Patchworklife

What "It Is Finished" Means to Me

2010-03-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

On Palm Sunday the choir at First Baptist Church Dallas sang "It Is Finished." Through numerous rehearsals and home practice, my musings on those three words, "it is finished," led to these thoughts. If you read them, I welcome your own thoughts of what is finished in your life.

"It is finished!" I am struck by what those words really mean. This monumental statement--perhaps the greatest statement ever made marked the finish of the work of redemption planned from before the creation of the world. This meaning is enough, but I suspect that every person who has come to Christ in humility, asking forgiveness for their own sins knows specific things which are "finished" in their lives. Of course the conclusion of the work of redemption comes next week when the disciples discover, "He is risen!"

For me the things that are finished are these:

Having a sin debt I cannot pay
The inability to forgive others
Having my life guided by the opinions of others
Isolation and loneliness
Hopelessness and fear

With each of these comes a forward movement

The relief of not being required to pay the sin debt I owe
The peace of forgiveness and freedom to forgive
Freedom to obey God in the face of contrary opinion
Access to speak to God about the most profound or trivial matter
The empowerment that only hope in the resurrection can give me in overcoming sinful behavior and thoughts

Abraham's Frame of Mind

2008-11-04T04:58:00.000-08:00

Since from God's view, Abraham is our father of those whose confidence is in the finished work of Christ, I started thinking about what Abraham did. Romans 4 gives this list:

--Abraham knew that his righteousness had been called into existence by God only because He believed Him.
--He knew he was dead in his sins and trespasses and that God had given him life.
--When there was no natural reason for hope, Abraham trusted that what God had said, would happen.
--In this face of his age (100 years old) and Sarah's old and barren womb, he did not weaken in his faith.
--He did not waver in unbelief.
--He was strengthened in his faith as he gave glory to God.
--He was fully convinced that what God had promised He was able to perform.

This gives me thought fodder for how to face my own life in faith.

After a long time--again

2008-10-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

Hmmm--Those 205 boxes are still packed and Bert and I are in Texas living in a one-BR apartment furnished out of our son's storage building and the Goodwill store. I actually like living in a small place.

For any who don't know, Rachel is going to have a baby. We are all very happy.

I am attending a Bible study at First Baptist Dallas. The subject is the sovereignty of God. God figure. I have a house that hasn't sold in 7 months and I am studying that God is in totaly control.

I have to go. My sister comes tomorrow and we are going to the Kimball Museum in Ft. Worth to see the Impressionists. The next day we are going to the Wycliffe Center in Grand Prarie to see a quilt show with quilts made by, I guess Bible translators. I will update on this later.

Where Is Our Hope?

2008-07-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

In my last post, a long time ago, I mentioned I had 55 boxes packed. I now have 205 boxes packed and have been to Texas twice. God's last instruction to me has been, "Keep putting one foot in front of the other." That involves not putting any hope in anything other than Him. For years now, I have been telling women at my church in Oregon, "You don't know the future. You just think you do." Now I walk this talk. The house in Oregon hasn't sold. Bert and I have been in a 12 x 13 hotel room (with Jessica and Rachel each spending a little time). The good news is, we aren't getting on each other's nerves.

I read this today:

Psalm 33:17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; [ESV says salvation] despite all its great strength it cannot save.

I can substitute words in the place of deliverance, such as insurance policies, houses and land, paychecks, (anyone notie these are all monetary)? I don't care that much about being skinny or what people think about me (God has done a good work). At any rate, does anyone else want to fill in a blank?

Packing & Pachelbelo

2008-02-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

Today I taped up and catalogued my 55th box in preparation to move to Texas. I have until February 18th to get as much done as I can. Then I go to Texas for a day and then to Brazil for a crusade preparation meeting, then back to Texas for a day and back to Oregon on February 29th. In the meantime, someone sent me this link that has added a little levity to lighten the boxes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

Moving to Texas

2008-01-21T22:29:00.000-08:00

Bert and I after prayer and journaling and Bible reading have decided to move back to Texas after 14 years for him and 12 1/2 years for me in Oregon. There are many good resons to move back, the greatest of which is we believe it is God's direction. But there are things I will miss about Oregon. They include:

The people at my church
Friends around town
Friends in Washington
Short cool summers
Oregon strawberries in June
Huckleberry picking in August (complete with bear tracks)
My house
Seeing snow-covered mountains on clear days
Waterfalls
Dozens and dozens of quilt shops
Not having to pump my own gas

Things I will like about Texas

Shorter winters
Fresh tomatoes in May
A longer growing season for vegetables
And surely God has a church for us . . . and some quilt shops. (I see 3 in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area)
A barbeque place on every corner
Gas that is a little cheaper
Closer to family
Closer to old friends
Easier access to Jason & Rachel
. . . and most of all MY GRANDCHILDREN!!!

