A Tender Tennessee Christmas

It was a joy on Monday night to attend a taping of a Christmas show featuring Amy Grant.  It made me want to get out my Christmas CD's early (I usually get them out Nov. 1 anyway).  Taped for the Armed Forces Network and to be played for military people all over the world during the holiday, the show was geared to them naturally. 

The Air Force Strings and the Air Force Band was there, as well as Take 6.  Amy's duo of Breath of God with Take 6 was "breath-taking".  There was Winter Wonderland, Jingle Bells, and other good ones as well as an unexpected duet with conga drums and a bagpipe.  Different.

Thanks Babe for the ticket--what fun!

Trunk or treat

One of the more pleasant things about the up-coming holiday is the new tradition of trunk or treat.  You simply back up your car in the church parking lot, install candy, and the children come in droves.

Last night Otter hosted one of the biggest of its history on Franklin Road.  So many cute little Cinderellas and super-heroes running around.  Of course, Sheryl made the kids' costumes--different and unique.  Maddie was Bat Woman, Sam was a proud Shark Boy and Ella was a very cute and stylish car hop.  Sheryl, however, was the hit of the evening dressed like Luci Arnez--red hair, big lips and all. I did not even know her at first.  What fun!

I decided to add oranges to my selections this year--they were cheap at Publix and they were a big hit as an alternative to all that chocolate.

Remembering

Eighteen years ago last night just before midnight, a large group of people, Brandon and I were sitting on the fifth floor of Hendrick Memorial Hospital listening to the last breath of my huband Sam.  He had fought a valiant 8year fight with prostate cancer, and it had won.  

Although the mood was somber, we couldn't help but tell some Sam Thomas stories.  Sam was a notorious prankster. After he became a principal,  there was the story about his interview with a prospective, newly graduated teacher.  Seems she had slipped her shoes off during the interview, and he had somehow manuevered to get them under his desk.  When the interview was over, the woman realized she couldn't find her shoes.  She was embarrased to ask, so just started walking toward the door barefoot, until Sam confessed and rescued her.  She got the job.

His favorite thing to do was to put plastic bugs or snakes in the mail boxes of unsuspecting teachers (it didn't take long for them to catch on).  The teachers could always look for candy in their mailboxes on Monday and many times there would be a personal note of encouragement, as well.

He loved stealing lunches of his teaching buddies and putting paper in the sandwich and then returning the lunch to its proper place.  If we had guests for dinner, a large ugly plastic fly would find its way to the bottom of the ice tea glass, or a plastic piece of cheese would be placed among the other pieces.   I couldn't do much about his propensity for fun--I loved it.

Even after all these years, I miss his sense of fun and his warmth.  Love you, Sam!

This and that

It has been a long time since I last blogged--got bogged down in company, conferences and everyday life.
The Zoe Conference was the first weekend of this month--excellent as always--except for the main speaker whom I shall not name--He reminded me of the "evangelists" who would visit my home church every summer equipped with a huge easel of flip charts showing everything from the items in the tabernacle to the placement of hell, paradise and gehenna.  I think the same thought as I did then--Who cares???  Relevancy has taken over in our hearts and minds and the symbolic meaning of items in the tabernacle simply do not cut it when persons are faced with economic disaster, death, and addiction. Mike Cope, Randy Harris, and others did a fine job of inspiring us.  It was wonderful to praise again with the Zoe Group.

If you don't have the new Zoe CD, go to the Zoe website and order one--it is one of the best! 
I enjoyed having Sally Gary for a few days during the conference.  We adopted her when she was Brandon's teacher at Wylie High School.

The most unpleasant thing that has happened to me recently has been bank fraud--someone went into my account on Oct. 2 and Oct. 9 and got all but $3.00.  So if you do not check your bank account frequently, this is a word to the wise.  The Bank of America assures me the money will be back in my account soon--I have changed banks.

Fall has come to us,  and the weather couldn't be more wonderful--60 degrees with the leaves already turning and falling.  Gorgeous!

Right now, I am spending a lot of time getting ready to teach Ladies' Bible Class beginning the 27th. I will be giving them a shortened version of my seminar on Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography.  I am downplaying the term "writing" and using instead "compiling".  People begin to back away from you when writing is mentioned.  Harks back to those days when we received our essays back covered with red chicken scratching , and terms like "Awkward", "Wrong tense", and  'Incomplete sentence".

