Ever in Joyful Song

Sucess

2011-11-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

Why are some homeschooling parents sucessful, and some have children that wind up hating everything their parents stand for? It's something I've wondered often through the years, and it's a more relevent question than ever. I've moved past the state of "homeschooled child" and "homeschool graduate" and am not entering the season of "homeschool mom."

New Baby

2011-11-12T11:25:00.001-08:00

It's a new baby :-)
Life is a three ring circus these days!

She's completely precious, and almost always nice. Life is wonderful. :-)

New Beginings

2009-10-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

Autumn is my favorite time of year. It always seems more like a new beginning time of year than New Years. I don't know why I always feel that way. Every year, on the first cool day, I get a feeling that wonderful things are just around the corner. And as it happens, they often are. Here is this year's wonderful thing :-)
It's amazing how much life can change in a year. A three weeks ago, I became a mother. And Wednesday, my little sister became a mother. Talk about unreal.

The moment they put my baby in my arms was perhaps the most surreal of my life. Just looking at the picture overwhelms me with emotion. I couldn't get my mind around the fact that she was MINE. A little soul to cherish, train, love, and show the way to the Saviour. It's a little scary. Now, after a lifetime of watching other people raise children, and trying to figure out why some things work and some don't, I'm the parent. It a awesome, overwhelming, and humbling thing.

We named the baby Ianna Lynn. People keep asking where we got the name. Well, we got it from that most un-romantic of places, a baby name book. But it's like this. Most of the names we both liked were fairly common, like Elisabeth or Victoria, and we wanted something a little unusual. We also kind of wanted something that reflected our families' heritage, which for both of us is mostly Scottish, German and English. And last, but not least, we wanted something with a meaning more profound then "dark-haired girl". Ianna is Scottish, and it means "God is gracious".

A few hours after Ianna was born I was laying in my room, thinking about the events of the day. Poor Andrew was trying to sleep, but I had a thousand things to say. Sometime in the wee hours of the morning Andrew told me that Ianna was born with her cord wrapped around her head, her body, and her neck. Thank God, she was fine, there weren't any related complications. "I think we picked a good name, Love" Andrew said. And as I lay there, with my mind racing, I thought about the totally amazing, painful, and altogether overwhelming experience of giving birth, I agreed. Things couldn't have gone much better. My labor was short, and without complication, and the people I loved the most were there to share it with me. My nurses and dola were wonderful, and I felt like everyone there contributed something that I needed. Here's Robin contributing some much needed laughter. She declared that the chairs were uncomfortable. (And they are, as I found our Wednesday. I was not invited to join her on the bed when she was the one in it, though ;-) )

So anyway, I'm sure I'll have more to say on the subject sometime. And for now, I'll leave you with some more pictures.

Here is Ianna with Selina two weeks ago:

And yesterday. Neither one of them look to happy, but they wouldn't both be awake, fed and happy at the same time.

For some reason this one decided to come out small. Oh well, it's still cute.

And here's my little family. So yeah, I'm pretty much the most blessed woman in the world :-)

Baby Picture and Maturnity Clothes

2009-03-27T14:18:00.001-07:00

I've had two sonograms now. This is the first one. It was amazing to see the little bitty baby looking like -well - a baby! It's was about an inch long, but it was amazing that it already looked distinctly human.

I'm done with my first trimester! YAY!! I feel better, and I'm starting to not fit into my clothes. Robin and I broke out the box of clothes we dubbed the "Too Big for Us Box, May it Live forever". That just sounded better than "May it Live 'Till We Get Pregnant". One way or another, they are no longer too big. One perk to not fitting in anything you own: you get to go clothes shopping. Which is always fun. And on top of getting a whole new wardrobe, you get to buy fun baby things. I love buying baby things. They are all so CUTE!

While I've even seen pictures and all that good stuff, it still hasn't really sunk in that I'm really having a baby. I mean, when I was younger I always talked about "When I'm married and have kids", but I can't quite believe that it's really real!

But two sonograms, three months of being more or less sick and a growing belly all bear testament to the fact that it is all really, indeed real. So, on that note, I'm going to go clean house so I can clean out the spare room so Baby will have a place to live when it gets here :-)

Wedding and Such

2009-01-30T08:25:00.000-08:00

So many things have happened the past year. My blog has been totally neglected, and I doubt if anyone even bothers to check it anymore. Every time something of note happens I thing "I should blog about this" but there are so many important un-bloged-about things that it seems that I can't post about the latest life changing event till I post about all of the preceding events.

I can't believe I have been married more than 2 months! Time is flying so fast.

It's funny, really. My wedding went off without any major glitches, but I keep having dreams that for some reason we have to have another ceremony and SOMETHING is always a disaster in these dreams. Last night Robin was talking while the preacher was trying to talk. I thought you were supposed to quit having wedding disaster dreams after the wedding was over...

The real life wedding though, was wonderful. It really was a little surreal. I remember Kevin saying that he didn't remember much of the sermon from his wedding, and I thought "I"m listening. I'm even paying attention. I think I'm doing pretty well." But, as it happens, that is practically the only thing I remember him saying. Oh well. Fortunately, I have a video coming, so I'll be able to hear all the good advice and maybe retain more of it.

But for all the blur, there are some things that stick out clearly in my mind. My dad calling me out of the brideroom to practice pulling my veil back. Teary eyed, I might add.

Gramy comming into the Bride Room saying that Grandpy was asking to see me. When he came in he was teared up. He hugged me tight. "I wish you all the happiness in the world, Darlin'. You deserve it." He almost made me cry.

The image of my poor bridesmaids shivering outside the church won't be forgotten. I felt bad, 'cause I had a nice warm cape and they were all huddled up together. It was windy too. My veil and train were a mess coming into the church. And there was something wrong with that darn doorway. My train snagged on it and my veil got caught. One side came unattached from the flowers in my hair, and I was very glad that Sarah and Mom had pinned the flowers in so well.

Right after we said our vows I knelt next to the love of my life and we partook of the first Holy Communion of our married life, a visible symbol of our unity with Chirst and his Church. I was swept away in the utter beauty of the moment. Some of our dear friends and my dear sister were singing "The Lord Bless you and Keep You", and they sounded heavenly. That moment defined my wedding for me. We were had been joined in the holy bonds of marriage, and we knlet there together before God, and it was perfect.

Another precious moment was as I was coming out of the room where the cake was, I stopped and gave a hug to one of my great uncles who had come in from out of town. His wife died recently, after a long bout with leukemia. He seemed to be doing well, and he gave me the most touching good wishes of the day. "Well I hope you marriage is as good as ours was, except that it lasts longer."

All in all, everyone was wonderful, my wedding party (especially my sister) pulled all the little details off wonderfully and it was the happiest day of my life.

And for all the questioners who ask "So, how's married life?"

It's wonderful. In some ways it seems a little unreal. I've always known what I wanted to do with my life, and now that I'm doing it it seems like it can't really be me. But on the other hand, it seems like the most natural thing in the world to meet Andrew every evening when he gets home from work, and to fix his meals and wake up every morning beside him. I'm loving each little season right now, and learning that none of them last forever, and they all have joys and trials, and that they are all wonderful in their own way. I miss some old seasons, and I'm looking forward to some coming up, but I love our little time of "just the two of us"

I felt that I simply had to post all this today, because tomorrow I have my first doctor's appointment for Baby, who will be here in late October, and I might have related thing to say :-)

St. Louis and Such

2008-04-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

So I'm informed that I never post. Which has been mostly true I'm afraid. So to make up for lost time I'll post some pictures of what I've been up to for the past three months or so.

This is what I did. I was in St. Louis from the beginning of February until last week with the Capasso's. Elise is the mom and the children, from left to right, are Ilenia, Viviana and Isabella.

This is me with the two older Capasso girls, Isabella and Viviana. We are freezing. I did a lot of that...

Ilenia didn't like the cold too much...

How about that sled?

We make bread (Translation: I made bread with the cute, but rather unhelpful help of three year old Vivi) I thought this picture of Ilenia was too cute.

Andrew came to see me and took this very cute picture with Ilenia.

We took a road trip to Chicago and visited some friendly nursery rhyme characters.

Me in Chicago.

This is Easter. It snowed. It was insane.

These are the flowers Elise informed everyone Andrew sent her for Easter. But he didn't. He sent them to me :-)

Me and my Tissy. I managed a short visit to see the McDonald's while I was up North.

:-D

Viviana is a sweetheart. She was the only one of the girls that didn't have an aversion to the camera that day.

I'm Alive!

2008-02-18T15:54:00.002-08:00

Just so all my dear readers (all three of you) know, I'm still alive. I'm just in St. Louis until April 15 with not much time to blog, alas! Actually, I have posted since Christmas, but Blogger hates me and insists that I wrote that post in November. So anyway, that's where my latest post is. It's titled "Growing Up". Just in case you care. If you don't, why are you here? Just a thought...

So anyway. Maybe sometime I'll actually have something to say next time I post. Until then, Adiu!