International Fantasies

2007-12-29T15:39:00.000-08:00

I am perplexed, bewildered, confused. This link http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/12/27/un_to_team_up_with_marvel_comics/3128/ tells me that the UN, yes that would be the United Nations, has decided to partner with Marvel Comics to depict superheroes cooperating with the United Nations to solve knotty problems around the world. According to the article, the purpose is

“to bolster its international image damaged by the unilateral diplomatic efforts of some Western countries by teaching children the value of international cooperation.”

I know, I know—we live in a world where anyone can stand up and say anything and call it truth, but the United Nations entering fantasy land of image maintenance baffle me. My flummoxed thinking comes to rest when I remember this—

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!

What is Jesus doing now?

2007-12-04T15:38:00.000-08:00

Ending a 3 1/2 year study of the gospels in my Sunday School class, we addressed the question, "What is Jesus doing now?" As I read the passages describing Jesus' present activity, I realized that though Colossians and Hebrews depict Him as sitting at the right hand of the Father, I usually think of Him as standing. Then I read the account of Stephen being martyred where he said,

"I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."

And I wondered--when those rocks were flying through the air toward Stephen did Jesus stand up? I muse, "When life gets really hard, when I lose control, or when accusations are spoken against me, does Jesus stand up?

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
--1 John 2:1

Promises

2007-11-22T16:58:00.000-08:00

On Monday Bert and I were stranded in the Houston airport for several hours. I spent my time wandering through the shops and he caught up on his reading for seminary classes. At one point I saw him chuckling--not the typical reaction for a run-of-the-mill seminary textbook. From the book _Divorce and Remarriage in the Church_, he read to me the following from a marriage service authorized by the bishop of Salisbury 1085:

"One vow has changed: in the earliest English marriage services the bride's vows included a promise to 'be bonny and buxom in bed and at board.'"

The book then clarifies that 'bonny' and 'buxom' had different meanings then.
'bonny' - from the French for good 'bon'
buxom - from an old German word meaning pliant or obedient.
board - the table where food was served
bed - nighttime

So in the end is meant: "behave properly and obediently through night and day."

Church and "Christian" Music

2007-11-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

"Christian" has quotation marks in the title, becuase I am positive music cannot "be a Christian." Nevertheless I am trying to communicate to the culture so I use the term. Of course, neither can a bookstore or a book or a T-shirt.

While visiting in Texas, I am reading a borrowed copy of "An Arrow Pointing to Heaven." I was a young adult when the first mainstream Christian radio stations appeared on the scene. I remeber how happy people were and how much better they thought they could worship God. I wondered what they would ever do if some dictator shut down all the stations. Something in the book struck a chord with me:

"He [Rich] was afraid that many people listened to his music as a means of spiritual growth, when in fact he believed his music to be simply entertainment. He would become very discouraged that people knew more lines from his songs than they did from the Scriptures" p. 32-33.

I pass this same principle on to Christian books. Although I wrote one, I would be saddened if people only got their spiritual nourishment, from my book. Someone recently gave me two books to read on prophecy. One was titled something like, "That They May All Prophecy." When people give me books I usually give them at least a cursory reading. These books did not need to be written. Anyone who opens the Bible and reads and reads and reads will learn what prophecy is. There is not a thing we need to know about relationship with God that is not in the Bible. I pray God rescues us from a steady diet of spiritual pablum.

I am aware that many of you do not believe in women preachers. To you I offer my sincere apologies.

"If you are pleased with me--"

2007-10-28T05:59:00.000-07:00

When I was about 35, I came to the unwelcome realization that I would always have problems and struggles. To that point, I spent much of my life trying to get to reach a place where there would be no struggles. (I think that would be called Heaven). In past days I have been thinking on this theme.

God had called Moses to lead Israel and had told him to lead Israel and said, "You have found favor in my eyes." Then Moses returned to the Israelite camp to find the people worshipping a golden calf, Moses said to God, "If you are pleased with me--" I stopped when I read that and thought, "How would I finish this sentence? In my heart I knew I would have negotiated with God. But Moses' request demonstrates his understanding of God's sovereignty. He says, "If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways, so I may know you and continue to find favor with you" Exodus 33:13.

