Devoted Disciples

Listening to Randy Harris is one of my favorite things. One day last week he spoke about how people would look if they were true devoted disciples of Christ:

1. They would be people of peace--peace inside, peace with others and peacemakers in the world. We must also teach our children to be peacemakers.

2. They are fearless--willing to take risks. They are more interested in being faithful than in being safe. They have learned that when they walk out on a limb, God will be there. In the comfortable middle, we really rely only on our own resources.

3. They are deliciously joyful--joy which comes from knowing that God loves them unconditionally just the way they are. (how often we need that affirmation and encouragement--although I have heard it a 100 times, I still teared up when Randy said that). He went on to say that God loves us "relentlessly".

4. True devotees of Jesus are humble people. We need to lighten up and get rid of our pompous know-it-all attitude.

5. They know that God is love. And thus, they need to be a people of love.

6. They are people who take holiness seriously--get better at being good and being separate. Separate from the values of our world. Materialists are not taking holiness seriously.

Randy also said that according to a poll by David Olsen the actual number of American people who are in church is today about 17.8%. When our grandchildren grow up, the number will probably be only 10%. I can see our grandchildren being converted by missionaries from Africa or China.

Have you grown any spiritually in the last 20 years? I think we all have a lot of work to do, so that this secular world does not completely overpower us.

More About Lipscomb

Being on the Lipscomb campus this week was a nice respite from daily duties.

The campus is under a large amount of construction, but parking was easy and the buildings I was in were very comfortable and welcoming. The new Ezell Center is a wonderful facility--Wow!

They are working on the their bookstore and cafeteria, redoing Collins Auditorium to make a world-class place for their music and drama depts. and building an apartment complex similar to University Park at ACU.

I must say that my impression of Lipscomb has changed significantly since I have moved to Nashville. It is making a name for itself in the community as wells as serving its students better.

I am always glad to see educational institutions advance.

Lipscomb Lectures

I spent most of the past week at the Lipscomb Lectures a.k.a.
Summer Celebration.

Two things struck me:

First, how small it was in comparison with the ACU lectures; hence, fewer choices for listening.

Two, the quality of the selections was excellent for the most part. I got to hear Randy Harris who is one of my favorite motivators and Rhonda Lowry for whom I have the greatest respect as a presenter and God's woman.

Jerry Rushford's presentation on the pioneers who braved the Oregon trail to go to the Northwest was astounding.
Full of old letters and journals, funny stories, and great faith. It made me think about my passion for trying to persuade folks to write their spiritual autobiographies--they not only later inspire family, but perhaps a whole lectureship. What a treasure we have in those who have gone before us--if we only knew them.
Thanks to Jerry, thousands in the Northwest are learning about their forefathers and foremothers.

Happy Birthday, Maddie

I can't believe Maddie is 6 today. See Brandon's blog for pictures of this beautiful girl. Her birth was such an exciting gift. I couldn't wait to get to Nashville to hold her--now I can hold her any time. What a blessing!

I think Maddie and I share a special feeling--that may be the way it is with first grandchildren. I am totally unprejudiced when it comes to reciting her many gifts besides her beauty. I do think she is going to be in the arts some way, as she has that predilection.....When she asks me to draw something, I am at a total loss, but she always compliments me on whatever I have drawn. The last time I babysat at night, we were looking at the book Tails which has a beautiful picture of a peacock in full regalia. I later came back to the room, and she had drawn a gorgeous replication of the picture on the Etch-A-Sketch. I wish it had been on paper--I would like to have kept it. She seems to have a gift for the piano (again another area in which I do not shine). She played me a few bars of "Ode to Joy" which she just picked out by ear by herself. She is thoughtful in an abstract way that most 6-year-olds are not. I look forward to her development.

She is my princess.

Freedom is not free.

I love history--I think John C. Stevens at ACU is to blame for my love. What a wonderful teacher of the things that matter about our country!

Jesus said to "Render to Caesar the things which are Caesar's." What shall we render to our country? I think loyalty,gratitude and respect are in order. There is no other country in the world where people yearn to go as they yearn to come to America. There is no other country in the world which gives so generously to others who need help.

I remember learning about the debate over the Marshall Plan after WWII--shall we help those who fought us rebuild? We did and built a European Union. While we may lag a bit at times today, we are still helping other countries survive.

Is America a Christian nation? No, I believe America is a nation full of Christians ready to pour that cup of cold water all over the world. I think the attempt to identify nations religiously misses the whole point-- that while we individually love our country, we are also trying constantly to "render what is due to God." It is fortuitous when the two renderings can come together.

It is my belief that the song America the Beautiful comes close to being a hymn about our country. We should everyday ask God to shed His grace on us and to crown our good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea. Let's drop all this drivel about immigration and welcome those yearning to come here as our forefathers and foremothers were welcomed. That is brotherhood. It is also brotherhood to help those immigrants who need help learning the language, rather than denigrate them because they don't know it. It is brotherhood to welcome them into our churches as we welcome all those who look like us--what a travesty when some are turned away because they do not talk like us or look like us. It is my belief that one of the lectures we will get in heaven is about unity and the things we have done to prevent it.

So, God bless the U. S. A. and thank you for the land in which I was born.

Things

I have a little plaque in my bathroom which says, "The best things are not things." And that is so true--the intangibles are what really make life full and rich. For me recently, some of these things are:

Meeting someone new and discovering that we have mutual friends and love them

A call from #1 son just to talk


Watching movies we both like with a new friend


Attending Sunday classes and finding one that really speaks to my soul


Noting Sheryl holding Sam and seeing that their hair is absolutely the same raspberry-honey blonde color



Anticipating the new Zoe recording



Hearing that wonderful "bulfroggy" cicada sound of a southern night



Having long-legged Maddie curl up in my lap for a few "I love you's"

Learning how to make an Orange Julius at home


As Melodie Beattie wrote, "Each moment in time we have it all, even if we think we don't."

Do You Own Your Stuff, or Does It Own You?

"We are constantly seeking more, only to discover that more is never enough."

I read a phrase the other day "The Theology of Enough". Claiborne uses it too in Irresistible Revolution.

I am convinced that simplicity is not about deprivation. It is about knowing when enough is enough. Knowing that is not easy--it takes some solitude and thought to sort out.

I began by asking what are my favorite things? One of the first answers, of course, was books. So I decided to begin to rid myself of some of my books. So far, I have divested myself of 83 books through Amazon. I have donated others to the Brentwood Library book sale, and given some to Good Will. I discovered that most used book stores will not take books in which there is underlining. I can't read a book with underlining the things that stand out to me. I am beginning to see space at the end of my bookshelves now.

In addition, I try to go through my closet each season and give away those clothes I have not worn in the season which just ended. And to give away (to Good Will and the church clothing drive) duplicate items--
who needs 5 red blouses anyway?