National Parks

This is the way television is supposed to be:  On P. B. S, this week is showing Ken Burns' new epic about the history of the National Parks. 

It is gorgeous and fascinating--I didn't know there were so many problems with creating them and keeping them pristine.  Watch if you get a chance--I will miss a couple of them because of the Zoe Conference, but they will be rerun I am sure.

One thing I like about Burns' work is that the writers he uses are not afraid to mention or credit God.

There is still time to make the Zoe Conference--we really need the money generated by this conference--as with many non-profits, we are hurting.  The new CD is one of the best (and if things continue to decline, it may be the last one).  So come on to Nashville and join us.

Mary's Song

Josh is preaching on the messes that God has taken and rehabbed.  Last week it was Tamar--this week it was Mary.  We are often so focused on the glory of the birth of Jesus, we forget the hardship and mess that was involved.  There are two awe-inspiring messages from the passages in Matthew and Luke:

One is the great step of faith taken by Joseph, a righteous man, who did not stumble into self-absorption, but took instead the word of the angel and obeyed.  And of course the faith of Mary who accepted her assignment with her answer to the angel, "May it be to me as you have said."

It was refreshing to hear Julie Carrothers, a teenaged girl, read Mary's song in Matthew 1:46-55.  As one listens to the text, full of glory and praise to God, one cannot help but hear those words of the Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene song "Mary, Did You Know":

"Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
   Did you  know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
        Tlhis child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?
    Did you know that your baby boy had walked where angels trod?
        When you kiss your little baby, you've kissed the face of God.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
     Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect lamb?
          This sleeping child you're holding is The Great I Am."

As a peasant teenaged Jewish girl looking for a Messiah, she probably did not know the answers.  But she did what all mothers do--pondered them in her heart.

Jane Kenyon asks in a poem for which I cannot find a reference. "Did she know that the baby  she held would one day be dripping blood on the hem of her garment?"

Mary--such an interesting character in God's story.

Rudeness and Disrespect

I know I am beginning to sound like a crusty elderly woman--however, the crassness and rudeness of our world sometimes shocks me.

How to build a campaign chest of one million dollars:  Interrupt the President of the United States' speech on the floor of the House and call him a liar.  Shame on you Rep. Wilson.  Won't your children and grandchildren be proud of you!

How to continue to crash a career:  Interrupt an Awards show, take the microphone out of the hand of the winner of the best video (Taylor Swift) and rant that Beyonce's video was better.
Goodby Kanye West and good riddance.  Kudos to Beyonce's class act when she called Taylor to the stage for "her moment".  You don't mess with Taylor Swift in this town.

Talk, Talk, Talk

The recent uproar about Pres. Obama's speech to school children was fueled by talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh, etc.  Nashville has its share of those--Infamously, Phil Valentine.

The classical station in Nashville has recently decided to drop a lot of its classical programming in the daytime and substitute talk shows of various kinds.

If I had my way, all talk-show hosts would be fired and their shows dropped from programming.  Yes, I do believe in free speech--Yes, I do believe that people have the right to express what they believe even when I do not agree with it.  But thinking people surely see  that the process has gotten out of hand--in fact, out of control.

I don't know what can be done about it--except to say that if one chooses to listen to this type of program, listen with educated ears and open minds.  Whether conservative or liberal, there must be a civil balance from which important topics can be discussed with cool heads.

I guess this is pie-in-the-sky thinking.  But one can only wish.

Wicked

Our family went to see Wicked this week.  Spectacular!  Magic on the stage I have not seen since Le Miz.
The actresses in the major roles were excellent--in fact, the "Bad Witch" recently had the role on Broadway.
I had not expected to find so much humor in the play and loved it. The set was absolutely marvelous and intricately formed.And of course, the music was at times uplifting and at times sad--as it was planned to be.

I can't help but wonder what L. Frank Baum would think of his little book as interpreted in stage and film.
By the way, it was interesting how Wicked incorporated Wizard of O into the play.

There were good teaching opportunities for teaching the kiddies about not making fun of people because of their physical appearance too.  And the idea that good most often triumphs over bad.

Thank you God for the talents with which you have gifted writers, actors and musicians for our pleasure.