I wondered, "What do I really know that I know about God's ways?" Not enough, because my natural inclination is to manage, not surrender. This morning I read this quote by Samuel Rutheford, a Scottish minister in the 1600's:

"Come all crosses, welcome, welcome! so I may get my heart full of my Lord Jesus."
--Samuel Rutheford (1660-1661)

Is there anyone out there who isn't struggling?

A Birdhouse in Your Soul

2007-10-13T23:56:00.000-07:00

It seems that They Might Be Giants has been singing for 20 years and I've never heard of them--until tonight. I think when you are 61 that might not be unusual. If someone is familiar, I would like to hear some interpretatioin of this song:
Thanks--
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW_hSNHZiBc&mode=related&search=

Good Ole' Boys

2007-10-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

I have never put my finger on what I don't like about good ole' boy systems. Yes, I know the regular nepotism or corruption charges. This twist floated up in my mind this week:

When those in charge change, so do the good ole' boys.

It makes for an unstable system, no matter the organization.

Just thinking.

Colossians 1:15-23

2007-09-13T23:48:00.000-07:00

My small group is studying Colossians. During this week's study, Colossians 1:15-23, I began to realize that this short passage answers a host of life questions. Here are the ones we came up with. Can anyone add others?

Questions which are answered by this passage
Where did I come from?
Why am I here?
Where am I going?
Is Jesus the Son of God?
Is anyone stronger than God?
How did the earth get here?
How does the earth sustain itself?
Where does the church get its authority?
How did Jesus get supremacy over all things?
How much of God is in Jesus
Where does peace come from?
What is life like without Christ?
How do I have relationship with God?

Legalism and Witchcraft

2007-08-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

If witchcraft is a process that says, "Do this and that and this, then you will get a prescribed outcome," can we say that legalism is witchcraft? Just thinking.

What I Am Reading

2007-08-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

Finished reading the Bible in May and began again in Genesis, Psalms, Matthew and Acts.
Poking Holes in the Darkness by Jaki Parlier - She grew up in Newark, NJ and she & her husband who was from Tennessee moved to Papua New Guinea (from a skyline view of Manhattan to the jungle) to translate the Bible for the Managalasi language group.
When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight For Joy by John Piper - I'm not too far into this book, but I find these ideas: We are commanded to joyfully desire God. We cannot produce this joy on our own. It is like gardening. We dig and weed and plant and water, but God grows the seed. Comforting. One thing I know how to do is keep putting one foot in front of the other.
I am reading for 3 lesson preparations a week: Sunday School - the Harmony of the Gospels. We are just finishing the crucifixion. Then we go onto Proverbs which I am studying for now. Then there is my small group studying Colossians. And I am presenting a short teaching to our one youth each week. We finished the book of Esther, talked about the war between the flesh and the spirit and will attempt to answer the question, "Why d0es my haste and anger not work the righteousness of God?"

Unity

2007-08-17T00:16:00.000-07:00

Thinking about unity--
Unity, like living organisms, doesn't grow without proper conditions. In general, I think any kind of unity has to rise out of a common hope. If in a group of people between 2 and ten zillion, everyone plants their hope in something diffeent, a tug of war results. Likewise, in the church, without the common hope of seeing Jesus and through that being transformed--and that hope being in the center--we will not find sustainable unity. So if we find disunity, we should consider the basis of our hopes.

Spiritual Gifts Inventory

2007-07-19T08:31:00.001-07:00

Many evangelicals have taken a spiritual gifts inventory. Despite the positive aspects of such an inventory, I am wondering if it might also serve to narrow a person's view of the work of the Holy Spirit in one's life. I don't want to rag on such inventories to totally denigrate them, but does anyone else have a view on this?

Worship

2007-07-01T22:22:00.000-07:00

My husband is finishing up a class on worship at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, so we have had lots of discussion the past month on the subject. Following you will find a few quotes on worship and something that happened in our church kitchen on Father's Day.