I am not writing this to toot my own horn, but to remind myself that things can begin to own me and begin to take too much of my time managing them

Simplicity

"Simplicity is an acquired taste. Mankind, left free, instinctively complicates life." Katharine Gerould

Did you know that simplicity is a spiritual discipline? Richard Foster says so in Celebration of Discipline. It is a discipline that would bear study in this consumer culture. It is certainly one that Christians should seek as they strive to bring others to Jesus who lived most simply and taught many lessons on the virtues of simplicity. While reading The Irresistible Revolution, I remembered Foster's chapter and went back to it.

Here are his "ten controlling principles for the outward expression of simplicity: (comments following them are mine)

1. Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status. Do you really need a new iPhone?

2. Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you. Do I really need that book?

3. Develop a habit of giving things away. My goal is if I buy something
(say a new blouse) that means I give one away--or two, or three....

4. Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry.
iPhone again

5. Learn to enjoy things without owning them. Public libraries are the best bargains.

6. Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation. "Behold, consider the lilies of the field...."

7. Look with a healthy skepticism at all "buy now, pay later" schemes.
Does that mean credit cards?

8. Obey Jesus' instructions about plain, honest speech. Honesty and integrity do simplify your life.

9. Reject anything that will breed the oppression of others. Try to be in the know about what products are made by exploiting others. That is hard to do, but often such stories are in the news.

10. Shun whatever would distract you from your main goal. "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness."

The old Shaker hymn says, "It's a gift to be simple,
It's a gift to be free,
It's a gift to come down where we ought to
be....."

Irresistible Revolution

I was prepared not to like Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne.Prepared to dismiss him as another pie-in-the-sky hippie who, after his parents sacrificed to rear him and give him a college education, decided to "give it all up" to live in a commune and eschew the American way of life.

I am about halfway through the book, and I must admit that what he says is making a lot of sense. For example, he asks, when did the church stop living Christianity and just start studying it? And he says we can end poverty (the early church did), while we are fond of quoting " the poor will be with you always." His organization The Simple Way has been fined for giving away food because they did not have a food distribution license. He calls himself "an ordinary radical." He is not espousing a doctrine, but rather a way of life in which the main idea is
following Jesus.

He does not issue a clarion call for us to selling everything we have and give it to the poor, but rather to live more simply and give our changed lives to helping those who need us.

Today what struck me was that Zacchaeaus sold only half of what he had, with it paid back four times what he owed, and then began to "redefine" his career.

Now my next question to myself is how can I live more simply and redefine my retirement?

Lessons from Nature

The gargantuan tree lies in splintered wreckage just off Concord Road. Seemingly invincible in life, it could not withstand the surprising bolt of hot white lightning which cut the sky on a rainy day last week.

Each time I pass it, my language arts mind (trained to look for symbols) wonders if God is sending me a lesson. My huge independent streak is often challenged by the redolent lessons of nature set before me by a loving God.

Important books

In 1985, Jonathan Yardley published in American Heritage Magazine ( a great publication!) a list of the ten books that have shaped the American character. Here are the ten:



1. Walden by Thoreau (1854)

2. Leaves of Grass by Whitman (1855)

3. Ragged Dick or Street Life in New York by Horatio Alger (1867)

4. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Twain (1884)

5. The Boston Cooking School Cookbook by Fannie Farmer (1896)

6. The Theory of the Leisure Class by Thorsteomn Veblen (1899)

7. The Souls of Black Folks by W. E. B. Du Bois (1903)

8. In Our Time by Hemingway (1925)

9. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (1936)

10. The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care by Dr. Spock
(1946)



There are some on the list I would quibble with. For instance, the Hemingway choice--why not one of his more famous titles?

I would have added :

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (1962)

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939) (on his runner-up list)

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger (1961) (also a runner-up)

The Significance of the Frontier in American History by Frederick Jackson Turner (1893) (also a runner-up)

Dear readers, what books would you have added? Maybe some later books?

Mighty Verbs

I have been reading in the Psalms for the past few weeks--such a wonderful exercise of growth. Reading about Israel in Ps. 106 who "exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull which eats grass, and who were bent on rebellion, I went on to read in Ps. 107 about the rescues of God toward this grumbling nation: Notice the verbs throughout: he redeemed, gathered, delivered, led, satisfies, fills the hungry, saves, brought them out of darkness, broke away their chains, breaks down gates of bronze, cuts through bars of iron, saves, rescued them from the grave, stilled the storm, guided them, blessed them, lifted the needy, increased their families........

Lord, will you throw a few of these verbs toward our nation which is bent on destroying the good inherent in its past. Bless us as we bow down to a big box full of flickering images, as we arrogantly peddle our "better" way of life to other countries, as we forget your blessings of the past, as we try to remake others in our image, as we gather things and make them more important than you. as we forget, as we forget....

Wedding metaphors

It is not surprising that wedding metaphors abound in the Bible. It is the
closest relationship we humans have outside of parenthood.....the bride and groom truly become one flesh...it is an organic relationship in which one cannot hurt the other without hurting oneself. This organism feeds on mutual love, care and communication as do all organisms which thrive.

I have often wondered why we welcome into our homes-- via TV-- sex in all its various perversions and never blink an eye; yet, we avoid both reading and studying Song of Solomon. What lovelier passages could we speak to our beloveds than those contained in the sanctioned book of the Bible canon?

The only church I know of which did include it in the Sunday School curriculum was Minter Lane in Abilene several years ago. I was not there at the time, so I don't know how it was received, but I applaud the effort to bring a little romance into Sunday morning.

Kevin and Kim's wedding yesterday was very sweet. I especially liked their taking the time and courage to write and say their own vows to one another rather than go with the old love and obey thing. May the words of the vows reenter their thoughts as the inevitable trials come.

The Wonder of Imagination

I got to keep Sam a little while yesterday. Watching him play was so wonderful.

He had a Fisher-Price safari set that Brandon played with. The jeep, trailer and animals are far superior to any such toys today. They will probably last to see Sam's children.

Sam was taking the animals on a ride in the sky--they were flying, yes, flying tiger, giraffe, and lion. Every now and then, he would take one out of the air, land it and say "Hello!" Of course the animals had to eat with him, and they enjoyed his chicken nuggets. Later in the day, we were at a Thai restaurant, and I watched him say, "ready, set....and then he would baptize his plastic horse over and over in his water glass. I just wish I knew what was going on in his imagination. May he never let play become mundane.

Thanks Sam for a lovely day.

The Communal Grace of Laughter

Henry Ward Beecher said, "Mirth is God's medicine. Everybody ought to bathe in it." There is so much good feeling when a group laughs together. We feel closer, having found a common theme to smile about.

Our class on Wed. nights is enjoying laughing at Anne Lamott's (Grace Eventually). Who can remain stonefaced when she writes about "neckular deterioriation" or your neck being "the thighs of the head"? Or about the Marmee in Little Women "who cuddled endlessly and kept her weight down". Or after an eating binge, "It's hard to be a spiritual being when you're burping apple fritters and cheetos." Or teaching kids in Sunday school "who had the attention span of squirrel monkeys".