Growing Up

2008-01-01T14:49:00.000-08:00

Growing up is a strange thing. When I was a child my mom would sing a line from some song that went "Life used to be so simple, but it's not simple anymore." I remember analyzing that and thinking "When was life simple? I don't think life's ever been simple." And really, mine never was. The complexities of life started to show out about the time I was four, and things haven't been simple since. I remember hearing people talk about childlike faith and wondering what was so wonderful about childhood. I figured I must have missed out on whatever that magical childhood was that everyone talked about.I remember thinking when I was about 10 that I had filled my quota of difficulty and was entitled to have everything go my way from than on. But from the vantage point of 21 (gosh, a I that old already?) I can see that there is a quality trust inherent in childhood that is precious. As children we believe things because... well because someone we trust said so. And that's enough. It's a scary place to be when it's no longer enough that Mom or the preacher said so. I now understand why so many young people lose their way. The old standards of judging truth aren't there anymore. Unless one believes that if God says it that's enough, one could fall very far indeed. It has frightened me at times to see how far I could stray from everything I hold dear. I have looked at myself and been terrified at what I saw. I have seen that I, in and of myself am unable to fully trust in what I believe. I have clung to the hand of my father, and seen that I wasn't strong enough to hold on. I have known that he was holding me, that his grip was stronger on me then mine could ever be on him. And I have been given the strength to hold on by his grace, one day at a time.

Something I love to ponder is the beauty of each season of life. There is the complete dependence of a new baby, and the wonder of a little child just starting to explore the world, asking always "What's that?" There is something that makes me smile about a ten year old learning to hold adult conversations and talk about important things.

There is youth, a season when anything seems possible, when we are willing to risk everything in hopes of being movers and shakers. I guess beause it's my area to explore right now, I'm partial to youth. There is a zeal to it that I find fascinating. Through much of history it has been young people that have changed the world. There was a line that struck me as I was watching Amazing Grace recently. One young man said to his friend "We're too young to realize that certain thing cannot be done. And we can do them." And they did. These two young men, William Pit and William Wilberforce, where the movers and shakers of their day. They changed the world. Often, when we are young, the price that would daunt someone with more knowledge of the world seems payable to us. I wonder if perhaps that's why God set things up that most people fall in love and marry in this season. Because by 40 we see all the risk that's involved in loving someone, and perhaps we'd be less willing to venture into something so very... risky.

I think the same may be true of friendships. There is something different about the friendships that someone very young and someone older. I look and my grandmother and the friends she's had all her life and those she's made since she was middle aged. It's just not the same. And frankly, I can understand that. I've never spent the night crying over anyone I didn't love. But it's still worth it. I guess I'm still young enough not to care.

And yet again, there are the seasons of Middle and old age. Honestly, I don't really understand these seasons. I can see that my the time one has reached these seasons one has gained wisdom. The preacher Sunday said something that I think might sum up some of the blessings of having spent one's youth. He said "I'm 68 years old. One of the advantages I have that you young people don't have is that I've lived most of my life, and I can tell you that God is always faithful. See, you still have your lives ahead of you and you don't know what it's going to hold. But I know that God is always faithful." It reminded me of the words of the Psalmist. "I have been young and now I am old, but I have not seen the righteous forsaken..."

So I guess that's pretty much it. As I look over this past year, I can see that God is faithful. And I guess that thing called faith comes in when I look at the coming year and say "God will be faithful." So happy New Year, everyone.

God With Us

2007-12-25T19:26:00.001-08:00

Well, it's that time again. It's Christmas. Somehow it's sunk up on me this year, I'm not quite sure how. It's not like there haven't been obnoxious Santa advertisements blaring every time I turn on the radio for the past month. But some how the "Christmas Spirit" seems to have passed me by. I realized a few weeks ago that I had missed the first Sunday of Advent, and than boom! Christmas has come and nearly gone. But I'm sitting back and thinking, thinking about the mystery of God With Us, and I'm reminded of the first chapter of John.

IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things where make through Him, and without Him nothing was make that was make. In Him was life, and that life was the light of Men. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. He came unto his own and His own received Him not. But to as many as received Him to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those that believe in His name.

The world has no problem with "Baby God" in a manger, all cute and cuddly. It likes angels and shepherds and Wise Men. But what seems to be forgotten is that that cute baby in a manger claimed to be God Himself. And not only that, but the only God. A holy, just and jealous God who will suffer no rival. The Alpha and Omega, first and last. That is a problem. That's insensitive. That has a very "I'm right and you're wrong" ring.

On another note, I'm thinking about Mary. Something I've realized is that God didn't shower Mary's path with roses. Why did God choose just that way to bring his son into the world? Why the stigma of an unwed mother? Jesus would deal with snide remarks about his parentage for his whole life. This was a world where a woman's purity was her greatest treasure. According to the Law her purity was to be all but announced from the rooftops on her wedding night. But here was Mary, who everyone knew wasn't married, pregnant. Why wasn't God more interested in saving face than that? I wonder how many nights she wept because of the things people said, or perhaps because the people she loved treated her differently.

But than again, I wonder how many nights she stayed awake marveling at the life inside her and wondering what it all meant. Could she has fathomed that this little baby living in her womb was God Himself? She knew that He would save His people from their sins. But I wonder if she had any inkling of just how much that meant. I wonder if she knew that this Child would change the world, that he would reign literally forever. I wonder. There was short lived heartache, but in the scheme of eternity, what did it signify? I would think if anything, it only served to make her her more dependant on God.

And I think of what that all means to me. How many times in my life to I forget the long term gain in view of the short term trails? Sometimes I forget the Creator if the Universe is in the equation. He is God, and He is with us. Thank God, He is with us.

Give Thanks

2007-11-22T18:11:00.000-08:00

Well, I don't have much time for a long well thought out Thanksgiving post. So I'll be brief.

On Sunday we where all eating in the fellowship hall and the pastor asked us to go around the table and share what we where most thankful for. I had a little time to think, and I decided that most of all I'm thankful that He who has begun a good work in me will complete it. I'm thankful that He's still working on me. I'm thankful for all the things I've wanted and he hasn't given me. I'm thankful and he is supremely wise and completely sovereign. I'm so very grateful that he chose to love and save me, in spite of everything that I am and everything I've done.

When I look at the plight of so many people in the world I am struck at how blessed I am to be in this great, though flawed country. I know that the price of our way of life is very high, and I'm thankful for everyone that has paid that price, for those first Pilgrims that stepped off the Mayflower, and the men that died at Bunker Hill, Gettysburg and Normandy Beach. And I'm thankful for the boys that are still fighting today.

I'm so blessed with my friends and family. God has given me people that I can laugh with and cry with. He's given me people who challenge me to be holy, sometimes by what they say and do, and sometimes just by being there and praying for me and giving me someone to pray for.

God's been good to me. He would still be good if I had none of the things I've listed... But I'm glad He decided to give them anyway.

Psalm 139

2007-10-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,"
even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.
Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me!
They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain!
Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Art

2007-10-03T17:58:00.000-07:00

This is an online art album I compliled some time ago, but I couldn't figure out how to put it on my blog as it is, so you'll have to the host site to view it. I hope you enjoy it!
http://art-albums.com/albums/detail.aspx?album=03d252a6-aa85-408e-9971-0c5c09bffe04

Character

2007-09-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

My friend Brooke needed some people to answer some questions relating to character for a school project and asked me to take her little survey. I thought I might as well post my musings.

What does the word “character” mean to you?
Someone's morals, virtues or lack thereof and disposition.

On a scale of 1 to 5, how important is character in life?5Is character necessary for success in life?

Yes. For example, if you do not manifest the character trait of honesty it will be a serious impediment to success in any area of life.
Where does character matter? (Home, office, school, other)Character is important in all areas of life. It is necessary in home life, in the workplace and socially.

How can a person build character?
Character, or at least the appearance of it can be developed by self-interest and pride motivating the exercise of self-control, generosity and honesty, among others. Sometimes we are persuaded that the appearance of these things will make us appear to others as better person, and sometimes it is for our own fulfillment and peace of mind. True character, however, is only available thought the work of the Holy Sprit and his power that enables us to cultivate these virtues for his glory and not ours.

Name 3 of the most important character qualities.
Honesty, compassion and justice.
How do you evaluate your own character or that of your family?

My natural tendency is to evaluate other's character in light of how it effects me, and my own in light of it's negative or positive effects on my circumstances or state of mind. This is however a very fallible gage of character. Another way that I often tend to evaluate character is my comparison, comparing myself and my family to others. The only accurate cannon for character evaluation however is the bible.

How do you evaluate the character of others?
Discrimination is the area of character is necessary. Reputation is a common barometer of character, but it is not always accurate. While it is wise to consider someone's reputation in interacting with them, I rarely draw conclusions based on it. I evaluate character of different people differently, depending on what degree of intimacy I have or am considering having with them. In business relationships I evaluate only the character qualities that apply to business, and rely mainly on reputation and the quality of their work. In casual friendship I consider reputation and my own perception as to how a given relationship is likely to effect my own character, based on the consideration that bad company ruins good morals, (1Co 15:33) that he who walks with the wise will become wise but that the companion of fools suffers harm, (Pro 13:20) and that you are judged my the company you keep. It is well in choosing friends to consider if the person you are evaluating fits the biblical description of a wise person or a fool. Character must also be considered in closer relationships. I consider someone’s honesty and trustworthiness before confiding in them. These considerations are more important with increasing closeness in a relationship and the amount of trust entailed.