"--worship is 'Setting our mind’s attention and our heart’s affection on the Lord, praising Him for who He is and what He has done.'"
--Dr. Bruce Leafblad
Retired professor of Church Music and Worship
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas

"God’s cleansing from sin should lead us to the place of worship. We must become a people that follow true, objective Biblical worship—not just anything."
--Bert Newton

“Worship is essentially about the priority of God. It is predicated upon the reality of God's being in the supreme position in relation to everything that exists within the created order. Worship is a personal, human expression of that relationship by which we honor and praise God as supreme. The results of such worship include a greater understanding of who this unique God is and an increased desire to make Him first in all of life.”
--Dr. Bruce Leafblad
Retired professor of Church Music and Worship
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable (or well-pleasing) to God, which is your spiritual (or rational) service of worship.”
--Romans 12:1 (NASB)

“Worship is celebration. All of life is a festival: being persuaded that God is everywhere present on all sides, we praise him as we till the ground, we sing hymns as we sow the seed, we feel his inspiration in all we do.”
--Clement of Alexandria

“Worship is a lifelong process of knowing and being known by God.”
--Anonymous

Finally, each Father's Day, we have a Dad's & Grad's Strawberry Feed at church, because that is the middle of Oregon strawberry season. Now, Oregon Strawberries and small and sweet. On Saturday, while two other women and I were preparing the strawberries, we discussed whether or not to add sugar and decide not to. On Sunday morning as we stood in the kitchen, I listened to worship. It sounded like this--

Mmmmm-- Ooooo-- These strawberries are delicious. Ahhh-- Mmmmm-- Oh, I think they are better this year than ever. They didn't need any sugar, did they? Oh, these are so good. Yes!

Would anyone share a time when you have heard such worship, not in a church service?

Where Is The Goat Farmer?

2007-06-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

I have a son who is a goat farmer. He comments on blogs, but never mine. He comments on blogs that link to mine. I don't know what it is--

--Could it be uncool to comment on your mother's blog?

--Could it be he has time for everyone but me?

--Could it be he is mad about something?

--Could it be he is too busy with his goats?

--Could it be he doesn't like the name of my blog?

--Could it be he doesn't know I am a quilter?

I can't even guess. But if anyone knows, I'd appreciate a head's up!

A Book

2007-06-17T17:07:00.001-07:00

Last summer, I was thinking about how to structure my small group for the fall. We wanted to study prayer and I knew what I wanted to cover, but didn't want a long book to begin with. I contacted L. G. Parkhurst in Edmond, OK who had written a devotional book titled Prayer Steps to Serenity Daily Quiet Time Edition. I told him I was considering using his book as a starting point, then writing a study guide. He told me if I would write the study guide, he would publish it, so now, at

http://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Steps-Serenity-Workbook-Journal/dp/0977805395/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4/002-3476137-2764068?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181681615&sr=8-4

you can read some things about the book in the Editorial Reviews. Thanks for looking.

Ten Things I Need to Remember

2007-05-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about things on which I need to reflect and continue to work out, then make effort to recall . Like Jeremiah--or whoever wrote Lamentations

--This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. --Lamentations 3:21-24.

So here's my list. Does anyone else have some thought to add?
1. Joy is rooted in eternity.
2. The Holy Spirit who lives in me does not take on my pers0nality, but I am to take on His.
3. Christ in me is the hope of glory
4. God loves all people. I need to agree with Him.
5. It is fruitless to try to get God to agree with me.
6. The Valley of Achor is a door of hope.
7. Faith and love spring from hope (Colossians 1:5
8. Find some cheer in tribulation (John 16:33)
9. My thoughts are not always my friends.
10. My need to control shrinks or grows in opposite proportion to my view of God's greatness.

New York City

2007-04-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

Since I live a boring life and love it, NYC was a little upbeat, but probably not as exciting as some who visit the Big Apple. We walked and walked and my blood sugar was good with half the dosage of medicine the doctor has prescribed. I should take a hint. The two highlights for me were walking around the Statue of Liberty and eating at Mesa Grill. I had taken a 5 year old roll of black and white film that I shot at the Statue. We'll see if it develops.

A couple of observations--
The first day out I wore a red shirt. Only two other people I saw in a 10 square block area were wearing red--a street sweeper in a red jump suit and a little old lady topped off with a red tam. Lots of black and brown and gray on the streets. However, yesterday I did see a woman in a lime green coat and a woman in a brown skirt with scallops around the bottom conforming to a teal blue design. Pleasant to my eyes in a sea of drab.