Yes, as an old Yiddish proverbs says, "What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul." We all need it, and it's better when it happens communally.

Nashville History

I just finished going on an historical tour of Nashville with tour guide extraordinaire Linda Giddens. Marge Roeder won the tour at a recent auction at Otter and invited several of us to accompany her.

After visiting the Bicentennial Mall, I made the statement that Tennessee is even prouder of her history than Texas. I can't believe I said that--but you would just have to see the Mall to understand--especially the history wall and the carillon center, plus the huge Tennessee map with all the cities, town, villages, lakes, interstates, etc. We were all blown away by the careful planning and intense interest in preservation of history.

We couldn't believe all the condos, lofts, townhouses, etc. going up downtown--and the prices being asked.

Linda is such a good storyteller. My favorite one was about Tom Ryman, the founder of the Ryman Auditorium and his conversion from tough, riverboat owner to churchgoer.

It is a cool, rainy day here--a perfect day for a tour. Thanks to Linda and Marge for a wonderful day!

Escaping Our Past

In this week's Nashville Scene Jeff Woods writes an article entitled "Christers at the Gate" about two people running for office in Nashville who are members of the Church of Christ. He recounts the horrors that might occur should they win. The article ends by saying, "Let us all pray for deliverance."

Besides calling my fellowship a "quirky collection of rigid fundamentalists", he goes on to attribute attitudes long ago softened by grace. There may still be some of us who believe that we are the only ones going to heaven, but the majority of us have long left that idea as we have gained a better understanding of the Way. We also celebrate Christmas, often have Christmas trees in the sanctuary, and do no longer believe that the piano is the devil's instrument (see what I mean about his diatribe?).
In fact, many of our congregations have instrumental services.

So I think I will go ahead and vote for Buck Dozier, whom I understand has many qualities of leadership. If Carolyn Baldwin Tucker is opposed to funding for the arts in Nashville (but who can believe what Woods says?) then I will not vote for her.

Oh, Father, when we will ever escape from the mistakes of the past? Fill us with your grace so that we can graciously bless those who continue to malign us.

Singing in the auditorium

I know my Sam would have loved following Zoe and attending their concerts, as I did this weekend.

The principal of a school never gets his/her work done while there is still anyone left in the school building. Someone is always coming by for advice, chatting and chilling. So my Sam would spend almost every Saturday morning at school finishing up the week. Most of those Saturdays he would take Brandon with him--how boring for a little tyke, you might say.

No, Sam would set up the mike and a radio on the school auditorium stage and let Brandon "perform" all morning. Sam had the intercom in the office on so he could hear him. Frequently janitors and teachers who were working in the building would come by to listen.

Thus, Brandon has always been comfortable in front of a mike and on a stage. One more gift of his father.

Laughter

As Father's Day approaches, I think more and more of my Sam. He was a wonderful father, although he had no role model for fatherhood. His father was caught in the chaos of alcoholism for most of Sam's growing up. When he was sober, he was kind and sweet; but when he was drinking, he enjoyed abuse(physical and verbal) and thought nothing of letting the neighbors know how dysfunctional the family was by doing all sorts of crass things outside the house, yelling, screaming, cursing. One of the favorite activities of Sam and his siblings was finding their father's stash of liquor and hiding it in bushes around the house where he could not find it.

Sam, on the other hand, somehow developed a model for fatherhood that has been copied by his son. He loved playing with Brandon (actually, I think that Sam never grew up inside), he abhorred abuse of any kind, and reveled in the accomplishments of his son. Yes, I would say that he passed down very good models. I pray that Brandon's Sam will carry on the new tradition.

Holding hands

There are some very unobstrusive, common things which help make life grand.

I remember when Brandon was a child holding his hand to help him navigate a curb, climb stairs or get into a car. We held hands going across dangerous streets and when he needed a calming while trying to go to sleep. It was good for him and very nice for me.

These days, Brandon is holding my hand to help me do some of the same things: navigating a curb, climbing stairs or a hill, and getting into or out of a car or a van. While I don't need help on streets or going to bed, I am sure he would help me with that too.

While we do not always hold hands, Babe, I hold you in my heart every minute of every day.

Trivial Pursuit

I just spent 30 minutes watching some of America's Got Talent??? I do believe a thousand question marks would not be enough to question this ridiculous show.

If the demise of network television is imminent, reality shows like this one are why. And advertisements for more reality shows this summer are not promising--looks like I will get to read more books.


___________________________

Just learned today that Kayci and Josh Ross have had a new baby boy--Truitt. Congratulations!!! You will be wonderful parents to this precious bundle--he is a very blessed boy.

Back to Orlando

I went along for the ride as Zoe conducted a "Closer" conference at the Metro Church this past weekend. This is the church I visited 3 years ago to lead a woman's retreat on writing a spiritual autobiography.

It was so good to see those ladies again and to find that some of them are writing down their stories as I urged them to do. The new Metro building is spectacular! In a former grocery store, the church has remodeled it to accomodate a 900 seat sanctuary, a "Holy Grounds" coffeeshop and bookstore, a "Bistro" kitchen where meals are served 6 days a week, spacious classrooms and offices, a great gym for the youth with stadium seating, and a very comfortable atmosphere of welcome. It looks very nice on the outside with a huge parking lot and something most churches need badly--a loading dock.

This 18-year-old church is making real strides in the community. They recently merged with a 250 member Christian Church and are finding that a great blessing for both.

The ladies seem to be very active in reaching to all ages. This summer they have a series going on marriage and other concerns. Sunday morning Linda Werner of Legacy Principles spoke.

An additional blessing came in seeing folks from Abilene: Mike
Cope, Jack, Jill and Matt Maxwell and Sally Gary. What a blessing to see them. Also Alyse Hipes' (a member at Metro with her husband Kevin) mother was visiting. Edwina (Smart) Conaway has been a friend since college days. We had a great time visiting and telling who had heard about other members of that college time. Alyse's daughter Savannah was baptized Sunday morning adding a cherry on top of the luscious weekend.

I also got to see and be around Brandon, Sheryl and the rest of Zoe which I can't get enough of here.

What a joy! Thank you God for the worship, the sharing of John York on Sunday and the hospitality of the Metro people.

Unique Otter

As Doris and I conducted our reading discussion group last night at Otter, I had the thought that such an occasion would not happen at many churches in my fellowship.

This class will meet each Wed. night through the summer and discuss one book per month. We begin with Anne Lamott's Grace (Eventually), continue in July with Lauren Winner's Mudhouse Sabbath, and end in August with Eugene Peterson's Eat This Book.