Plotting For Our Joy

2007-06-25T21:33:00.000-07:00

Our lesson on Ruth this Sunday turned to the Sovereignty of God. (Somehow with a group of rather reformed people that happens...) I always found Ruth a rather odd book, and the lesson really presented a different way of looking at things. If you think about it, God’s fingerprints are all over the book. The dance between God’s sovereign providence and Human Free Will is simply incredible to watch. You can’t even see where one ends and the other starts. Andrew, our teacher this week, read this quote from John Piper’s lesson on Ruth that I really loved:

God wants us to know that when we follow him, our lives always mean more than we think they do. For the Christian there is always a connection between the ordinary events of life and the stupendous work of God in history. Everything we do in obedience to God, no matter how small, is significant. It is part of a cosmic mosaic which God is painting to display the greatness of his power and wisdom to the world and to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:10). The deep satisfaction of the Christian life is that it is not given over to trifles. Serving a widowed mother-in-law, gleaning in a field, falling in love, having a baby—for the Christian these things are all connected to eternity. They are part of something so much bigger than they seem.

What an awesome thought. The little things that make up our mundane lives truly have the potential to change the world.

And as we walk through trials that seem that they will never end, there is nothing more comforting then to know that there is a God in control of all that seems so senseless in this world. Something that I was struck with is this: Nomi suffered for 10 years, from the time she was forced to leave her home to find a life in a hostile country to the time that God chose to bless her with a grandson to bring joy to her old age. That is a very long time. Andrew made a statement that I really loved. “No matter what trials we face or how long they last that as His children God is plotting for our joy. We may not even see it this side of heaven, but he is plotting for our joy.” It invoked the image of God as a father, planning a surprise for his children. So often like a child we know precisely what it is that we want, and we pitch a fit when we don’t get it. But God knows that what he has is so much better, and is his mercy often puts what we want out of our reach, or simply teaches us not to touch. I always heard that children taught you as much as you taught them. I have been amazed at all the things to be learned form a 7 month old. I put Knox in his car seat and he SCREAMS. I look at him and think “You know, you have no way of even remotely understanding that this is really good for you. There is simply no way to convey this to you. Just trust me.” Then it occurs to me: I’m a human adult and this child has no way of seeing what I’m doing. How much farther is God above my understanding then I am above Knox’s? There is no comparison. And yet, I think that I should always be able to see what he is doing. How prideful is that? Yet through it all, He is preparing a place for us, and He knows the plans he has for us, plans to prosper and not to harm us. Plans to give us hope and a future. "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor 2:9) In all the trails and detours and places we would never have chosen, he is plotting for our joy.

Here's the link to the Piper lesson I quoted, which the nice people at DesiringGod.com asked be included when you quote from their wedsite. http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1984/448_Ruth_The_Best_Is_Yet_to_Come/

I Surrender All

2007-06-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

I found this song and it spoke to me. He is infinitely worthy of all that we have to give, and it is such an amazing honor to watch him take our broken, frail vessels of dust and work something beautiful in them, because "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.". Joni Erickson Tada said this "All God asks of you is everything. And all he offers you is the power to do just that."

I Surrender All
Clay Crosse

I have wrestled in the darkness of this lonely pilgrim land
Raising strong and mighty fortresses that I alone command
But these castles I've constructed by the strength of my own hand
Are just temporary kingdoms on foundations made of sand

In the middle of the battle I believe I've finally found
I'll never know the thrill of victory 'til I'm willing to lay down
All my weapons of defense and earthly strategies of war
So I'm laying down my arms and running helplessly to Yours

I surrender all my silent hopes and dreams
Though the price to follow costs me everything
I surrender all my human soul desires
If sacrifice requires
That all my kingdoms fall
I surrender all

If the source of my ambition is the treasure I obtain
If I measure my successes on a scale of earthly gain
If the focus of my vision is the status I attain
My accomplishments are worthless and my efforts are in vain
So I lay aside these trophies to pursue a higher crown
And should You choose somehow to use the life I willingly lay down
I surrender all the triumph for it's only by Your grace
I relinquish all the glory, I surrender all the praise
Everything I am, all I've done, and all I've known
Now belongs to You, the life I live is not my own

Just as Abraham laid Isaac on the sacrificial fire
If all I have is all that You desire
I surrender all

Good Friday

2007-04-07T01:02:00.000-07:00

When talking theology with a friend Thursday night the conversation at some point turned to the unfathomablility of God’s ways. He is truly far above us and our finite minds. God’s plan on redemption was the epitome of “not our ways”. The Jews thought that they knew how God was going to save his people. As it happened, they where dead wrong.

The Suffering Servant and the Victorious King are one. The Lion of Judah is also the Lamb that was Slain.

It is finished! The price is paid.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea:
A great High Priest who’s name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me...
Because a sinless Savior died my sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied to look on him and pardon me.

Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord!

2007-04-01T23:05:00.000-07:00

When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well,
because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once."

They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them.
Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?"

And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.
He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant, and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?"

And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, "'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise'?"

His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.
The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him."

John 12:9-12, 16-19, Matthew 21:2 7-16

How Beautiful...

2007-03-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

The pure, spotless bride of Christ is an awesome image. The concept of the Church Universal, of those form every tongue, tribe and nation being one body is something so vastly glorious that I cannot really get my mind around it.

How Beautiful the hands that served
The Wine and the Bread and the sons of the earth
How beautiful the feet that walked
The long dusty road and the hill to the cross
How beautiful is the body of Christ

How Beautiful the heart that bled
That took all my sins and bore it instead
How beautiful the tender eyes
That choose to forgive and never despise
How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

And as He lay down His life
We offer this sacrifice
That we will live just as He died
Willing to pay the price

How Beautiful the radiant bride
Who waits for her Groom with His light in her eyes
How Beautiful when humble hearts give
The fruit of pure love so that others may live
How beautiful is the body of Christ

How beautiful the feet that bring
The sound of good news and the love of the King
How Beautiful the hands that serve
The wine and the bread and the sons of the Earth
How beautiful is the body of Christ

-Twila Paris

In meditating on this I am reminded of the admonition that we are giver over and over again to love one another as Christ loved us. In the message this morning the minister read several passages where Paul tells us what he prays for the church in various places and I thought "What better example of how to love and pray for the church than those given to us in Scripture?"

I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of your Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit if wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believed, according to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in Christ in raising Him from the dead, and He seated Him at His right hand in the heavens, far above all principality and authority and power and dominion, and every name being named, not only in this age, but also in the age to come. And He has put all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 3:15-23

For this cause I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you according the the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts my faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath, and length , and depth , and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge and that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly about all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world with out end. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21

For this cause we also, since the day we heard of it do not cease to pray for you and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened what all might, according to his glorious power unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father which hath make us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath make us meet ti be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who has delivered us from the power of darkness and had translated us to the kingdom of his dear Son; in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:9-14

This, my dear brothers and sisters, is my prayer for you.

Psalm 121

2007-02-28T12:44:00.000-08:00

I will lift up my eyes to the hills form which cometh my help.
My help cometh form the Lord which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved,
He that keepeth thee shall not slumber,
behold He that keepeth Israel shall not slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day or the moon by night,
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil,
He shall preserve thy soul,
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in
from this time forth and even forever more.

Friendship.

2007-02-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

This is a tribute to all those that God has given to me as friends, but it is especially in honor of my friend Tiffany, whose birthday it was when I started typing this tonight...

This year has been a crash course in friendships, how very precious, very rare and very fragile they are. A few mouths ago I was reading the Four Loves by CS Lewis and I was struck by his description of friendship... read it, it's really good. The value that he placed on friendship coincided with what I have come to recently. He said that "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one!' " and that they will continue only as long as they have something in common, be it as trivial as stamp collecting or as serious as faith or as simple as shared memories "True friends... face in the same direction, toward common projects, interests, goals.” Another interesting quote is this: "Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival". I feel that I am not doing justice to it... like I said, read it.

I regularly come up with a new best description of what differentiates a friend of the sort that you enjoy being with and the sort that is like family, the ones that you would die for. I can however, only remember three of them. They must have been really profound... Here are the first two:

A true friend is someone that you have spent untold hours laughing with and at least a few hours crying with (and over)
A true friend is someone that you have spent more time that you can count praying for.

I came across these quotes on friendship and thought that they where just too good to be left out
“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”

A good friend is cheaper than therapy.

A friend accepts us as we are yet helps us to be what we should.

I thank God often (but not often enough) for those that he has placed in my life as my friends. God has used my friends challenge me and cause me to think, to work with me, to laugh with me, and sometimes just to have someone to cry with. Overall, I think that a real, true, friend is one who either because of what they say or just who they are cause you to look up and seek the face of your Father. A real friend is someone who helps to make you more holy.

Robin's Birthday

2007-02-05T22:21:00.000-08:00

My sister has always been one of the dearest people in the world to me, but this year I have realized just how indispensable a sister can be. I made a discovery: I find that when I am separated from her my max for staying off the phone "just to check in" is about two hours (okay so maybe that is a little of an extradition, but not much) I have further more concluded that Solomon was on to something when he said that two was better than one.