On CNN this morning (No FoxNews at our hotel) I saw coverage of a clinic in Moscow where people, for hundreds of thousands of dollars can be injected with stem cells and the doctor believes when this method is perfected, people could live 1200 years. Consider that this programming was sandwiched in between over coverage of the Virginia Tech killings. Like I would want to live 1200 years in a broken world?

Betrayal--The Power of Suggestion

2007-04-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

The lesson in my Sunday School class today had Jesus, sitting at the Passover meal with His disciples. After settling a dispute about who would be the greatest, washing their feet and explaining servanthood, He said to them, "One of you will betray me." Though I have betrayed Christ, I can't imagine being in that room. I am the person who when at WalMart, and the person on the PA system says, "Security, scan aisle 15," looks around to see which aisle she is on. So if I had been the the room when Jesus announced that one present would betray Him, I would have been combing through my mind and motives. I wonder if this comes from being the youngest child. My sister says I was the "perfect victim."

A Special Nutrition Anniversary

2007-04-06T01:26:00.000-07:00

Since I lost the hang of posting pictures, I will just add a link, but will keep working on this. It is important for all to know that on April 6, 1930 the Twinkie was invented. For all the Twinkie Trivia you will ever want to know, go to http://encyclopedia.tfd.com/Twinkie.

Oscar the Grouch?

2007-04-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

Oscar the Grouch has always been a curiosity to me. I understand the approach that what the majorioty calls bad is not always bad and that you can't necessarily judge a book by its cover. After all, I moved onto a college campus in 1964. I saw the culture shifting, without an inkling that we would come to a point where black is white and white is black or even orange or purple or green if you like. Not that I think Oscar necessarily damages kids. He makes them think. But I wonder if he grew up and his name is now Howard Stern.

It came to my attention that Howard Stern, (not the Howard K. Stern of Anna Nicole fame), but the shock jock, is encouraging listeners to vote for the worst singers on 'American Idol.' Now, I'm not really an Idol fan. About as far as I go is to ask who got kicked off this week and to watch snippets here and there. And--we must realize that the title 'American Idol' doesn't really define that the winner must have talent. So I don't really have a beef about that. Is Howard Stern a grown-up version of Oscar the Grouch or could Oscar the Grouch be living a double life?

No Dark

2007-03-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

Has anyone ever noticed that there is no such thing as "a dark." If there was, we could say,
"Can someone turn on the dark?" or
"Here, use my dark." or
"Let me borrow your dark."

No, there is no such thing as a dark--because we don't need one. Life is naturally dark and we spend our whole lives trying to get light. Sometimes our attempts at light only intensify our darkness.

The good news is that the nature of light is to consume darkness. When a door opens from a light room to a dark closet, the dark does not fall out of the closet, but the light falls into the darkness.

More About Mt. St. Helens

2007-03-15T14:57:00.000-07:00

I had so much trouble with the photos, I forgot what I wanted to say about Mt. St. Helens. Jessica told me--she's taking geology right now--that if the dome in St. Helens continues to grow at it's present rate, in 50 years it will be the same height as it was in 1980 when it blew. My calculations say I will be 110 years old--well probably not. What about you?

By the way--

2007-03-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

If anyone would like to offer advice on what I might be doing wrong on pictures, I'll be glad to hear.

Mt. St. Helens and The Grand Canyon

2007-03-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

Two of the most amazing sites I have ever seen are the hole in Mt. St. Helens--70 stories deep and The Grand Canyon. Two amazing things now.

Mt. St. Helens--well, if the photo spot is blank, try this link: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=portland,or&ll=46.200943,-122.188997&spn=0.086346,0.126686&t=k&hl=en

And The Grand Canyon--Now would you walk out 0n this? I wouldn't. I can see everything just fine by sitting on a rock. And since the photo didn't copy, try this link:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/03/070308-skywalk-picture.html

Baking Cookies in Maryland

2007-02-17T21:05:00.000-08:00

March 3-10, 2007, I will be in Maryland to visit Jason & Rachel. Rachel has a voice recital and the mothers are supposed to make cookies. So--I am going to bake cookies! Monday I plan to mail their Christmas presents, that is Christmas presents for 2006. I didn't get them mailed in December, but I didn't manage. When I found out I would be in Maryland, I delayed sending them until I go. Then we can have Christmas. I wonder if Rachel still has her Christmas tree up?