Last night was so fun. We began with an introduction to spiritual reading and why one should bother reading such books. Several of those who attended suggested some books I had not heard of and which sounded worthy of going to Amazon. That bodes well for the class.

I do pray that we will all learn more about our Father and his consistent loving presence as we share books this summer.

Otter is unique in this way and in others: Not many churches I know have a female Jewish professor come and lecture on Matthew, nor have a gathering room where people can be seen drinking coffee before and after services (one of my favorite pictures of community), nor do other churches offer courses in spiritual formation during the regular Sunday School or courses in art, music, and creativity such as the one that just ended.

God has blessed Otter with so many gifts and talents--May we use them to his glory.

Lloyd Alexander

Lloyd Alexander, a famous author of young adult books died last month. He wrote the Black Cauldron and The Prydain Chronicles. One of the chronicles The High King received the Newbery Award in 1968. He had the ability to create unforgettable character names like The Pig Keeper and Fflewddur Fflam. Enchanted kingdoms, broken harps, and magical legends flowed through all his books.

I feel a special affinity for him. When I received the Siddy Jo Johnson Award (year's best children's librarian) from the Texas Library Assn. , Alexander was the main speaker at that luncheon, and I got to sit next to him and chat. A very small man--he looked like an elf out of one of his books. But he was very cordial and easy to talk to. He told me that he had never had a writing course, but learned to write as he did from reading the great literature of the world as a child.

In these days of children's books about every subject from pooping to pottying, I wonder how many of them ever get to read from the world's great literature? We once had a program in elementary schools called Junior Great Books which pushed the reading of great literature, but I think the adult leaders tired of the program and it no longer exists. Fortunately Harry Potter has reawakened the interest in lore and legend--maybe that will help if well-meaning adults don't get the books cast out of the schools.

Thankfully there was a victory over that last week in Cedarville, AK. I heard the mother who was overruled by the court say that she didn't know what her next move was, but she was praying about it.

I don't think the God who values imagination and thinking will answer in the way she hopes.

Fear and trust

David Rubio spoke again yesterday about fear. It is interesting in my life that fear and trust have coexisted in a kind of dance--one switching with the other as the lead depending on the challenge of the day.

Hearing all those fire and brimstone sermons growing up in which the preachers seemed to have special insights into heaven and hell scared me and if I think about them today, they still scare me. I have spent the last half of my life reveling in grace, however, and enjoying that feeling of trust and confidence that God loves me and wants the best for me in a love that cannot be rivaled.

I do not want to join the camp of many who seem to believe that everyone who believes will be saved, but I am not far from it--trying not to be judgemental and trying harder to give each soul the benefit of their doubt and ignorance. There is still that passage about the narrow gate that waggles itself in the back of my brain.

As one grows older, we get rather innured to the idea that sin is no longer a part of our lives--we are the wise, the sages who are looked up to and sought out for spiritual wisdom. It is a nice benefit of growing old; but, I don't feel worthy of those accolades because that temptation to sin beckons all ages. I am holding on to those glorious verses which sing of the love of God and trying to become wise.

Drat those hellfire and brimstone images!

Funerals

Brandon has gone to Midland to be with Stephen at the funeral of his nephew Connor tomorrow. Maddie and I were talking about where he was and Maddie said about the funeral, "You know that place where people go out in boxes to the place where the flowers are..." Out of the mouths of babes...." to the place where the flowers are".

Dear Father,

Bless the Bailey and Brown families tonight at the greeting and tomorrow at the funeral until they go out to where the flowers are and lay Connor in his final resting place. But, of course, he is in heaven with Jesus. Thank you God. Please, please bless Hutton and Bailey and enable them to grow through this trauma to spiritual adults who know
that this life is not all there is to your creation.

Jesus as a Boy

I have always thought it odd that the Bible does not contain any stories about the late childhood of Jesus. I wish we knew more about how he got along with his classmates in the synagogue, about when he really knew about his dual personality, about some of the things he did as a physical boy--did he climb trees, skip rocks in the river, play chase, eat his vegetables? What were his first words? What did he build in the carpenter's shop? How was his relationship with Joseph? and his siblings? What teaching opportunities these tales would have provided!

Always with the questions! Would it have spoiled some great eternal plan to give us a little more information?

Little things

Thank you God for these little things that lift my heart:

Sunshine with no smoke in the air
Ella's singing her original songs
Sam's laugh
Maddie's drawings
A Starbuck's latte with whipped cream on top

And that's only today!

Hesitant Joy

In these past few days, it has been difficult to feel the abundant joy promised by God. The Bailey/Brown tragedy has been weighing heavily, along with all the other hurts in the world--the war, the starving children everywhere, more and more people I know getting cancer, etc.

But I try to maintain what Anne Lamott calls a" frayed consignment store faith" which in its wan and pale passion manages to bring a new dawn with new insights each day.

Thank you God for the little things you bring each day to help my heart recover.

Grace (Now)

I would ask my readers today to pray for the family of Stephen Bailey, one of Brandon's best friends, who lost a beloved nephew Connor yesterday in a car wreck. His sister Bailey was also injured and is suffering.

As friends not only of Stephen, but of his parents, I have heard stories of these children (Bailey, Connor, and Hutton)for many years. They are from a wonderful family and are exceptionally bright and talented. Bailey is scheduled to come to ACU next year; Connor was in high school; and Hutton middle school. I grieved for them in my sleep last night, and my heart is heavy today for the path before them.

Please Father God grant your grace (now) to all of them.

Grace (Eventually)

I am going back over the book Grace (Eventually)by Ann Lamott. It is a very funny and provocative book about her take on grace. Her title intrigues me and almost seems blasphemous. But today as David Rubio spoke on two stories in Mark 6, I had an epiphany. The woman with the issue of blood and Jairus's daughter both had to wait for grace--but it came eventually. The woman had to wait 12 years, and the daughter had to wait until Christ finished the woman's healing. Both stories have happy endings as grace comes when God awards it.

Aren't we all in our culture where we want and expect instant gratification too impatient to wait for grace? The old saying, "I want patience, and I want it now!" applies. I want grace, and I want it now!

Of course there are examples of instanteous healings, but more about those who waited--the lepers, the blind man at the pool, Peter's mother-in-law, the demoniac. God could have stepped in the instant they began to feel bad, but He didn't. They had to wait like us sometimes, as Lamott says, and while we wait, we "clog, and slog, and scrootch."

Sometimes we don't know when grace comes. Lamott says that she wishes that "delicate silver bells would ring to announce grace's arrival."
Me too. It is more often in hindsight that we see grace.

One thing is sure for me--Grace does come eventually, and God is consistent and constant in His blessing.