A New Beginning

It was a wonderful Sunday in the neighborhood. David Rubio and Josh Graves began their ministry at Otter Creek as our preaching team. Their series for the next month is "Following Jesus" and I believe we will be taught that following Him is a way of life and not a training in following rules. What a relief! And what a challenge! Josh and David will teaching the morning class together and then will trade out on the sermons. I look forward to each one. The meshing of their personalities will be a blessing to all of us who sit and listen.

It Seemed Like a Simple Thing

It seemed like such a simple thing when the President and his advisors planned to speak a word to the students of a new year in school....

Then here in the South and other places, all hell broke loose! People went on TV and spouted that HE would NOT speak to their children, HE doesn't share my ideals?, It is all a political ploy, ad nauseam (sp?).

And all that was planned was to say do good work, make goals, your education is important, etc.

What is so wrong with that? I gave that same speech at the beginning of every school year.

I weep over our divisiveness and ignorance.

Conservative or Liberal

Next Sunday Otter Creek will be entering a new phase in the work in the world with two new ministers: Josh Graves and David Rubio. In getting the congregation ready for that transition today, Lee Camp burst forth with an electrifying sermon on the theme of "Neither a Conserative, nor a Liberal Church.



Lee was passionate, direct and convicting. He invoked men and women from the past who stepped outside comfort zones like Dorothy Day and Dietrich Bonhoeffer and men from our fellowship who did the same--David Lipscomb and F. D. Syrgley. Lee encouraged the church to be neither conservative (leaving things undone that should be done), nor liberal (tolerant of too much). Stopping as he usually does on helping the poor and the weak, he went on to challenge the church to cooperate with others who were doing the work of the Lord in the world. He said that we could do that without losing any of our cherished ideals. Citing David Lipscomb's work with the Catholic nuns in plague in early Nashville, he admonished us to work with Catholics, Presbyterians, and EVEN Jews. (There has been some flack about our sharing service to the homeless with a Jewish congregation).

A download of the sermon can be found on the Otter Creek website, thanks to Phil Wilson. For a longer look at the mind of Lee C. Camp, read MERE DISCIPLESHIP, RADICAL CHRISTIANITY IN A REBELLIOUS WORLD.

I am hoping this sermon is an omen of great things to come in the future of Otter and am excited to be there.

Pictures, pictures!

I have spent the last few days putting photos in albums. Not my favorite job.

Along the way I have been wondering what will happen to all of them in the future? We have many VHS videos (Sam was often said to have a camcorder permanently attached to his left hand), a few DVDs, album after album of regular pictures--a few historic, but many chronicaling (sp.?) our lives together. I do not want to get rid of them in my lifetime (although I did throw away many slides when I left Abilene). I am sure Sam would have protested that.

So, wither go all the pictures--will my grandchildren want them? I do wish I had pictures of my grand parents and greatgrand parents. But again comes the question, what would I do with them?

Because theirs was an oral society, the people of God told their story over and over orally so their children would not forget what God had done for them. Perhaps all these pictures will serve that purpose too.

This Thing is Personal

For those of you who prefer to think of God as some white-haired Charlton Heston sitting on a golden throne directing traffic, ponder this:

This whole thing called Christianity is very personal, and above all God seeks a relationship with us.

Psalm 139:13-14: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

Isaiah 43:1"But now, this is what the Lord says--he who created you...he who formed you...I have summoned you by name, you are mine."

Jeremiah 1:5 (speaking to Jeremiah) "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were borm, I set you apart...."

Isaiah 49:16 "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands...."

Matthew 10:30-31 "And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

Psalm 139:16 "...when I was woven together in the depths of the earth, you saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

We cannot flee from him--He guides us each moment of our lives. Praise our Creator and Lover.

The cycle

The schoolbus stops once more at the entrance to the sub-division; new backpacks glisten; bright never-washed uniforms adorn the kids--the school cycle has begun again.

My three grandchildren were excited to see a new beginning, as I always was way back when I attended Hamlin Elementary School in the 40's. I am still thrilled at the prospect of a blank, waiting composition book and brand-new pencils and pens. Put me in an office supply store this time of year and I am more than likely to come out with a bag full of new pens, legal pads, and 3x5 cards.