January Snow

2007-01-19T21:58:00.000-08:00

2007-01-16T14:13:00.000-08:00

The Sleds Are Out

2007-01-16T13:38:00.000-08:00

We've been cold for a few days with a little snow, but it snowed most of all night last night. We have about 4 inches on the table on the deck, and the sledders are out! Some one sleds, others on innertubes, and others on garbage can lids. I had been wondering if we needed to shovel the driveway, but alas, the sledders wanted a little more snow, so I lent them a snow shovel and they are shoveling the driveway! I will now try to add a photo.

Saturday Night

2007-01-13T19:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my hoarseness went away a bit, but I made the mistake of going out with friends and talking a lot, so we have had a quieter day again today. In the morning I'll teach Sunday School, then be quiet again.

I just finished reading Pop Goes Religion by Terry Mattingly and am halfway through Sacrament of the Present Moment. Someone recommended it to me a few years ago and I started it, laid it aside, and have started again. It was written by Jean Pierre de Caussade. He was Spiritual Director to some nuns in France many years ago. The book is translated by Kitty Muggeridge.

Silence

2007-01-11T19:17:00.000-08:00

Today marks my 3rd day without a voice. Well--I have a little bit of a voice, but I answered the phone today and the caller said, "Bert?" It is strange, I just haven't had the heart to talk and talking actually makes me really tired. I wondered if Bert was enjoying the silence. Jessica asked him, but he denied it. What a smart man!!!

What do you do when you can't talk? For two days I sat because I felt terrible. Today I emptied the dishwasher, finished a teaching for next week, finished a woobie bag. I looked for a picture on the internet, but apparently a woobie has many definitions.

Reflections of December 30, 2006

2006-12-30T12:57:00.000-08:00

Today's news proclaims the end of three lives--Gerald Ford, James Brown, and Saddam Hussein. A few thought have been unravelling in my mind as I listen to the reports.
Saddam Hussein - Here was a man who lived with ultimate power in his own created kingdom. He died helpless. "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment--" Hebrews 9:27.
Gerald Ford - I remember seeing him step off a helicopter in Texas. We were in a huge crowd standing and waiting to get just a glimpse of The President of the United States. It is interesting that as I watched this President who served only part of a term and was not really lauded as a powerful President, I was stuck by a sense of power as he stepped off that helicopter. I thought, "I am witnessing principalities and powers." As I watched Mrs. Ford today, watching her husband's coffin loaded into an airplane, I thought, "She would have rather been doing anything else than this today."
James Brown - His funeral is more like a star-studded gala. It's OK with me--his family, his funeral, but a little strange that it is also Michael Jackson's debut to his new life. I wondered when I saw that Brown's body was laid out for viewing at the Apollo Theater, where I might like to be laid out. And I have decided--Fabric Depot--73,000 sq ft. of fabric. If you are interested see this link: http://www.fabricdepot.com/

High Tech Umbrellas

2006-12-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

I was browsing around looking for art that includes umbrellas, and I found this. The article is titled, "The Umbrella that Makes Sense (We Think)." I like the confidence. This umbrella allagedly forecasts the weather. A component in the umbrella is connected to Ambient which sends signals and changes the color of a portion of the handle to indicate the weather. Interesting.

http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/ces/an-umbrella-that-makes-sense-we-think-147933.php

Quilts

2006-12-25T13:28:00.000-08:00

OK--trying--trying--as I listen to Jessica give me verbal instructions--hmmm--she's telling me I don't have the icon. A little finnegeling! I did it! The black quilt is titled "Elvis Lives!" and the other is Makenzie's Flower Garden.

Merry Christmas and Quilts

2006-12-25T13:25:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to the 3 people who read this. We are having a wonderfully quiet and peaceful day with non-traditional food--brisket. Some Oregon friends were over last night and asked what we were eating today. We told them and they said, "What's brisket?"

Now for the quilts. I made these for my grandchildren, Micah and Makenzie. Well, I say now for the quilts, but I don't know for sure if I will be able up upload the pictures.

This World Is Not My Home

2006-11-04T00:14:00.000-08:00

Between August 29 and October 30, 2006, we have had 3 difficult tragedies among our church family and friends. All three involved someone dying. We are not the primary grievers. Others are suffering deeply. I am watching, and I don't like it. One of these situatioins involved an intentional violent act that took the life of a young woman. It crushes. In The Gulag Archipelage, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said, "The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between political parties either—but right through every human heart."