Book Trivia

I love trivia and Jeopardy. Here are some epitaphs of famous writers:

"Steel true. Blade straight." Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

"Quoth the raven, Nevermore." Edgar Allen Poe

"The final condensation" Dewitt Wallace, founder of Readers' Digest

"Free at last, free at last, Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."
Martin Luther King

"I had a lover's quarrel with the world." Robert Frost

Going to the Post Office

About once a week I go to the Post Office in Nolensville, an historic little berg south of me. Nolensville is a town (unlike Brentwood) where women don't step out of their Jags wearing Gucci and carrying Coach. It is a town where people look like me in Land's End shirts and pants and theraputic shoes.There old farm tractors still hold up traffic on the surrounding rural roads. Children can be seen at recess in the schoolyard. The city hall is in a strip mall. The local Sonic is the town meeting place.

But things are changing--is that a Jag at the Post Office?

Just around the corner

Just around the corner from my house, an ancient farmhouse sits forlorn like a lumpy old woman with her slip showing sitting at a bus stop. It is being razed to make way for a new development of condos.

It was a house that saw oilcloth on the table and cornbread browning in the oven. There the addition of running water and an indoor bathroom was cause for great celebration. Model T cars once lined the yard for turkey and dressing on holidays. The wire fence around the yard is lined with daffodils every spring, planted decades ago by a young farmwife wanting to escape the hot kitchen.

The shiny condos that replace it will never see cornbread or oilcloth. They will more than likely have a seldom used "extra" bathroom. The Hondas and Hummers that will sit out front will leave at 6:30 in the morning and return home at 6:30 in the afternoon--too late to plant daffodils.

Some call it progress--I call it travesty--especially if they cut down the forest behind my house.

Summer

The delicious early days of summer are finally here. Those days when the morning is cool and airy and the afternoons are bearable leading into evenings when sitting outside is a must in the cool night air.

I am not a summer person. I hate hot weather. I hate to sweat. I hate those high summer air-conditioning bills. I suppose I could refuse to run the air conditioning--but I refuse to be hot in my own house.

Summer takes on a different face when one is retired. I can no longer look forward to weeks without school and the blessed relief of staying home.

Now the long summer days stretch before me to be filled with family and grandchildren. I look forward to accompanying them to the pool and cooking in the back yard. Still a nice thought.

Welcome, summer.

Miss Potter

Doris Colvett and I finally found a good movie yesterday. The critic called it an oddball movie! If he meant that a movie without sex and violence and full of beautiful scenery is oddball, we have come to a pretty pass in our entertainment. Miss Potter is the life story of Beatrix Potter, the creator of Peter Rabbit. Right away, you see why I liked it.

A gorgeous, old-fashioned movie set around 1902, this story of a lonely single woman who upturns the children's book industry single-handedly and falls in love with her publisher is so good!!!I give it 5 stars. Set mostly in the Lake Country and the Isle of Man of England, the scenery is absolutely heavenly. Miss Potter's creation of Peter and subsequent characters is fascinating. The movie has not received much publicity and was showing only at our art theater The Belcourt here in Nashville. I am so sorry the general population will not even have the opportunity to see the movie.

Peter Rabbit is still the best-selling children's book of all time--more copies than even the Bible.

If it comes to your area, support good movies by taking your friends to see it. It is worth the money and time, believe me. I plan to buy the DVD so I can enjoy it again.

The Ascension

Wednesday night at Vespers we talked about the Ascension of Jesus. I don't remember hearing a sermon on that topic, but to read the Acts account and see the beautiful old art depicting the ascension with angels meeting Jesus and the disciples looking at the men in white (wonder why there were two?) was stirring. Jesus was busy those 40 days between the resurrection and the ascension. Luke says in Acts he presented himself alive to the apostles "in many different settings' ( Message) over that time. I have already written about his cooking breakfast on the beach--but as one reads the accounts, many of the appearances have to do with eating and sharing food.

What a sight it must have been to see Him leave and a shock to see two men in white in his place. Wonder if they had wings? Wonder why they were in white? So many questions, but what a grand occasion!

The Message says that after the sighting, they went back to an upper room and agreed that they "were in this for good." The group included the women who had been following Jesus, Mary his mother and Jesus's brothers. I am sure they had no idea what glories were coming next--Just as we,while continuing in prayer as they did ,have no idea either.

Ain't life in Christ grand!

Fun days

I have spent the last two days with Maddie and Ella--Maddie on Tues. and Ella today. What a blast!

Maddie is getting so big that we actually have real conversations now--she is so interested in things creative. And she always has to find something in my drawers to give as a gift to Sheryl. She loves wrapping packages, writing in cards, and sharing her love. Love that!

Ella is so different, but just as much fun. We played restaurant, had a tea party, and played with an old Playschool Village that belonged to Brandon. It has been a long time since someone told me "Pretend that...."

With both girls, we revisited a little history. The cedar chest of Sam's mother (Mow) holds family treasures that I am keeping because I can't bear to get rid of them. One is the ancient hearing aid (acutally a long, hollow hose) that belonged to Sam's great-grandfather. Maddie found Poppy's (Sam's) harmonica and was very taken with it. She wants one for her birthday, but it has to be pink. Don't know if such a harmonica exists. There was also a "juice" harp there. Sheryl had to show us how to play that.

Today Ella and I went through the antique dresser in my foyer. There we found Brandon's baby shoes, his Levi jacket, and his Cub Scout shirt.

There were also three of his blankets and pajamas there. Ella wanted to take one of the blankets home, but she forgot it. The one she liked best was Brandon's favorite--blue with very worn edges. Good memories.

Thanks girls for two good days.

Confessions II

Some time between middle school and high school, someone gave me a copy of Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. It became my favorite book although I did not know anyone who had a horse, nor did I ride one until I became an adult. It was a good story with a sad ending--perfect for a middle school girl.

As a high schooler, I became a library aide and plunged into checking out as many books as I could carry. The high school library was not large, nor particularly well-stocked, as I have said. So my reading was not broad, nor deep. This is where I read all the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. I remember reading some semi-religious books by Thomas B. Costain and Lust for Life by Irving Stone. Any "good" literature or classic lit was the province of textbooks--I never read, for example, the Iliad or any Greek lit, nor really any world literature--the school texts contained very little. We read Shakespeare, Chaucer, and essays, poetry, etc. We were never assigned extra books outside the text as is done today. My knowledge of great literature was sadly lacking when I went to college.

Paperbacks were not ubiquitous until much later, but I did begin buying some for college assignments and adding them to my library. My budget was very tight, so I could not afford many. I would take them to work to read at the switchboard where I worked at Foremost Dairies. It didn't take me long to tire of long Victorian novels and Greek epics, so I went on to other reading, mostly mysteries of the Agatha Christie variety. I never liked reading romance fiction. My tastes turned to history and biography as I took some of the history courses for my minor in history.

After graduating, one of my first jobs (after Levelland where I taught reading) was Eula High School as the English teacher of all grades. It seems the new English teacher immediately became the librarian, so that is where I first practiced library science. Sadly the library was very small--almost book closet size. The superintendent had a penchant for buying books from traveling salesmen--mostly remainders. These were usually black and white science books no self-respecting kid would read. Donated National Geographics, Readers Digests and Life Magazines lined the shelves. What a mess!! And I had very little expertise to deal with it. ( I need to write another blog about my life in libraries).