This year I have come to value her as more than a sister, I have really, truly come to appreciate her as my best friend. True friendship is a rare and precious gift, a gift that sold never be taken for granted or lightly esteemed, and God has been so gracious as to give the best and most precious of friends to be the best and most precious of sisters.

Each year I look at my sister and think what a beautiful young women she is becoming, this year is no different. As each year brings it's trial and tribulations, I see sanctification at work in her life and I think that God is truly making a breathtaking work of art in her. There are many things that I love and admire about my sister, but I asked myself what the thing that I most admired about her was, and my answer was this: Her passion for God. I look into her eyes and see a overwhelming desire to be holy. That is the sum of everything that I love and admire about her. She is a picture of a life that is sold out to being what God has called her to be, whatever that means. Her passion for godliness is always a challenge and an inspiration to me and she is one that always spurs me on toward godliness. Through thick and thin, she is my better half.

Robin, what would I do without you? You are my hero. I love you sooo much. Happy birthday, my dear.

Happy 200th birthday to Robert E Lee

2007-01-19T18:42:00.000-08:00

Just in case you where not aware, today is indeed the 200th birthday of the late great General Lee, who was one of the most noble and Godly soldiers that this country has produced.
Being far to fond of quotes, I have collected a few in remembrance of a truly great American:

“My chief concern is to try to be an humble, earnest Christian.”

“Duty is the most sublime word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less.”

“I think it better to do right, even if we suffer in so doing, than to incur the reproach of our consciences and posterity.”

“I have fought against the people of the North because I believed they were seeking to wrest from the South its dearest rights. But I have never cherished toward them bitter or vindictive feelings, and have never seen the day when I did not pray for them.”

“The war... was an unnecessary condition of affairs, and might have been avoided if forebearance and wisdom had been practiced on both sides.”

“We made a great mistake in the beginning of our struggle, and I fear, in spite of all we can do, it will prove to be a fatal mistake. We appointed all our worst generals to command our armies, and all our best generals to edit the newspapers”

“They do not know what they say. If it came to a conflict of arms, the war will last at least four years. Northern politicians will not appreciate the determination and pluck of the South, and Southern politicians do not appreciate the numbers, resources, and patient perseverance of the North. Both sides forget that we are all Americans. I foresee that our country will pass through a terrible ordeal, a necessary expiation, perhaps, for our national sins.”

“We failed, but in the good providence of God apparent failure often proves a blessing.”

“So far from engaging in a war to perpetuate slavery, I am rejoiced that Slavery is abolished. I believe it will be greatly for the interest of the South. So fully am I satisfied of this that I would have cheerfully lost all that I have lost by the war, and have suffered all that I have suffered to have this object attained.”

“Get correct views of life, and learn to see the world in its true light. It will enable you to live pleasantly, to do good, and, when summoned away, to leave without regret.”

-Robert E. Lee

Happy New Years.

2007-01-01T18:53:00.000-08:00

Well, we brought our new year with a bang. Literally. I have never heard so many bangs in all my life as we heard last night. We are all burned, bruised and swollen, but we had lots of fun. For all of you who think that I am preppy, you are in for a shock.

Last night a friend from church invited us over for their simi-annual firework war. Now, I come form a family that is very cautious when it comes to anything involving fire. When you light the fireworks you instantly get at least ten feet away. And ABOVE ALL, if something lands in the dry leaves you must track it down and stomp it out. Well, I now know that you can shoot off 2000 bottle rockets in a three hour time frame and that nothing worse than catching one or two people on fire is likely to result.

When we where changing before heading out to the White’s I asked Mom if she thought if was okay if a certain pair of jeans got damaged. “Damaged? What are we going to do?”

“Um, shoot fireworks... at each other”

“Ooohkay” was the tentative reply.

I think that about the time the first bottle rocket headed in her general direction Mom headed inside, not to emerge again until the war was over.

I can claim the first, if not the worst injury of the night, which involved a Roman Candle that was a little too close and resulted in a swollen lip. I retreated to the house for a few minuets just to make sure that I was not really hurt. I wasn’t, so the first thing I did when I came out of the house was go after Mr. Randy with a bottle rocket. As he headed back to the other side of the house I heard him say “Well, I guess she wasn’t hurt too badly.” At which point I told Brooke that I might be a wimp, but I didn’t intend to announce it to the whole world. I wondered aloud last night what I’m going to tell all the little old ladies at the dress shop tomorrow... I think that I’ll leave it at “I got hit with a firework.”

We ended with the rather unfair division of guys vs. girls, their being six guys and five girls, one of which retired to the safety of the basement after about fifteen minuets. But I have to say that in spite of the unfair odds we almost held our own. I hit more people than I was hit by, so I felt that I had accomplished something.

At one point we where in the basement loading our rocket launchers and when we opened the door that lead up the stairs and out of the basement we discovered that the boys had put down the awning over the exit leaving us in something of a predicament. If we opened the trapdoor the boys would be waiting outside for us, no doubt with ammo ready, but there was no other way out. So Brooke resorted to “You guys, it’s not FAIR!” Cole took pity on us and let us out without a barrage of Roman Candles aimed at us. (If you want to talk about not fair, I’m not sure that claiming girl privileges is precisely fair, but hey, whatever works...)

And be on the lookout for Robin’s adventures in the firework war... it will be worth reading.

And to assure those that are worried about the safety of all this, we where wearing goggles. Just in case you where worried. ;-)

We spent the afternoon at the Walkers eating the New Year’s musts: black-eyed peas and cabbage, and after Lunch we broke out Taboo, which proved great fun. At first the guys did very badly, but the ended up beating us by about five points. Did I mention that none of the guys had ever played before? Yep, they really enjoyed that one.

So, I hope that your New Years was a happy as mine was.

2006-12-28T06:24:00.000-08:00

I always wonder what people think of me. What do people say about me when they are talking about me? How do I come across to those that know me well and those that don’t? I know how I see me, but experience leads me to believe that how someone sees themselves is not necessarily the way that they are seen by others.

I’m not sure how I am perceived by those around me, but I feel that I likely have a reputation for being rather strange, which does not bother me. I think that some people dislike the idea of being strange. I don’t. So in keeping with that supposed reputation, I’m posting on the perception that we have of ourselves. Hey, I never claimed to be normal.

I think that how you perceive your personality and character must be similar to the way that you perceive your voice. I am perfectly accustomed to the way I speak, but when I hear a recording of my voice I, (not being pleased with what I’m hearing) ask “is that really what I sound like?”

And everyone looks at me like “Well duh. Of course that’s what you sound like.”

So what is the “real you”, the one that you see, of the one that others perceive? Whose view is the legitimate one? Or perhaps it is neither is. Perhaps the real you is the one that neither you of others see, but the one that God sees. To see what we all look like to Him would be a real eye-opener, I think.

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-25T22:15:00.000-08:00

Well, our Christmas was lovely. We stayed home this year, which was kind of strange, but we spent the afternoon and evening with some friends that are becoming very dear. The walkers have been such a blessing since we moved here in May, and it was a pleasure to spend the Holiday with them.

This morning we read the account of the birth of Christ by the glow of all five candles in our Advent wealth (the last of which is supposed to be lit on Christmas eve, but whatever) had chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and opened our Christmas gifts form each other. I received the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe extended version DVD set from my dear sister and a Piper book and Beyond the Gates of Splendor along with a promise to pay the difference for the i-pod I'm planing to buy from my mom.

Among the more memorable events of Christmas 2006 were the possum that was served for Christmas dinner. One of Pastor Bart's parishioners had given them possum and he insisted that everyone who came in today at least try it. And I think that with the exception of his wife and perhaps a few others everyone did. For the record, it is not bad, but it is rather fatty. I would not sign up to eat it again, but I could eat it if I ever needed to.

I don't know if all their holidays are like this, but that house was practically a revolving door. And since we had brought our instruments we got to Christmas carols for everyone who came. The other notable event of the evening was this: One of our friends got a kilt for Christmas, and after much coercing the was persuaded to put it on for us, and Robin and I happened to be wearing our Scottish tartans... so we had fun with that. I would post pictures, but the condition for taking them was that we where not to post them on myspace, so I won't. We got some great video footage form the diverse group of people that included, but was not limited too: us, the Walkers, Cole (the kilt wearing friend) and Dr. Ackenwalllie, the Nigerian family friend (you should hear him try to say "y'ont too?", as in the Mississippi version of "Do you want too").

Well, we had a good time, but that did not keep me form doing a bit of pondering this morning, and here are some of the things I was thinking about:

The Incarnation has to be the most mind boggling event in human history. God in the form of man. How awesome is that? How impossible for our finite minds to really grasp.

The child in the manger was at one time much more and much less than they where looking for. The Jews where waiting for a Messiah to deliver Israel, someone like Judas Maccabees, only successful. They wanted another David or Moses, someone to reestablish their beloved nation. They wanted a warrior, and they got a baby who grew to be a man that we have no record of ever even holding a sword, much less wielding one. They wanted a king, and they got a man how would not take the kingship when it was offered. But what they could not see was that that man of Peace would some day come with a sword coming form his mouth and judge the whole world. They had in mind the Kingship of Israel, and they got the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. I do wonder if those that stood beside the manger that night had any inkling of what was happening. Here was God, and he was with us.