In increments the world has become more and more uncomfortable to me. From time to time, the awareness of the temporary state of the world has traversed my mind. In Cote d'Ivoire, 1998, walking the streets of Abidjan I realized, "I am a citizen of the United States of America--not by my choice. I could renounce my citizenship and become a citizen of another country. I will not always be an American--but I will always be a Christian." Then in Kenya in 2003, I saw my life as a dot on the timeline of eternity. The dot is only a speck.

Through those times I still felt a great deal of comfort in the world, but that has changed. Maybe it won't be as deep, but I think of Paul's words to the Philippians, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself" Philippians 3:20-21.

Raising An Ebenezer

2006-10-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

For 55 years I have been singing the 2nd verse of Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing--

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by thy great help I've come--

This week I came across the word Ebenezer in Prayer by Richard Foster. After some investigating I found that in 2 Samuel 7:12, Samuel raised up a stone at Ebenezer. He called it Ebenezer and said, "Till now the Lord has helped us."

Samuel, a young judge and prophet came after Eli, who had lived the good life in Israel. Having grown old and fat, he failed to discipline his children who were now out of control. 1 Samuel 4 records Israel in battle against the Philistines. They didn't fare well. The elders of Israel had the "bright" idea of moving the Ark of the Covenant out of the Tabernacle out to the battlefield, using the very presence of God as something like a good luck charm. Eli's sons, wicked priests, without regard for God, brought the Ark to the battlefield. The Philistines heard about it and were afraid, but went into battle with Israel. Israel was routed and the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant. Eli's two sons were killed. A messenger took the news to Eli--"Your sons are dead." And the Ark of God has been taken. At the news of the capture of the Ark of God, Eli, fell over backward from his seat by the gate and broke his neck and died.

Samuel held this mess in his hands. The saga of the Ark being returned to Israel goes on through chapters 5, 6, & 7. After seven months it was taken to a temporary place for 20 years before David brought it back to Jerusalem.

All this, I tell, because Samuel stood up a rock to mark the remembrance of what God had done for them in bringing His dwelling place back into their own territory.

We all have Ebenezers. It's good to remember them. God told Israel, not to forget that they were slaves in Egypt and He brought them out. We all have places where God has moved, but they sink into memory and when the next difficulty comes may be hard to dredge up.

Record your Ebenezers.

Who Is This Man?

2006-10-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

Who Is This Man?
A prisoner sat shackled before a group of high government officials. Their condescending attitudes mirrored amusement, amazement, and cruiosity tinged with tear. They gave him opportunity to speak for himself, then responded with their own opinions about him. In response he spoke, "I wish you were all like me, except for these stocks."

This man knew something about freedom that his judges did not know. He knew that liberty of the soul constitutes true freedom. When God shines His light into our hearts to reveal something He wants to change, He compares us to Himself--not others. If other people were the measure of our greatness, like water, we would all fall to the lowest level. By His grace that we do not.

Apple Pie in a Jar

2006-09-29T22:55:00.000-07:00

On our deck we have four Columnar apple trees. Developed to grow in pots on a deck or patio, they grow pretty much straight up. Today we picked apples and used our handy dandy apple corer peeler. We had enough apples to make 7 quarts of Apple Pie in a Jar. I also made 3 pints with Splenda.

Anxiety

2006-09-28T01:46:00.000-07:00

My small group begins again tomorrow night. I woke up a few minutes ago out of a nightmare. I dreamed that I was going to group, but I couldn't find my clothes. Then when I did, I couldn't find my notebook, then I'd find it and lose my clothes again. I finally got to the group. I couldn't get people to sit down. Bill Gaither was in my group and in the midst of all the confusion he was sitting on the edge of his seat with his notebook in his lap.

On a note of reality, my small group is splitting, because we had 20 sign up. I am teaching a lady in my church to be a facilitator. I think she is going to be great. We are talking about prayer.

Whose Side is God On?

2006-09-14T22:56:00.000-07:00

Psalm 124 begins, "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side-- let Israel now say-- ." It goes on to say that their enemies would have destroyed them. So I always assumed God was on my side. Right? Of course the little niggle in my brain kept saying that something might not be quite right with this thinking. This week I read Joshua 5. The scene is just before the defeat of Jericho. Joshua sees a man with sword drawn. So Joshua inquires,

"Are you for us or for our enemies?" We all know this answer. God was on Israel's side. Right? He picked them to be His people. Hmmm--The man with the sword answered Joshua's question in a way that adjusted my thinking. He said,

"Neither." Neither? The man said he was captain of the host of the Lord. He wasn't an angel, because he let Joshua worship Him. It took a minute, but I got it. God is on God's side. He's not on our side unless we join His side. It's a comfort. Keeping God on my side is a lot to live up to. Nice to know that just staying on His side is the key.