About that time, ACU was offering library science classes being brought to the campus from North Texas State University, and I began to take those. I soon became a certified school librarian with a "vast" knowledge of good books and a sad realization of about all the books I had missed.

Through the years, I have collected many good children's books, biographies, poetry collections, and a good array of religious and inspirational books by great writers.

It has been fun and rewarding, and I don't see myself coming out of this addiction any time soon. I do hope you three will love reading and share my love for books.

Confessions of a Bookaholic

This is for Maddie, Ella and Sam.

Dear Sweeties,

This is the story of how Nonnie became a bookaholic:

There were no books in our home (except a Bible) when I was a toddler.
Poverty precluded books. I do remember our getting a box of hand-me-downs from a friend of my Granny Tucker (your great-great grandmother). In that box was a book about bears through the seasons. I do not remember its title, but I treasured it until it fell apart.

When I began school, there was no school library in my elementary school in Hamlin. I do not remember being read to by any teacher. There was an occasion I remember when a first grader came and read to our third grade class. His name was Ted Wright, and he was obviously very gifted. He skipped several grades, and we graduated from high school together. My fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Smith, had a few books in her classroom--most were old readers and other cast-offs. We could read them in the classroom, but were not allowed to take them home. Mrs. Griggs, my sixth-grade art teacher once took a trip to New Orleans. When she came home, her mouth was full of tales about beignets, thick coffee and Oysters Rockefeller. She read us Frances Parkinson Keyes' Dinner at Antoines. I can't imagine a sixth grade class listening to it today, but it was a very special time for a book-starved student like me.

In the days between elementary and middle school, my brothers and I would save our pennies and go to town to buy comic books for 25 cents each. My favorites were the Classic Illustrated comics which took a classic book like Treasure Island and illustrated the story with comics.
Superman, Wonder Woman, and Archie and Veronica were favorites too.
After we had accumulated several comic books, we could take them to town and trade them by giving 2 used books for 1 free used book.

My mom loved reading, and when she got a few pennies ahead, she would buy magazines like Redbook and Ladies' Home Journal. That was before Redbook became so salacious. Redbook always had a novel
in each issue, and I remember reading that avidly. Our town had no public library, so that was really my only link to fictional reading.

Chapter 2 tomorrow.

Eat, Drink, Think III

One of my favorite books on the topic of The Lord's Supper is Come to the Table by John Mark Hicks. The subtitle is "Revisioning the Lord's Supper." I like it because I agree with it--but it also helped me think through several troublesome issues. As mentioned yesterday, instead of a funeral-like atmosphere, we should have celebration around the Supper. "The church should revision the supper as a table rather than an altar." And "the church should revision the supper as a family event, including children." I have always thought that children should be invited to the table where they can grow spiritually--it is an opportunity for teaching them about God's love.

Hicks also said a table rather an altar mentality would solve the problem of who serves at the table. Who cares who passes food around a table? Those who do not believe that there women at the initiation of the Lord's Supper are sadly mistaken--who prepared the food? Who brought the food to the table? Who picked up the used dishes? Women of course. As someone has remarked The Lord's Supper is the only table around which we do not allow women to serve. An altar mentality carries with it the idea of authority and priesthood, etc.
A table does not.

Above all, Hicks says that the Lord's Supper must be a communal event transcending all cultural, ethnic and gender boundaries which is full of hope,grace and joy.

William Willamon's book Sunday Dinner says virtually the same thing. It ends with the plea of John 6: 34 "Lord give us this bread always." And that is the way I will end these sessions of thought.

Eat, Drink, Think II

In regard to the frequency of observance of The Lord's Supper, there is no direct command in the New Testament. Acts 20:7 states that when they met on the first day of the week to break bread, Paul preached. My fellowship has taken that as an example to be followed. I. Cor. 11:25 says that as often as you drink, do it in memory of Christ. Acts 2:46 states that the new Christians were day by day breaking bread. Henry Nouwen has written that he partakes every day to keep his mind attuned to Christ. Constantine once ruled that it should be observed on important holidays like Christmas and Easter. Other churches have chosen to partake once a month, once a quarter, etc. I am thankful for our weekly observance which sets the pace for the rest of the week. And no, it never becomes rote or boring for me. Maybe for others, but more on that later.

Some aberrations have taken place through the years with us and other churches:

Some felt that since one cup was used in the initiation, we should use only one cup today. Knowledge about germs and disease changed that. However, there are still some who are doing it that, and we call them "one-cuppers".

Some have believed that not partaking can lead to loss of salvation and go to great lengths to have the elements with them on Sunday wherever they are. I had a friend in high school who carried a kit with a small vial of juice and a cracker in his pickup. Churches often make it a practice to take the Supper to those are in the hospital and rest homes or who are shut-ins, so they will not miss it. Before Sunday night church gradually disappeared in favor of small group meetings, the Supper was always offered to those who had been "providentally hindered" (whatever that meant?) from attending Sunday morning church.

Some feel it necessary for the priest or someone else to bless the elements before they are passed. because the KJV says, Jesus took the bread and blessed it, etc. A better translation reads, Jesus took the bread and after a blessing, He broke it. NASB Seems that he was blessing God for His gifts instead of blessing the bread.

How about transubstantion in which the bread and wine supernaturally become the real body and blood of Christ? Christ's Jewish friends around that table did not think any such thing. The Jews abhorred the eating of human flesh and drinking of blood. And those who sat with him were very familiar with the metaphors, similies and parables of Jesus and they knew that he was speaking figuratively.

The KJV of Matt. 26:27 says to "Drink ye all of it." And because of this many have taken great pains to drain every drop of the juice from the container and even dry it out before passing it on. A better translation would be "Drink ye--all-- of it. In other words, everyone should drink it.

Some churches refuse communion to those not identified with their fellowship thus practicing "closed communion". At Otter Creek, we welcome anyone to partake--the Lord's Supper is not an act of identification with a church, but rather an act of identification with Christ.

II Cor. 11:28 says we should examine ourselves lest we eat and drink unworthily.
Some have taken that to mean that since they consider themselves too sinful, they should not partake. A better reading of the passage shows the word "Unworthily" is an adverb which describes how we partake--unthinkingly, ritualisticly, etc.

Another wrong-headed celebration is one which is more like a funeral rite rather than a celebration. When the early Christians partook of it, Christ has arisen and many of them had seen him. They had nothing to mourn, but rather celebrated his sacrifice and their salvation.

One more tomorrow.

Eat, Drink, Think

This is my 700th post since Musings began May 31, 2004. Who knew I had that many words in me?