I would not be me if I posted a holiday post without quoting someone else, so that is the next order of business. Though I have to say that implications of the words that Charles Wesley wrote are really staggering when you think about it. What truly awesome God we have!

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Well, merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Christmas Eve

2006-12-24T17:37:00.000-08:00

1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. 6 "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.
10 "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious."

Isaiah 11

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Rev 22:20

Baking woes

2006-12-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

I just make a batch of divinity, and it is not divine. Think of a strong antonym for divine an you will have the idea. Perhaps if leave it out overnight it will be more agreeable in the morning...

Advent

2006-12-03T20:05:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of Advent, the season preceding Christmas. Traditionally Advent has been a time to reflect on the working of God in the years preceding the birth of Christ and to try to grasp the anticipation of the ancient Israelites awaiting their Messiah. It is also a time to remember that we are awaiting the return of our Lord.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel is an old Latin hymn of praise and expectation. One can almost hear the cry of the oppressed people of God, beseeching God by many of his glorious names to send their Messiah.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times did gave thy law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

Every few days during Advent I plan to post some of the Prophecies concerning Christ, so here is one for today:

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. For those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned... For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and this government shall be on his shoulder. And his name shall be called: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 9:2,6,7.

And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuell.
Isaiah 7:13,14

Thanksgiving

2006-11-27T17:31:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay! So I'm way behind times, but though I've been busy, I just couldn't let Thanksgiving go by unobserved by my blog.

So here it is: the classic American Thanksgiving. I tried to get a picture of the First Thanksgivng, but alas! I couldn't, so I hope ya'll like this one.

During the Thanksgiving season I was thinking about this passage:

Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1Th 5:16-18

Rather striking, isn't it, that thanksgiving is one of the few things that is stated as God's will for us?

So I was thinking of the things that I am most thankful for. At the top of the list is God's amazing grace choosing a me to be his own. If nothing good ever happened to me again, I would still be in everlasting wonder at His mercy. I'm so grateful for his Sovereignty in the valleys and mountains of my life and for his being my Rock through them all.

I have been blessed beyond all telling in my family. What more can I say? My sister is my best friend (see below), my mom is my hero, and my dad has given me so much. My extended family is always there for me and they add a little spice to life.

I have found some wonderful friends along the road of life. When we moved a dear friend gave us a print with these words: Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints in our hearts and we are never the same.
I'm thankful for the friends that have laughed and cried with me, for those that have challenged me, for those that have agreed with me and those that have debated with me (you know who you are). You have insured that I would never be the same.

I'm thankful for my life, my liberty and my happiness, and I am thankful for my homeland where I truly do have a freedom form want.

And to end on, here are some of the most apt thanksgivings ever penned:

1Ch 16:8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.

Psa 30:4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Psa 75:1Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.

Psa 79:13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

Psa 118:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.

Psa 119:62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

Rev 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

Amen!

Robin and the minor prophets

2006-11-17T06:41:00.000-08:00

I thought you would be amused by this exchange between Robin and myself this morning (which Robin allowed me to post, since I thought it was humorous).

Robin had just received a text message, and when I asked what it was about, the following dialog took place: “Cole just had a test on the prophets in Old Testament class.”

“Oh really? How did he do?”

“He said he did fine until he got to the minor prophets. I told him that they all get mixed up in my head too, which isn’t true but I was trying to make him feel better. Of course, I thought it was true when I said it, but after I sent it I thought ‘that’s not true, I know my minor prophets.’ ”
“Really,” I replied “so what is the major theme of Joel?” “Ummmm... Hum. I dunno. Why did you ask about Joel? Couldn’t you have asked about Lamentations or something?”

“Lamentations is a major prophet, it’s written by Jeremiah.”

“Oh yeah, but it’s so short, I get it confused with the minor prophets! But anyway, I remember the one who married the harlot. What’s his name again?”

“Somehow I don’t think that that would help on a test.”

“Sure it would, if it where multiple choice. Hmm, I do know about Jonah though.”

“Um, Robin, I think he probably answered all of the answers about Jonah correctly.”

Oh, probably so...” At this point she started to leaf through her Bible, than said with a rather bewildered look that is all her own: “I’m really convicted. I don’t know my minor prophets.”

Happy Reformation Day!

2006-10-31T09:21:00.000-08:00

On this day in 1517 Martin Luther Nailed these 95 points of debate to the door of the Wittenberg church. This act utterly commonplace and no one had any way of knowing that this perfectly orthodox Catholic dissertation would be the spark that lit the flame that we know as the Protestant Reformation.

Instead of posting the whole 95 thesis I decided to post the 20 most relevant to the point of the whole. The whole thing is available here if you are interested

Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.
In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance

5. The pope does not intend to remit, and cannot remit any penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his own authority or by that of the Canons.

8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to them, nothing should be imposed on the dying.

11. This changing of the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory is quite evidently one of the tares that were sown while the bishops slept.

32. They will be condemned eternally, together with their teachers, who believe themselves sure of their salvation because they have letters of pardon.

45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.

50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter's church should go to ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep.

51. Christians are to be taught that it would be the pope's wish, as it is his duty, to give of his own money to very many of those from whom certain hawkers of pardons cajole money, even though the church of St. Peter might have to be sold.

52. The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain, even though the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself, were to stake his soul upon it.

62. The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God.

73. The pope justly thunders against those who, by any art, contrive the injury of the traffic in pardons.

74. But much more does he intend to thunder against those who use the pretext of pardons to contrive the injury of holy love and truth.

80. The bishops, curates and theologians who allow such talk to be spread among the people, will have an account to render.

81. This unbridled preaching of pardons makes it no easy matter, even for learned men, to rescue the reverence due to the pope from slander, or even from the shrewd questionings of the laity.

82. To wit: -- "Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of holy love and of the dire need of the souls that are there, if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a Church? The former reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial."

86. Again: -- "Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?"

90. To repress these arguments and scruples of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the Church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make Christians unhappy.

91. If, therefore, pardons were preached according to the spirit and mind of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved; nay, they would not exist.

92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Peace, peace," and there is no peace!

94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hell;

95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many tribulations, than through the assurance of peace

Various things, mostly music

2006-10-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

(Note: I wrote this during the summer after a week in New Orleans for Suzuki training. I never posted it, and I'm not sure why. I came across it and decided that it was not to time-sensitive to post now. So I did)

Well, I have spent a week learning how to teach the piano. I think I learned as much about how to play the piano as how to teach it. I have been inspired to practice 3 hours a day. Let's see how long it lasts.

Awhile back I was listening to some really good music. I guess we have gotten rather out of the habit of listening to music as much as we used to. As I was swept away by the beauty of what I was hearing, I remembered "oh yes, this is why I am a musician. Because I love it." funny, isn't it, how sometimes we lose sight of the forest for the trees? I have spent so much time recently practicing because it's what I have to do that I had lost sight of why I was doing it in the first place. Music is a gift, and I'm in the business of sharing it. You know, I think that perhaps that could be said of many of the things I do. Sometimes I get so caught up in 'doing the right thing' that I forget the big picture. I'm a child of the King, chosen and blood bought. God's love and his grace are gifts, and I'm in the business of sharing them. What would my life look like if that where always first and foremost on my mind? By God's grace, we'll see.

You know, music is many thing to many people. To some it is a waste of time and energy. To some it is a nice venue of entertainment that they could live with or without. To some, however, it is a positive obsession. Robin's horn teacher went off on a tangent at one of her lessons about people who are so "into" music that it is almost a religion. "It's like music is the god and we are all priests of something. I think that some of them would like us to shave our heads and bow worship it" I didn't quite know how to take that statement when it was made, but then, I had never met someone who fit that category. Well, I have now. My instructor this past week is passionately and obsessively devoted to music.

Beethoven is universally acknowledged as one of the great masters of Classical music, yet he was an altogether disagreeable person, not to mention being quite miserable. Music did not even make him happy. It is all rather disturbing, if you ask me. Schumann went positively insane, Wagner was a vehement anti-Semitist and form all accounts insufferably arrogant, and they and many like them lived and died very unhappy. Music, which was given as a gift from the giver of all good things, when in becomes the gift, and from there proceeds to be venerated as the great good and the highest that man can attain, becomes a terrible master. Beethoven, when he lost his hearing lost the only thing that made the world worth living in to him. What a tragedy! What will it profit a man if he gain the world and lose his soul?

What is music? not a end in and of itself. Bach said that all music should be none other that to the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul. Bach's life was not wound up with his music. He was a full time church organist and a father of 20 (several of whom chose music as their profession). And he seems to have died happy and contented.

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent"

I don't know who said it, but I like it.

Reflection

2006-09-22T19:33:00.000-07:00

Robin and I decided to take a different route than we usually do for out morning walk today. We typically walk along the river and down below the bluff, but today we decided to head in the direction of the city cemetery. Perhaps a little strange, but we never claimed to be normal. We discovered that it is not the place for a brisk morning walk.

Parts of the cemetery are very old, dating back to the mid nineteenth century. The oldest tomb stone we saw was dated 1835. Looking over the acres of hills covered with markers of all shapes and sizes I was struck with the brevity of life. Each of these short epitaphs was the simulation of a life. “Thy will be done” was a rather common phrase, as was the eloquent “for of such is the kingdom of Heaven”, carved in stone as a memorial of a lost child. For many of these people, this is the only mark that they leave on the world. They are forgotten, and the vases that loving family had graven into the headstones are empty. Than there where the ones that where so weather beaten that their inscription is no longer even legible. How sad, to be forgotten by all that walk the earth.

