. Promise without forgetting. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12).

8. Forgive without punishing. Share with each other and forgive whatever grievance you may have against one another (Colossians 3:13). There's no room for "I forgive you, but..."

9. Enjoy without complaint. Do everything without complaining or arguing (Philippians 2:14).

10. Pray without ceasing. Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Love invites us to hold people up to God in all our thoughts concerning them.

Meet Max McLean

2011-10-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

It was the power of God's Word that forever changed Max McLean's life. Raised a nominal Catholic, Max walked away from all things Christian as a young teen. Years later Sharon, the young woman who would become his wife, took him to a Bible study where he was drawn to the scripture passage being studied. "I remember the words of the text hit me as passionate and forceful," he told Tim Challies in an interview. "I had not been confronted by the power and insight of the Bible prior to that. From that moment God began to work in my life and convict me of my sin. At first I wanted to run away, but I couldn't. Then I read John's Gospel -- in one sitting. As I read it, I could see and feel it in my mind's eye. I thought Jesus was going to come right out of the pages of the Bible an take me with him. At his crucifixion I was in tears. But after the resurrection appearances, an inexplicable joy just overwhelmed my whole body. I knew this story was true and that my life would never be the same again."

Since that time Max has used his passion for scripture to shape his career. He has narrated the Bible in three different translations -- NIV, ESV and KJV. His narrations of the scripture and his stage performances of Genesis and Mark's Gospel powerfully combine his theological understanding and dramatic expression that draws people in. Just like the scripture did for him so many years ago.

Max is currently traveling with The Screwtape Letters, a stage adaptation of C.S. Lewis' witty and thought provoking book. McLean makes a marvelous Screwtape, and the show is receiving rave reviews wherever it plays. November shows are scheduled for Memphis, Miami and Dallas. Check it out here.

The Bottom Line

2011-10-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

I've never been much good at dickering. I take things at face value; if an item costs $50 I decide if it is worth it to me to pay that sum for that product, but I do not offer less. It simply never occurs to me!

So I wasn't prepared for the amount of haggling that went on at the garage sale at Dad and Mom's last weekend. Our prices were low, our merchandise was quality, and I figured people were getting a great deal if they plunked down exactly what we asked. I forgot that price-negotiating is a national sport in some countries.

When a lady wanted two full sets of china dishes, one priced at $20 and the other at $25, for $30 total, we said "No." When she raised it to $35, we said "No." We wouldn't give it to her for $40 either, but when she found three bottles for 25 cents each and offered us $45 for both sets of dishes and the three bottles, we were glad to oblige.

Later a man stopped by with the same sporting approach. He made offers on several items, and we were able to work out a deal that seemed to satisfy him. He paid me for his purchases, then realized that he had missed a room. He wouldn't leave until he'd seen everything.

His eyes fell on a figurine of the holy family. Picking it up gently, he studied it for several seconds. Then he brought it to my sister and pointed at Joseph. "Yosef?" he asked, then, pointing to Mary, "Maria?" Yes, Peach told him, it was Joseph and Mary. As he pointed to Jesus, he loving uttered his name in his own language. "Yes, baby Jesus," Peach replied.

The man set the figurine on the table and reached into his back pocket, pulling out a crisp $5 bill, paying us the full price. No dickering.