My tribe calls our weekly celebration The Lord's Supper or Communion. Never, Eucharist (too Catholic, too denominational). We observe it during worship on Sunday morning . We are very big (read= obsessive) on restoring the New Testament primitive church. Someone asked me about it last week, and I began running it through my mind with these questions:

1. After that first supper, how long did it take for the symbolic observance to take hold in the new Christian's minds?

2. And in observing it, what were their elements (no, we never call them sacraments)? Fermented wine and unleavened bread as used by Christ in its institution?

3. Did the early Christians observe it only in worshp as we do, or was it part of a community meal as seems to be the case in Acts 2?

4. Did they use intinction (dipping the bread into the wine) or take each element separately?

5. As the years passed, were the elements filtered by custom into grape juice and crackers. When exactly did that begin?

6. When were the portions of the elements reduced to a tiny sip and a small piece of cracker (always broken off)?

More tomorrow.

More About Books

Here are some more quotes about books. If you have a good one, send it along.

"Books are delightful society. If you go into a room and finding it full of books--even without taking them from the shelves they seem to speak to you, to bid you welcome. " William Gladstone

"Is there any excitement comparable to opening a fresh parcel of books?" William Targ

"Books are the carriers of civilization. Without them, history is silent, literature dumb, science
crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill." Barbara Tuchman

"Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore!" Henry Ward Beecher

"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing." Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird

"The failure to read good books both enfeebles the vision and strenghens our most fatal tendency--the belief that here and now is all there is." Allan Bloom

"I cannot live without books." Thomas Jefferson in a letter to John Adams

"You can never be too thin, too rich or have too many books." Carter Burden

" I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library." Jorge Luis Borges

"A classic is a book everyone is assumed to have read and often think they have." Alan Bennett

"The covers of this book are too far apart." Ambrose Bierce

"One of the greatest gifts adults can give--to their offspring and to their society--is to read to children. " Carl Sagan

Books, books, books

Here are a few of my favorite quotes about books:

" A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say." Italio Calvino


"Just the knowledge that a good book is waiting one as the end of a long day makes that day happier." Kathleen Norris

"There is a space in everyone's bookshelves for books one has outgrown but cannot give away.
They hold one's youth between their leaves, like flowers pressed on a half-forgotten summer's day." Marion C. Garretty



"When I get a little money, I buy books; and if there is any left, I buy food and clothes." Erasmus

"Never lend books, for no one ever returns them; the only books I have in my library are books that other people have lent to me."Anatole France

"A home without books is like a room without windows....A little library,growing every year,
is an honorable part of a man's (woman's) history. It is a man's (woman's) duty to have books.
A library is not a luxury, but one of the necessities of life." Henry Ward Beecher

"When we are collecting books, we are collecting happiness." Vincent Starrett

News item: 70-year-old Eleanor Barry of Long Island was a long-time collector of books, magazines, and newspapers. Police were summoned to her house in December, 1977, when neighbors reported they had not seen her for several weeks. When they entered her house, they found it full of floor to ceiling books. They had to use an axe to break down her bedroom
door because a collapsed stack of heavy books blocked it. Faint cries for help led them to an enormous stack of heavy books which had fallen onto the bed and trapped her there. They were with some effort able to rescue her from the pile of books, but unfortunately she died on the way to the hospital, killed by her book collection." (What a way to go--JAT)

"Never read a book through merely because you have begun it." John Witherspoon

"The man (woman) who does not read good books has no advantage over the man (woman) who can't read them. " Mark Twain

"Every man (woman) who knows how to read has it in his (her) power to magnify himself (herself), to multiply the ways in which he (she) exists, to make his (her) life full, significant, and interesting." Aldous Huxley

" A book must be an ice-axe to break the seas frozen in our souls."Franz Kafka

Quotes from A Passion for Books by Terry W. Glaspey

Getting to Know Me III

Are you saying, "Way too much information?" Well, there are more things I love:

1. The Zoe Group
2. Otter's current Sunday morning class on The Creator and Art. Speakers have
been songwriters, poets, artists, photographers, etc.
3. Tim's sermons on Romans
4. Powerpoint--the creative addition it is to our worship time together with its
graphics, art, etc.
5. Communion at Vespers.
6. Otter's offering of classes by Amy Jill Levine. She is a prof. at Vanderbilt's
Divinity School, an orthodox Jew and a world-renowned scholar of the New
Testament
7. Antiques Roadshow
8. 24
9. Most PBS TV
10. All Things Considered on NPR
11. Fresh fruit
12. A thick garlic-flavored steak at Joe Allen's in Abilene
13. Bluebonnets
14. Bradford Pear Trees
15. Publix Grocery Stores
16. Pictures of my grandchildren
17. The Puffy Muffin
18. Real Coca-Cola
19. Good children's books that are written for children and not adults, ones that
make sense, and that don't talk about poop and belches
20. Sam's developing vocabulary (you knew I would get to them eventually)
21. My beautiful, smart Maddie
22. My beautiful and funny Ella
23. Their mom and dad

Getting to Know Me II

Here are 20 more things I love:

1. Pink carnations
2. Matlock
3. Good movies (It's been a long time)
4. Broadway musicals (Except Cats--I never got that one)
5. Good poetry--Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, T. S. Eliot
6. Spiritual books--Anne Lamott, Frederick Buechner, Madeliene L'Engle,
Luci Shaw, Kathleen Norris, Eugene Peterson
7. The Message
8. Red
9. Purple
10. Eating at Mere Bulles
11. Lipscomb's Life Long Learning Classes
12. Rainy days
13. Fireplaces
14. Candles
15. Reading the Tennessean unhurridly
16. Crossword Puzzles
17. NBC Nightly News (I miss Tom Brokaw)
18. Mix 92.9 radio
19. Hallmark cards
20. Bluegrass music

Getting to Know Me

Here are 20 things I love (kids and grandchildren are a given!) Random Order


1. Turtleneck blouses
2. Matching socks for the blouse
3. Matching earrings for the blouse
4. Starbucks' Strawberry cream
6. Chili's chips and salsa
7. McAllister Deli's potato soup
8. Cracker Barrel's chicken and dumplings (I am hungry)
9. Netflix
9. Davis-Kidd Bookstore
10. Border's 3 for 2 paperbacks
11. Vespers at Otter Creek
12. The Gathering Room at Otter and the idea behind it
13. That funky worship leader at Otter
14. Some Bill Gaither videos (I am, after all, 69 years old)
15. My Buick and being independent enough to drive it wherever I want
16. Eating with my family
17. Movie night at 5405 Barton Vale
18. Sheryl's popcorn
19. Movies at the movie theater
20. My cozy house

More tomorrow--I love a lot of things!