Yet each one of these where once just as alive are I am right now. They had their petty cares and worries, their triumphs and defeats, and their joys and their sorrows. Was life was sweet to them, as it is to me, and did death seem almost unreal and avoidable to the last? Often, in our heart of hearts I think that we who live think that we shall cheat death, but in the end she will not be thwarted. Each lives the days allotted to him, than when his Maker sees fit, he takes away their breath and they die. Reflecting on the brevity of live I think with the Psalmist “what is man that Thou art mindful of him?”

This is what I see from the vantage point of this earth, and if that where all I had, I would despair. I would say with the Teacher “Vanity, all is vanity!” for indeed, all seems vain. Pleasure, pain, joy and wisdom, what does it profit? All die. We are dust and we shall return to dust. None that come after shall even remember that we ever even existed, except perhaps to comment on the merit of our epitaph. As the Romans commonly had it, “non fui, fui, non sum, non caro” “I was not, I was, I am not, I care not.” Who cares? Life is pointless, death is pointless.

But I know better. I know that when we sleep the sleep of death we shall wake to life eternal. That is beyond comprehension. In Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale the Little Mermaid longs for an immortal soul. The first time I read that I was struck- the soul that lives forever is a gift. And what a gift! Yet it is also a great responcability.

We walked through that Jewish section and I wondered, what happened to these people who rejected their Messiah in life? It is sobering. For all these, Christian, Jew and Atheist, it is to late. Their die is cast and they have chosen their path. They have met their Maker, the Just and the Merciful. What urgency this should give us! Life is passing by! It is precious and it is short. There are lost souls that will spend eternity, not beneath the earth is oblivion, but in a place where the fire is never quenched. May God have mercy on them and may he use me as a tool to bring them in to His kingdom.

I did not intend to get quite that somber. But I suppose that the subject of death lends itself to solemnity by its very nature. But our conversation this morning was melancholy, but not really somber. We spoke of the sadness of dieing with neither children nor deeds to carry on your name. We spoke of those who came before us, whose flesh blood we are. We spoke of the colossal tragedy of abortion, which claims the lives of so many. We where struck by the frailty of man, and his smallness. We each think that the universe revolves around us, and it doesn’t. We think that we are really something, don’t we? But we’re not. But yet, for all man’s seeming insignificance, the Creator and Master of all that is and ever shall be became one of us and saved us from ourselves. What grace!

In conclusion, I leave you with the self-written epitaph of Ben Franklin and a quote from Poor Richards Almanac:

The Body
of
Benjamin Franklin
Printer
(Like the cover of an old book
Its contents torn out
And stript of its lettering and gilding)
Lies here, food for worms.
But the work shall not be lost
For it will (as he believed) appear once more
In a new and more elegant edition
Revised and corrected
by
The Author.

If you would not be forgotten
As soon as you are dead and rotten,
Either write things worth reading,
Or do things worth the writing.

"I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy..."

2006-08-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well, as you probably know if you've read Robin's blog, we spent a good part of yesterday debating theology in Folsom. TULIP was the hot topic of the day, as it often is around there (at least when we are there to defend it). In the end, I was debating with one knowledgeable former hyper-Calvinist, arguing with one young self-proclaimed Armenian and conversing with one who didn't know what Calvinism or Arminianism were. Added into the mix were a few casual commenters/translators and my dear sister Robin, the only one consistantly on my side. It made for an interesting conversation.
The afore-mentioned former hyper-Calvinist (also known as Elijah) had a response to Romans 9, which as you know, is the Calvinist's best friend. I had not the presence of mind to read the context, weigh the merits and demerits of his argument, and come up with a response. So, I found a different passage that made my point just as well and avoided Romans 9 for the rest of the conversation. Now this, I know, is not the proper way to debate theology. Accordingly, this morning I read Romans 8 and 9 (having read the first few chapters of Romans last night on the way home) and shall try to remedy my lack of astuteness yesterday by a belated defense of the right way to read Romans 9.

First I'll post Romans 9, then I'll give an overview of the opposing argument, then all the reasons that I'm right and he's wrong :-D

1 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen
according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
6 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, 7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "In Isaac your seed shall be called." 8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise: "At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son." 10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, "The older shall serve the younger." 13 As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. 19 You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?" 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? 22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25 As He says also in Hosea: "I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved." 26 "And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not My people,' There they shall be called sons of the living God." 27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel:"Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved. 28 For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, Because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth." 29 And as Isaiah said before: "Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah."
30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

Now for the opposing view:
Basically, the overall theme of Romans is an argument for the status of Gentile Christians, and that chapter 9 is speaking of the physical election of the line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to be the forefathers of Christ. I think that the basis for this conclusion is vv. 1-4 where Paul is declaring that he wishes that he could exchange his salvation for that of his fellow Israelites and v. 5 "of whom, are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came..." and the assumption is that the rest of the chapter follows the same physical/national concept. Also vv. 7 and 8 "they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called.'
That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed."is refering to the exclusion of the other lines of Abraham (Ishmal, Esau, Midiam etc.) in the ancestry of Christ.
In accord with this theme, the famous "Jacob have I love and Esau have I hated" passage should be equitated with when Jesus told his disciples that if they did not hate their fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters they where not worthy to be his disciples he did meant that given a choice between them and him they must choose him, thus "hating" them. In the same way, God did not "hate" Esau except that he did not choose him to be the ancestor of Jesus. Thus the choosing was purely physical and had no spiritual significance.

My view:
I think that, in contrast to the chapter being about the physical line of Christ, it is carrying on the common theme of the physical line of Abraham vs. the spiritual line. I see the first five verses to mean basically this: "I with that I could trade my salvation for the salvation of Israel," and than he goes off to tell us some of the wonderful things about them: They where given the law, the covenant, and are the physical family of Christ. In v. 6, however, Paul hastens to assure us that the covenant with Israel was not broken, because the Church is really Israel. vv. 6-8 say : "But it is not that the word of God has taken not effect, for they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called.'
That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed." This seems to me to be much the same language that Paul used in chapter 4:13, 16. " For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. ... not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all" and Gal 1:7 "Therefore know that only those that are of faith are sons of Abraham."

v.11-15 (...the children not having yet been born, nor having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God might stand, not of works, but of him who calls), it was said to [Rebecca], "the elder shall serve the younger" as it is written: " Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." What shall we say than, is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For he says to Moses: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion" (v. 12-15) I don't see what God choosing Jacob over Esau merely to be the line of Christ has to do with having mercy or compassion, nor do I see that it would leave God open to the charge of unrightiouness. In Romans Paul often makes a controversial statement, poses the natural objection, than ends by declaring the objection invalid. For example, he does it three times in chapter 3:1-5: "What advantage than has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them where commited the oracles of God.
For what if some did not believe? Will their unbeleaf make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar...But if our unrightiousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath?... Certainly not!"
I think the logical, autonomous, conclusion to all of these statements is just what Paul anticipates it will be: "God isn't fair!" But I still say we should define our idea of justice by the character of God, not the other way around. And I think that if one's view of these scriptures makes these rhetorical questions and answers pointless it would make me seriously question the view.
I'll not quote vv. 16-20 again, because they fall under what I just said.

For the benefit of my self-proclaimed Arminian friend (otherwise known as Christian) Please refer to vv. 21-24; "Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?"

The question raised was this: How God could "force" someone to become a Christian, or not "not let them" become one if they want to?
Here is the answer: Everyone gets what they want. The Bible is replete with evidence that fallen man wants to sin. God has issued a call to all men which he hears (see Romans 1) but since he is seperated from God, he doesn't want it. And without God interviening and giving him the gift of regeneration, he will die in his sin and pay it's penelty. The wadges of sin is death.

On the other hand, we, being Christians, love God because he first loved us, (1John 4:19). When we were dead in our trespasses and sin, God regenerated us and made us alive in Christ. It is God who works in us both to will and to do for his good pleasure (Philipians 2:13). God gives us the desire and the ability to choose him. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snath them out of My hand" John 10:27-28.
In a similar way, once we are saved, we don't complain that God gives us the ability and desire to be holy as He is holy. We want to be holy because we are His children.

The doctrine of election is not about justice, "Is God just for choosing this one and not that one?" but about mercy. What is justice? Not an equal chance for all, but hell for all. God would be perfectly just in sending every single person to hell, in saving everyone, or in saving some and not others that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessles of mercy (Rom. 9:23). In short, whatever He does is just, reguardless of how it lines up with our ideas of justice.

Chosen is used 21 times in the New Testament, elect or election is used 23 times, predestined 4 times, and foreknew twice. However you cut it, the doctrine is there. We might see it differently, but it is undeniable that there has to be something to it.
I am at something of a disadvantage today in that all my short cut all-the-verses-on-predestination-in-one-place books are at home and I'm in McComb. So I'll defer the rest of my explaination until I have them once more about me and I can give a better apology for faith being a gift.
Much of scripture is a paradox, and I'll be the first to admit it. And many things come down to my rather over-used metaphor about the elephant and the blind men. God is infinitely and unspeakably above our comprehension. Proverbs 25:2 says: "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter." Kings and all the rest of us.
Perhaps in the endeavor to search out the nature of God we will all end up with a little bit more of an idea of how great he really is.