Our family lived the school cycle for over 30 years--my husband was an elementary teacher and principal; I was a high school and university teacher; Brandon attended Wylie Schools from grades 1-12, and then on to ACU. It was a good life full of top-notch people, much activity, and it always carried the prospect that we could make a difference in the lives of students.

I am so thankful that I live in a country where most children have the privilege of a free public education regardless of their ethnicity, finances, or gender. My dad was a carpenter who certainly could not have afforded to send his three children to a private school had there been one in our small town. So we all went happily to Hamlin schools; and in spite of our sometime reluctance to learn, occasional poor teaching, and a limited curriculum recieved a good education. I earned a bachelors's and master's degrees and three professional certifications. One brother has a bachelor's (and became a teacher) and the other began college, went to Viet Nam, came back and went to work for a local untility company making more money than his two educated siblings.

Happy school year Maddie, Sam and Ella--you have a lot to look forward to!

Traveling

Doris Colvett and I took off a weekend recently to drive to Asheville, N. C. to tour the Biltmore Estate. What a drive! North Carolina is beautiful. It is amazing to me that over and over God stuns me with the beauty he created--what a generous hand he had with mountains, mist and trees in N. C. They are called the Smoky Mountains for a reason.

Ashville is a nice little town with lots to see and do. There are many historical points there, as we learned in a trolley ride through the city. And some very nice places to eat. The tops was Deerpoint at the Estate where we tried and loved chilled cantaloupe soup. Hope I can find a recipe. It has fruit, champagne and sour cream in it.

It must have been nice to be the richest man in the world and to be able to buy anything he wanted for his house--George Washington Vanderbilt did just that to the nth degree. His library was stunning and beautifully appointed.

We attended the First Baptist Church on Sunday morning because we wanted to see the inside of the church and because the c of c brethern and sistern did not see fit to advertise where they were--We did not see one single c of c in the city.

The FBC has a beautiful verdigris dome, was finished in 1889, and is gorgeously furnished with white walls and dark woods inside. Surprisingly, women were a large part of the service. One read the bible verse of the day, one led prayer, one did the children's lesson. Women also helped take the contribution. They are appointing about 16 new deacons and 8 of those are women. My, my--changed my view almost entirely of Baptist churches (However, I did not find out if this one was part of the Southern Baptist Convention--probably not. The organist played Vivaldi which was also a surprise.

We also had a very good tour of the home of Thomas Wolfe--author of You Can't Go Home Again. It is a very nice Victorian downtown in which his mother ran a boarding house.

Another beautiful building in town was the Basilica of St. Lawrence.

An area we didn't have time to touch was Biltmore Village--maybe next time. It was a great trip with beautiful scenery, a good friend, and time away.

Jimmy Carter's Decision

I have been pondering Jimmy Carter's decision to leave the Baptist church over the "women's issue." In his resignation essay (published many places--Google it) he calls that particular church's stance "repugnant." He goes on at length to cite all the many woes brought on women all over the world because of misbegotten mistakes by men (my words) in misinterpreting the Bible's view of women.

I have two questions to ask: Why did it take him 60 years to realize the interpretation was wrong? Does it have to do with his daughter Amy? Did his wife never talk to him about it? ???????

And why has it taken so long for other good men who doubt the interpretations to come forward? Perhaps their wives are not interested in such topics; perhaps their wives don't want "to make waves." Perhaps the men don't think it important. I think they will when their granddaughters and nieces begin to leave the church for those more open to the gifts of women. Or when they see bright, young educated professional women refuse to come to the church which refuses to allow women to communicate in prayer, teaching, and speaking to other believers.The time will come when little, scared female rabbits will see their daughters walk (or hop) out the door of the church of Christ. There may come a time when the honored and revered Sunday School teacher will quietly begin to teach her students that in the kingdom where salvation and freedom lie, there are no distinctions between male and female--there is just the place where Jesus loves all of us and expects us to use the gifts he has given us.

I guess I am being hard on wives because I have been in churches where the husbands and men of the congregation are ready to open up and the wives shrink back. Example: A time when the elders and their wives were asked to serve communion to the congregation and some of the wives refused. In congregations where the elders have decided to open up serving communion by women as well as men, some say it is difficult to find women who will serve. Tell me, what is the difference in serving right to left and walking down the aisle to serve?? It's a puzzlement. I know that not all women are convinced they have more to offer than baking cookies and folding bulletins, and that is o. k. with me. There are, however, many who wish for more.