National TV Turnoff Week

Since this is "turnoff the TV week", I thought I would list 10 things on television I can do without:

1. Reality shows
2. Most every sit-com (supposedly funny comedies based on sex and body function humor)
3. David Letterman
4. Daytime dramas
5. Wrestling
6. 10 minute commercials
7. Political pun-dits
8. Most religious programming (when will we ever learn how to do it?
9. The Cartoon Network (we have come a long way from Tom and Jerry)
10. Repeated, and repeated and repeated movies (How many times can one watch Dirty Dancing, Urban Cowboy and Cold Mountain) AND all those John Wayne movies (How many did he make anyway? 1,000?)

Rainy days in Nashville

As I returned home today, the extremely white clouds lay in three layers against a deep blue sky promising rain. This was white white, the pure white one thinks of when one speaks of The Lamb of God. It was a gorgeous sight, and as one who likes rainy days, it was a sight I appreciated for its beauty and promise--just as I appreciate Jesus for the beauty of His promise.

Tennessee is so beautiful.

Ella Visits

Ella came today. I helped train her for her future. She cleaned my bathtub ( from lint which accumulates from disuse--I am a shower person). As she cleaned she said, " I will be a "cleaner" when I grow up. And she did a very nice job too! My bathtub is too wide for me to reach to opposite side and if I ever got in it, I would never get out of it. So it was a real service.

We played restaurant and she delighted in being the waitress (maybe good training for the college years). Smart girl that she is-- since she can't yet write yet--when she took my order, she drew the items. Pretty good for age 4. I gave her a $50 tip (play money).

It is so good to be able to have the children in my home frequently. Sam was able to walk in today for the first time! He is getting so big! And is really into trains.

What fun!

11 things I think about late at night

1. What will the world my grandchildren live in be like?
2. Is the Bible correctly translated? Particularly those gender passages of Paul.
3. Why did Sam have to die so young?
4. Is there really going to be a rapture? Nahhhh
5. What will heaven be like? Yes, I have read Revelation.
6. What can I do to stop violence here?
7. What more can I do to serve God?
8. Will tomorrow come?
9. What will my grandchildren grow up to be like?
10. Why are there so many versions of church. And how does God really view that?
11. Where will I be in 5 years?

Bothersome things

Things that DIDN'T bother me as much before I approached age 70:

1. Two Story houses with steep stairs
2. Uneven terrain
3. Low toilets
4. How much time I had left to read all the unread books on my shelves
5. Driving at night in the rain
6. Driving at night to new places
7. The distance from the car to the front door of a store
8. The distance to a store in the middle of the mall
9. How long I had to stand in line
10 How much water I drank or didn't drink
11.How few handicapped parking places there are in some venues
12.How much light there is to read by
13.How cold the temp in a room is
14.How much stuff I have
15.Climbing ladders
16.How fast the days and weeks fly by
17.How long it takes me to do some things
18.How easily I forget things

Medieval Music

Doris Colvett and I attended a concert at Lipscomb on Saturday. It was the Chorale, the Reunion Chorale and the Early Consort Group. For many years, the direct Dr. Gerald Moore has been collecting medieval and unusual instruments from all over the world.

Saturday, the songs sung and played ranged from hymns and medieval madigral material to African, Australian, Persian, Palestinian and Scottish tunes. One African wedding song consisted only of the words: " I got him." The event was so good! There was even an early bagpipe.

It made me want to come home and read Shakespeare.

Good work Lipscomb!

Play Day

Maddie came over yesterday. We played with the Hot Wheels cars. We played Hide and Seek. We colored and made cards for Mommy and Daddy. And we ate Chicken Nuggets with Chick-Filet dips and Apples with carmel dip. Then we watched some of Curious George.

It was a good day!

Stars Shining in the Universe

I will be speaking at Vespers tonight on this wonderful verse in Phil. 2:14-16:

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you SHINE LIKE STARS IN THE UNIVERSE AS YOU HOLD OUT THE WORDS OF LIFE...."


How this world needs those who will hold out the words of life today--Bless those at Virginia Tech--I just wish those in charge would have listened to that English teacher's worries about Cho. The heart does spill over in writing, and the English teacher recognized that this young man was very troubled.

But back to shining like stars, wouldn't it be nice if when coming out of baptism a halo popped over our heads (as in the medieval paintings) or a luminescence would appear on our skin so the world would know we are children of God. But on the other hand, the world is supposed to know we are children of God by our love, right?

Book club day

Today was one of my favorite days of the month. The Church Chicks book club met. And today we met at my house.

The 11 people in my group are all Otter Members and all above 40 years of age.We have been meeting two years and have become a very cohesive group. While we don't all like the same kind of books, we all always have something to say about the month's book.

This month's book was Abide With Me by Elizabeth Strout. It is the story of a minister who almost loses his faith, his church and his children after his wife dies. Very good writing.

Sharing literary things, church things, and children things is very fulfilling, especially with this group which likes to laugh.

Thanks Ladies for a fun day!

Easter, 2007

What a glorious day! The worship on Sunday morning was outstanding with deeply affecting testimonies moving everyone. The huge cross covered with flowers was beautiful and uplifting.

Then lunch with Kevin Penna, Kim Girdly, Kyle Rigsby and Brandon, Sheryl and the munchkins. Honeybaked ham, orange salad, hashbrown casserole, Dot's potato salad, Candied Pecan Sweet Potatoes (from scratch by Sheryl) and Strawberry Pie. Yumm, if I do say so myself.

The Easter musical was wonderful and uplifting--we all had so much fun!

Thank you God for bending down and breathing new life into your son on this day.

Dogwood Winter

What a lovely name for what is happening this weekend==Dogwood Winter. The winter will surely ruin the dogwoods that are blooming as well as the tulips, pansies, petunias, etc.

I covered my small flowers with old towels and they seem to have weathered it so far. Last night the temp was in the 20's and today at 5:30 it is 36 degrees. Brrr. I guess we will all have wear coats over our Easter frocks tomorrow.

No matter, Christ has arisen. Hallelujah!

Revivals

I am taking a course in the Life Long Learning program at Lipscomb about American Revivals. We have studied the Puritan revival and the First Great Awakening. Key figures in the First were Cotton Mather and George Whitefield.

George Whitefield was amazing--His feat of bringing John and Charles Wesley to active faith counted for so much. He studied one of the great Shakespearean actors to see why people would pay to go to the theater, but would not attend church.

And then he incorporated what he saw into his oratory. When he came to America, church attendance was about 10%. He built his audiences to around 8,000 a night. Very itenerant, he rarely stayed more than one night in a place. When he died, the percentage of attendance in America had risen to 60% because of his expertise. What a man.

I remember revivals growing up in Hamlin. Actually we called them "gospel meetings". A rather well-known preacher would come and stay about a week, and we would go to church every night--always watching to see who would "come down the aisle" to salvation. Two of the preachers I recall are E. W. McMillan and Horace Busby. I remember enjoying it because the visiting preachers were always better than the resident one, and we kids got to play after church. Often there were pot-luck suppers too. You can see I was deeply religious at the time.