Yard Work

2006-07-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

Okay so it's like this: my grandpa wants to spend the rest of his life mowing grass. My grandparents had a couple of wooded acres in the back of their house. and about 2 mouths ago my grandpa decided that he wanted it all cleared out and to have a huge, sparsely wooded back yard. All well and good. However when the guys they hired to clear it out where done there was still no way they where going to get a lawn mower back there, there where way too many sticks and rocks and stuff, not to mention many unsightly vines in the trees. So the long and the short of it is that we have spent several days this past week in McComb helping to remedy that problem. Which brings us to the latest Brillant Merisha story.

In the afore mentioned yard there is a rather scrawny tree. Apparently when a neighboring tree was cut down one of it's branches was caught in it, so now there is a sad looking tree with a dead branch dangling just above reach and it has been driving us nuts all week. This morning my grandparents where out and Mom, Robin and I started bright and early. Mom had spent a while trying to coax this branch down with a limb cutter, you know, the kind that extends about 15 feet or so. The problem was that she could not get quite high enough to get a grip on the branch. So, Robin and I, being the helpful daughters we are, decided to, um, "help" her. The place that see really needed to latch onto was about 12 feet out of reach. Being the most apt tree climber in the family, I (with Robin's help) proceeded up the tree and they handed the limb cutter up to me. I decided to cut the limb that was holding that annoying branch up.

I'm standing in the tree trying to operate the limb cutter, I get it in position, and pull the rope that is supposed to move the blade to cut the limb.

As you may know, I'm not the strongest person the the world, and add to that that I was trying to balance in a tree, I could not get that branch to cut for love for money. Not only that, but it had cut just enough that it would not come down. It was stuck. Well, than I have bright idea number two, namely, tie a cord to the cord that I was pulling and give it to those on the ground who will not have to worry about breaking their necks if they get a little off balence. The cord broke.

By this time we are on a time limit. My grandparents are on the way home, and we don't want to give them a heart attack at our rather dangerous antics in the tree, nor do we wish to actually admit that we got their brand new limb cutter stuck in the tree, 12 feet off the ground, and can't get it down. When they drove up I jumped out of the tree and we all pretended that there was not a red limb cutter hanging over our heads and came of to the house for lunch.

After lunch Robin and I decided to use a mallet to try to loosen it and get it down. The first attempt was unsuccessful. The sledge hammer we brought had a handle about 3 feet limb and weighed a ton. So now I'm in the tree, swinging a ten pound sledge hammer, trying to knock loose the tree cutter. I succeeded in hitting myself in the eye with the cumbersome handle. At this point I became mad, and was trying to figure out what I was going to tell the people at the emergency room if my eye was really injured. It was not however, so Robin went in search of something smaller and came back with a rubber mallet that did the job in about three seconds. I am happy to report that limb cutter is in the shed where it belongs, and I am still in one piece.

The limb that caused all the commotion in the first place, however, is still there. I guess you can't win them all.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

2006-07-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Â That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, Â That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Â Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred. to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. Â And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

And so it began....

After all the signers had signed what could have easly been their death warrent someone is said to have commented "Well, we must all hang together now" to which Ben Franklin replied "We must hang together gentlemen, or we shall assuredly hang separately"

Happy 4th of July, y'all.

Merisha

About Me

2006-05-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

I AM: A child of the King
I WANT: to hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant”
I WISH: that we never had to say goodbye to those we love.
I HATE: Finishing a book and saying "and the point is...?" I also hate mosquitoes.
I LOVE: being part of the body of Christ and as such, being heir to the past and ancestor to the future (okay, so I stole it, but it’s still good)
I MISS: the simplicity of childhood
I FEAR: making stupid choices and having to live with the consequences.
I HEAR: Robin playing Pachabell's Cannon
I WONDER: what the future holds.
I REGRET: the pain I have caused those I love.
I BELIEVE: that all things work together for the good of those that love God, who are the called according to his purpose.
I AM NOT: good at keeping my feet off my sisters heels when we are walking.
I DANCE: Whenever I have the slightest excuse
I SING: rather off key
I CRY: easily.
I AM NOT ALWAYS: able to say just what I mean.
I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: costumes
I WRITE: much less that I ought too
I CONFUSE: the order that letters ought to be in the formation of a word.
I NEED: to learn how to type more than 10 words a minute.
I SHOULD: practice my instruments more.
I WILL: keep getting older, whether I like it or not.
I START: a sentence and forget what I was saying before I have finished it.
I FINISH: very few non-fiction books.
I TAG: no one. Everyone who reads my blog has been tagged already.

The Mystery of Godliness

2006-04-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of the angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
1Timothy 3:16

This is an excerpt from Matthew Henry's commentary on the above passage:

Christianity is a mystery, a mystery that could not have been found out by reason or the light of nature, and which cannot be comprehended by reason, because it is above reason, though not contrary thereto. It is a mystery, not of philosophy or speculation; but of godliness, designed to promote godliness; and herein it exceeds all the mysteries of the Gentiles. It is also a revealed mystery, not shut up and sealed; and it does not cease to be a mystery because now in part revealed.

Death, Where is Your Victory? Grave Where is Your Sting?

2006-04-16T04:48:00.000-07:00

The soldiers must have thought it was the world's biggest waste of time the guard a tomb. They had seen the lack of valor in the disciples. Who was kidding who? Jesus' followers where cowering in a locked room. Yet their orders where to keep zelots out of the tomb. Little did they know that it was the one inside the tomb that would pose a problem.

Behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
Matthew 20:2-4

It was before the crack of dawn and they where on the way to perform the last offices of love for a departed friend, but they where in for the biggest surprise in all of history...

"Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, He is risen, just as he said come, see the place were the Lord lay."
John 28:5-7

You know, I bet that Satan thought he had really scored a point by *ahem* "messing up" God's plan. But God is ironic, don't you think? The crucifixion was God's plan, yet the Parisees (and think it's biblical to say Satan himself) thought it was their plan. He not only beat the Devil at what he thought was his own game by bringing Jesus back to life, he used the evil shouts of "Crucify Him!" as the way to do it. He thus won not only the battle Satan waged against Christ in the form of man, he won the war with death, hell and the grave started in the garden. This is truly the ultimate example of God working all things for the good of those who love God who are the called according to his purpose.

How amazing our God is! This is a powerful statement on the person of Christ which you really should listen to.
You won't be sorry you did.

http://www.4-14.org.uk/index.php/archives/54-thats-my-king-s-m-lockeridge

P.S. If you read this earlier today and it was slightly different, that's because I was trying to get the post up before I had to leave for church this morning, so I went ahead and posted it not quite done, and have now finished it.

2006-04-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior, waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord.

Robert Lowry, 1878

Good Friday

2006-04-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

This, the first Friday after Passover, is the day that the western church has traditional designated as the day on which Christ was Crucified. There has been some recently been some debate as to whether Good Friday should be observed on Friday or on Thursday, but for the sake of keeping tradition (and because I lost track of time) I'll observe on Friday this year.

We Protestants tend to gloss over the reality and tragedy of Good Friday. We even call it good because we know the ending. We know that Jesus does not stay in the grave, we know that death looses and that Christ is is victorious. Imagine what it must have been like for those who lived through it. They did not know that this was the plan, that this was the way of salvation. All they knew was that their only hope was hanging on a cross. As for as human eyes could see, this was the end.

Not the way humans would have arranged things, but "as for God, his way is perfect"

This scripture always seems apt on Good Friday:

Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted an extolled, and be very high
As many as where astonished at thee: his vestige was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men; so shall the sprinkled many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that whish had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

Who has believed our message, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? for he shall grow up before him as a thnder plant, and as a root out of dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness ; and when we shall see him, there is not beauty that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected of men' a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it where our faces from him, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried out sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamg to slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: and the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with rich men in his death; because he had done not violence, neither was any deceit found in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; and he hath put him to grief: when thou shall make him an offering for sin, she shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he has poured out his soul unto death, and the was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

The Wisdom of the Unknown Confederate Soldier

2006-03-30T16:37:00.000-08:00

I first read this years ago, and I find it so potent. This is the essence of the Christian life, I think. I have heard a country song with the refrain "I Thank God for Unanswered Prayers" which is along the same lines.

I don't really have time to write anything more profound right now, so without anymore ado, here it is:

I asked for strength that I might achieve;
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I had asked for,but everything that I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered;
I am, among all men, most richly blessed.
- Unknown Confederate Soldier

2006-03-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I have not had much time of inspiration for writing these past few weeks. People stopped having birthdays, eliminating my most recent subject matter.

Life has held some unexpected deviations from where I thought it was going, giving God another opportunity to work on my faith.

Many seasons of my life can be in many ways summed up in a short phrase or a question in some way or another shaped my way of thinking, but they soon outlive their season. Scripture, however never becomes a mere catch phrase that was once helpful.

There has been one passage of scripture in particular that seems like it is always relevant. Proverbs 3:5 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths."