Another question: How is it "diminishing authority" for the woman to stand before a microphone and lead a prayer in the worship? I was almost taken ill when I heard a man recently say how wonderful the prayers of women were at a
regional spiritual conference he attended. He seemed astounded that women could actually voice a prayer to God as well as men.

I am waiting for others to see the repugnance.

Season Firsts

I had a chance to go to the Franklin Farmers' Market last week and got my first real peaches of the season and the first home grown tomatoes--yum!

So that gave me an opportunity to make nachos:

Small round Tostitos
banana peppers (hard to find here--I am growing them)
home-grown tomatoes
shredded cheddar cheese

Cut up peppers and tomatoes on chips and sprinkle with cheese--Place under broiler for a few minutes--keep checking, they burn easily. Enjoy!

Real peaches--just dig in and let the juice roll over your tongue--glorious.

Best Kids' Books Ever #3

This list should better compare with Kristof's. These books are for the middle or slightly older reader:

1. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White, 1952. A must for every kid's reading shelf.

2. Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, 1998- A magnificent set of imaginative and wordy tomes--wildly loved by most readers.

3. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, 1989. One of the richer Holocaust books for young readers.

4. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Barbara Robinson, 1972. Funny, funny. You will never see another Christmas Pageant without thinking of this book and the Herdman children.

5. Sarah, Plain and Tall, Patricia Maclachlan, 1985. One critic called it a jewel...a perfect novella.

6. The Stinky Cheese Man, Jon Sciezska, 1992. A take off to end all take offs which spurred many other rewrites of fairy tales.

7. Pink and Say, Patricia Pollaco, 1994. A poignant Civil War book about friendship between a young white boy and a black boy who happen to encounter each other.

8. Miss Rumphius, Barbara Cooney, 1982. One of the first environmental children's books--a picture book with a deeper meaning than most.

9. The Watsons Go to Birmingham, Christopher Curtis, 1995. The Watsons leave their eastern city to visit relatives in the South and arrive just in time to witness a terrible tragedy. Sparks of humor enliven the heaviness.

10. The Little House series, Laura Ingalls Wilder, 1932- These books never won major awards except in the hearts of all children who have read them. The single best books for a pioneer series.

Any responses will be welcome--I love making lists.

The Best Kids' Books Ever (Picture Books) #2

Any "best" list is immediately open to question. One titled " best books for children" is particularly vulnerable. One has to consider ages, gender, reading interests, and reading ability of the readers covered. Also to be considered is how much the "lister" knows about children and childrens' books. Any two people can put together a list of the best, and those lists would be very different. With all that in mind, here's my list of the best childrens' books ever. Since these are all picture books, it cannot be compared to Kristof's list which contains books for older readers.

1. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, 1963. A misbehaving child, monsters, and a mother's love--great fantasy (and I don't like fantasy) .

2. The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter, 1902. Yes, this is old and British; however, it is the best-selling children's book of all time. A mischievous rabbit escapes all kinds of dangers only to be stopped by camomile tea and a stern mother.

3. Goodnight, Moon, Margaret Wise Brown, 1967. A perfect bedtime story with rhyming words and bright colors.

4. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Bill Martin, 1967. Rollicking, rhyming, responsive fun.

5. Llama, Llama Red Pajama, Anna Dewdney, 2005. A newer and funnier entry into the bedtime story list.

6. Lily's Purple Plastic Purse, Kevin Henkes, 1996. Wonderful picture of a vibrant, young school girl and a terrific teacher.

7. Koala Lou, Mem Fox, 1988. An outback tale of familial love.

8. The Snowy Day, Ezra Jack Keats, 1962. One of the first books featuring an African American child--satisfying and
beautifully illustrated.

9. The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss, 1957. I am not a fan of Seuss, but he singlehandedly changed the world of the
easy reader genre with this one and buried Dick, Jane, Sally, Puff and Spot.

10. Strega Nona, Tomie DePaola, 1975. a magical cooking pot and poor listening skills bring chaos.

So there it is. I will probably want to change it tomorrow. Later is a list that would compare to Kristof's.