The Light Came On and I Didn't Even Know I Was in the Dark

2006-09-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

It's strange when you always thought things were one way and they turn out to be another. I noticed that after a funeral, our church always acquired many boxes of Kleenex. I thought it nice of the funeral home to provide a box for every row in the church. I lived with this belief for ten years. It was a bit strange for a moment when a friend whose parents had been killed in a car accident, (this is a whole 'nother tragic story), called me a few days before the funeral and said,

"Can you do me a favor? At every funeral I make sure there are Kleenex on every row, alternating them end, middle, end. Do you think you can get someone to do this for me?" It took a moment for my brain to process this information. I never dreamed the pianist at our church was buying all those Kleenex.

Oranges, Coconuts, Tangerines & Shooting Stars

2006-08-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

Tonight we met at Karen and David Rouse's house in Longivew, WA to have dinner with some of the NW people who went to Brazil in July along with five prayer partners. There was a lot to share. Kraig Neet, pastor of Highland Baptist Center in Longview, WA had told Bert to send him to the jungle. He got what he asked for. They walked 4 miles from the house they were staying in to the church. He walked up to 10 miles a day. He shared things I want to remember. Richard, the missionary, dropped he and his interpreter, Tadashi, off with eight bottles of water and said,

"If you run out of water, put lemon juice in your water." Well, they ran out of water and were not able to get lemons, so they drank dirty water and prayed. Neither got sick. The lady of the house served cake in which the ants were still wiggling as the batter went into the oven. By the middle of the week they had eaten no fruit. One day they were eating, he said in his mind,

"Lord, we haven't had any fruit. Would you give us fruit?" He said as soon as the words left his mind, a man they were with said,

"Would you like some oranges? I can get you some oranges." Later in the day someone said,

"Would you like some coconuts?" The next day a man said,

"Would you like some tangerines?" Kraig said they were the biggest tangerines he had ever seen and tasted like honey.

On the evening walks home from the church in the darkness the Milky Way was visible from horizon to horizon. Walking home from church one night, he saw a shooting star. He told Tadashi who said,

"Oh, I've never seen a shooting star! I wish I had seen it." At that very moment a long shooting star swept across the sky.

In times of need, small things seem big, don't they?

Live as though . . .

2006-08-16T00:36:00.000-07:00

I was looking at some verses in 1 Corinthians 7 (29-32a). I have missed some meaning for years. I think I usually focus on the ideas about marriage that Paul is talking about. I saw these verses and wondered how does this work out in real life
The context is not really marriage, but how to be available for God. Paul suggested reducing our anxieties and there are four specific instructions.
*Those who are married should live as though they have no wife. It is not license to treat one's spouse indifferently or cruelly, but to put God first.

*Those who mourn should live as though they are not mourning. The nature of life in a broken world includes loss. It is a given. But they are not to overwhelm and distract us from the goal of knowing God and pursuing the gospel.

*Those who buy, as though they had no goods (did not possess them). In a consumer's world, how do we hold our possessions so loosely that we buy them, bring them home in a bag, put them in a closet and if someone else needs it, just give it away. Yesterday I was at Multnomah Falls (if you want to know what that is, do a search. I don't know how to add links yet). I had on some pink dangle earrings. A little girl, too young to wear these earrings said, "I like your earrings." I looked at her and her ears were not pierced, but I wondered, if someone older had said it, would I have just taken them off and said, "Here, they are yours." The stuff is for God's glory, too.

*Those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it.
The activities of the world are varied. Everyone is doing different stuff.
But these activities are not to be the substance of our life. The things that occupy our time and our talents and skills are not our identity, our joy, or our peace. They are not our salvation.

Here I Am In My Patchwork Life

2006-08-10T08:37:00.000-07:00

Hmmm-- I have blog. It took 5 minutes to set it up, but it has taken me twelve months to decide on a name. You see, I really wanted behindtheclouds or thesunalwaysshines or patchesoflife, but they were all taken. That's what happens when you are a late comer to the up and coming things of life. Jason, you should have told me about blogs sooner!!

It's probably smart to stop writing now and do some things that need to be done. Then when I can get back to this, I'll start doing whatever you do with blogs--adding links and thinking of content.