Amazing, isn't it, how much mileage one can get out of one little verse?

As an avid history buff, I do lots of reading about people in general, and one thing that I see is how terrible, horrible, not good and very bad life can be. Thousands upon thousands of people whose lives where anywhere from just plain hard to downright hellish. And yet God, in His infinite power and glory and majesty, sees the sparrow that falls, and calls us "infinitely more valuable than they." He calls us His children, and promises never to forsake us. That He, as our Father, cares about even out smallest joys and sorrows. That He has a sovereign plan, and that we are part of it. That is truly amazing.

Another Belated Birthday Post

2006-02-20T10:58:00.000-08:00

Friday was the twentieth birthday of my dear friend Tiffany.
It seems strange that in four months someone could become so dear to almost seem like a sister, but that is what she has become to me.
When we arrived in Houston in October, I was surprised by the enthusiasm shown by Tiffany who seemed to be the less demonstrative of the McDonald girls. Since that time, as both where working in the kitchen, we have been together almost 24/7. We have laughed and cried, worked and played together. We been serious and silly, thoughtful and just verging on absurd.

Her keen wit has kept me more than entertained, as has her overall, well... Tiffanyness. (for those of you to whom that means nothing, it is similar to Robinness) Together we three have found humor in the most commonplace things, from newly-minted words to kitchen fiascos to the abominable scone-man.

Tiffany is a beautiful example of patience and love, and many's the time I have marveled at the beautiful work of art that out Father is creating in her. I would like to post this beautiful portion of scripture in honor of her.

"Though I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am but a resounding gong, of a clanging cymbals.

Though I can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Though I give all I posses to the poor, and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I am nothing.

Love is patent, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

Where there are prophesies, they will cease, where there are tongues they will be stilled, where there is knowledge, it will pass away. Now we see in part, and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

When I was a child, I thought like a child, I talked like a child, and I reasoned like a child, but when I became a man, I put childish thing behind me.

Now we see but a poor reflection, as in a mirror, but then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, but that I shall know fully, just as I am fully known.

And now, these three things remain, faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

1 Corinthians 13

Tiffany, I love you. Happy Birthday.

Merisha <><

My 7x7

2006-02-01T16:40:00.000-08:00

*sigh*
I've been tagged. Here it goes

7 Movies I like
1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. The Patriot
4. Hart's War (beware of the language, however)
5. Horatio Hornblower: Honor (or Duty, I can't remember which)
6. Lord of the Rings
7. Henry V (with Kenneth Branach. See it Leah, you'll like it)

7 Books and Authors I like (not counting the Bible. It kinda goes beyond the level of "books I like")
1. Robert Lewis Stevenson
2. Easy Chairs and Hard words
3. The Robe
4. C. S. Lewis (the favorites being Mere Christianity and Narnia)
5. The Phantom of the Opera
6. Pride and Prejudice
7. J.R.R. Tolken

7 thing I say all the time:
1.Where is... (the thermometer, the lid, Jessica, ect,. Jessica? She's on the computer)
2. Let me meditate on that
3. You guys are strange
4. I never claimed to be normal
5. Caio! (Italian for hello and goodbye)
6. I ate it. (whenever anyone can't find something, what ever it happens to be)
7. What a bummer

7 things I want to do before I die.
1. Learn Latin
2. Get married (duh)
3. See my great-great grandchildren
4. Be a better musician
5. Do a little drama
6. Learn to keep my temper
7. Read Augustine

7 things that I would like in a husband:
1. Someone who's greatest passion is Christ
2.A strong (and wise) leader
3.A certain degree of strangeness (normal people don't want 15 kids)
4. Trustworthines
5.Vision and direction
6.Willingness to follow God's will, no matter what the cost
7. It wouldn't hurt if he liked history

7 things I don't do well:
1. Be nice to Jessica (she's just way too easy to tease)
2. Wait tables (I tried, and I spilled one bowl of soup on three different people)
3. Play horn (just ask Robin)
4. Talk for too long without sticking my foot way in my mouth
5. Crack a joke that people actually laugh at
6. Spell (thank heaven for spell check)
7. Put up my hair with less that 15 pins

And for the final 7, I don't know 7 people who blog who haven't already been tagged

From the Sick Bay

2006-01-20T17:40:00.000-08:00

Oh, the joys of the flu. It has kept my poor mother in bed all day, and some weird strain of it, consisting of a fever and a sore back and knees has kept me out of commission. Robin, Tiffany and James just made a quick run through here on their way to the Mall. And here I sit, with a low-grade fever and no companion but a computer.

So, I shall make the best of it, and post on my long neglected blog.

Hum, what to say? That is the question. As I sit here wracking my brain for something clever to say nothing is forthcoming.

As I rule, I have a store of deep and thought provoking things that I am musing on at any given time. Historically I moralize every book and movie that comes my way. But alas! My thoughts have taken the very commonplace turn of trying to schedule time to practice my instruments, figure out a better way to rearrange our kitchen and keep find a better way to keep quiche hot. Even The Village failed to leave pondering for too long, though I suppose there is still something to think over more extensively if I ever have to inclination.

So, in the mist of this I get sick, with nothing to do but think, read and consider, what do I do? Waste 2 hours on watching a movie from the 70's on Catherine of Arragon. Sheesh. Fortunately, Robin and Tiffany came in, at which point I realized that I did not to be seen wasting another 2 hours on Anne Boylen. (amazing what the mere prospect of a little peer pressure can do)

So, enough about what I am not doing. I find that I am becoming quite apt at making huge batches of whatever I make, and we now have the grocery shopping list down to a science. I will have to post pictures of our scone-making ventures. It is quite a sight. We have outgrown the largest of our mixing bowls, and have resorted to two five-gallon buckets. To mix the dry ingredients takes two of us little girls, or, when we can get it, one of the guys.

To change gears completely, I intended to post this at the beginning of the year, but did not get around to it, so I shall do it now. I suppose it is something that I am learning right now

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to breakdown and a time to build up.;
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and I time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time to peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Well, I shall leave you with that, dear readers, and spend what is left of the evening drawing.

Merisha

Christmastime Entertainment

2005-12-11T16:18:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday night we took a church fieldtrip to Handel's Messiah. The Allison Family goes every year, and this year we and some of the McDonald's joined them. We made quite the processional going in. There where almost 20 of us, and Mr. Allison marched us all right down to the front row.

It was captivating. Even two year old Peter was captivated. The soprano was beautiful. She sang like she meant it, and she simply glowed.

You know, the Messiah is different live. I have heard it numerous times on CD, but it grates on one after a while. A conglomeration of operatic voices, none of which you can understand. Not altogether charming. But live...

Ahh, what can one say? Music is always better live, and this way you could actually understand what they said, and the lyrics are so profound. I have included some of my favorites:

O thou, that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain; O thou, that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Isaiah 40:9
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Isaiah 60:1

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee. He is the righteous Saviour and He shall speak peace unto the heathen. Zechariah 9:9-10

He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Isaiah 40:11

Come unto Him, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him; for He is meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:28-29

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Job 19:25-26

For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep. 1 Corinthians 15:20

ChorusSince by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:21-22

RecitativeBehold, I tell you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:52-53

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing, and honour, glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen. Revelation 5:12-14

The Halleluah chores and the last few songs where moving enough to give me chills up and down my spine.

It is an experience that I hope to repeat, and that is highly recommended.

My other entertainment this week was going to see the new Pride and prejudice in theaters. I have to admit, I went with a very prejudiced outlook. (no pun intended) I was impressed. It was short, so a lot necessarily had to be left out, but overall they did a good job. It was ever suggested that this Mr. Darcy was better than Colan Firth. I don't know if I would say that, but he did do a wonderful job.

The feel was much more informal that the old one, and the costumes where a bit earlier. The only thing I absolutely disliked was their Mr. Bingly. He was a complete idiot.

I think the next outing will be Narnia, which will probably be it for the outings for a while.

Well, everyone have a happy Sunday!

Merisha

Joining the Club...

2005-12-01T16:06:00.000-08:00

Well, Christian, you will have to break it to Matthew that if I did not relinquish my place in the Home Churchers Who Don't Blog Club by moving, I will have to be booted out for caving to peer pressure and getting a blog. Sorry Matthew.

Today is my 19th birthday, and I decided to celebrate by doing something new. What sparked this getting a wonderful birthday present and thinking "if I had a blog, I'd write about this."

So now I do, and I shall.

On Monday, we took a trip to the friendly neighborhood harp store to drop my poor little harps off for repair. The weekend before had been a very bad one for my harps. One got wet on Saturday, and on Sunday I realized that one had a fracture in one of the seams.

Upon arriving at Melody's, after pointing out to my mom the size harp that I eventually wanted to move up to, I proceeded to shop for music. After a few moments Mom asked which of the two 38 string harps I liked better.

"I don't know, they are both nice" I responded rather indifferently (I was very busy shopping for music)

As you have probably gathered, I came home with a harp. When my grandparents sold our house recently they gave my mom some money from the sale (unbeknownst to me), and my dear mother and sister decided to spend it on a harp. I didn't argue.

Here is a picture of my harp on the harp site (since the digital camera is not our friend today) http://www.salviharps.it/pages/index.pl

So, this has been a lovely day.

Merisha