Lenten Thoughts

"The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:8-9)

"The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart"--this phrase jumped out at me this morning. I love its concreteness and physicality. What is more near to me than my own lips, my own heartbeat? My God is that near! My faith is as real as my own belief (with more than that as its basis, and yet as simple as that). My own confession of Christ's lordship in my life re-invigorates my faith each morning and gives my life direction. It's as simple as a quick prayer to commit my day to Him.

***

Well, we're coming up on Holy Week, and the homestretch of Lent, and I'm hanging in there with my disciplines. I have not been as faithful in reading the Daily Office as I intended--though I haven't missed more than two days in a row, and I have been able to catch up the days I've missed. I haven't blogged about these Lenten scriptures as often as I intended, due to lack of time. And I sure miss dessert, though I've broken even that intention on a couple of social occasions. (Although I must say, it took incredible willpower to walk away from my favorite kind of donut that the nice man at the bank offered me on Saturday when I was starving! I hardly ever eat donuts, and this one looked like it was from a really good local bakery.)

Am I closer to God? Am I stronger spiritually? I'm not thinking in those terms, actually. I feel like this Lent has been about not striving, just resting in God. One idea that has remained at the forefront, for me, is that Lent is not about self-improvement. I think in the past, I have recognized that, and at the same time, have thought, why not make it an opportunity to try to do exactly that!

But this year, that idea was extended so helpfully. A couple weeks ago, one of the men at our church spoke on this topic at one of our Wednesday night prayer services. He said, "Lent is not about self-improvement...it's about the opposite of that! We meditate on our own mortality, our sinful natures and our inability to save ourselves, and we recognize how many aspects of life are completely beyond our control."

All of us nodded. Looking around at the small group, everyone there knew about "beyond our control." A cancer diagnosis, financial reversals, career upheaval and failure, sales bottoming out, teenagers, toddlers...and ourselves. In fact, the Scripture passage he was speaking from was in Romans, where Paul exclaims, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing." How we can all relate!

So we trust in God, not in ourselves. We walk with the Spirit, rather than trying to improve our flesh. We rest in Him and what He has done. We remember how much of life is beyond our control...but the life of the Spirit is right there "near you, on your lips and in your heart." We can't go wrong if we cling to Him!

Update on Baby Luke

Spoke with Debbie tonight, and she said I could share her name and Luke's. She is grateful for our prayers.

The tests so far have been very confusing to the weekend staff of doctors. According to the brain scans, they say, he should be a very sick little boy, and yet he is eating, kicking, and breathing normally--praise God!!

More testing tomorrow...and opinions from expert doctors to come.

(And in case anyone needs a reminder that doctors--God bless 'em--are entirely fallible, this post recounts amazing news that one set of parents just received about their newborn who was not expected to live! And in the comments, there are even more testimonies of how often the doctors can be wrong. Hat tip to commenter Martha B.)

What We Woke Up To This Morning!

Just Got a Call...

..from the mom whose baby appeared to have significant medical concerns, according to ultrasound before his birth.

She had him by C-section today, and he's in the NICU, hooked up to lots of monitors but breathing on his own. His large motor reflexes all seem normal, as he is kicking and pushing away tubes with his hands. They are doing many tests and scans on him, but she hasn't heard the results yet.

Mama is doing quite well, feeling sustained by the prayers of others and by a returning faith of her own. Her husband, though deployed now, was able to talk with her by phone throughout the day and she is grateful for that, too.

I will update when I know more. Keep those prayers coming!

Thank you, Lord, for the delivery of this small son. Sustain his life, heal his body, bless and keep his soul. Uphold his parents and strengthen his mother, body and soul, for the days ahead. Amen.

7 Quick Takes

1) Last night's meeting went super-well. Praise the Lord!

We had 60 adults and 70 kids, and we received 30 registations already, for the summer camp in July!! The feedback I've heard is all really positive about the meeting and the program.

2) Two more churches that I have talked to about hosting us for classes and rehearsals said no.

3) But there is a chance that one of our "dead" options might come back to life!, since a dozen or so families from that church were at the meeting last night.

4) And I toured another church today that would work for us, for rehearsals at least, and they sound eager to put their unused space to use. So we'll get that ball rolling and see where it lands!

5) My fish, Aladdin II, a very friendly and inquisitive beta, died a horrible death this week, swelling up and changing color toward the end. It was very sad, and I miss him.

6) Blondechick16 gave me her beta, Opal, so I still have a fish in the kitchen to keep me company.

7) I had to take a child to the Emergency Room, for the first time since we moved here. Fortunately, they got us right in at 11 p.m., and we were out by 1:45 a.m. Even more fortunately, Chicklet's alarming quantity of blood in her urine was only a bladder infection, which is responding well to antibiotics!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary.

Meeting Tonight

Tonight is the meeting for all parents interested in getting involved with the new theater group we are helping to start in Kenosha...

...and if everyone who says they're coming, comes, we'll have at least 40 adults and 65 kids there tonight!

I send out an email invitation, encouraging folks to forward it along to their friends and their churches, and then later on, I started a reminder email going. It has been amazing to get all these emailed RSVP's or phone calls from so many people I don't even know!

I am so grateful to God!!

There will be staff coming to run the meeting and explain the program, as well as instructors who will take all the kids, loosen 'em up, and teach them a dance routine to a song from a musical. At the end of the meeting, the kids will come back in and perform for the parents.

Thanks for all your prayers!!

Of Interest

Hey, friends back in Illinois, here is a great opportunity!

Monday, April 6
7:00 pm
Wheaton College, Edman Chapel

Dinesh D'Souza, widely influential author and public intellectual, will deliver a public lecture Monday, April 6 at 7:30 PM, at Wheaton College's Edman Chapel entitled "A Christian Response to the New Atheism." D'Souza is one of today's foremost Christian apologists and the author of What's So Great About Christianity?, is a columnist for Christianity Today, and has successfully debated the leaders of the new, aggressive atheism including Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Michael Shermer. Come hear one of the foremost defenders of the faith today.

~You may recall that I blogged about hearing Dinesh speak on the same topic. He will be wonderful!

Recommended Read-Alouds

I thought I'd share some homeschooling resources that we are loving. But wait--you don't have to be a homeschooler to enjoy these books with your children!!


We've been starting out the mornings with The Child's Story Bible, by Catherine Vos. I bought this story Bible years ago, having heard glowing recommendations, but I found that my young non-auditory learners were not ready for it yet. (It only has about six illustrations.) I waited too long to bring it out again, for my two oldest, anyway, but it is perfect for middle school/junior high boys, and Bantam10 is keeping up fine with it too.

This child's Bible doesn't skip from tale to tale, but tells the chronological story of the Bible, including historical background when helpful. We just finished the Old Testament, and I don't know when I've had a clearer grasp of when and where what prophet spoke to whom. The boys loved it because of all the battles and murders and wicked kings, and especially the wonderful godly kings that would come along and steer the whole nation back on the right path (they actually cheered hissed a yesssssss a few times!). The author has a wonderful sense of the overall picture and story of the whole Bible. We are LOVING this book every day!

Next, I read aloud from some fiction book. We just read Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair and The Last Battle, consecutively. Lots of food for thought and growth there. I interrupted freely to share deeper meanings as I saw them--it had been so many years since I read these, it all seemed so fresh!--and the boys enjoyed some of those tangents as much as they did these stories. So much truth and goodness in the Narnia books. Lewis is my hero.

Currently, our fiction book is one that the boys thumbed their noses at initially: White Stallion of Lipizza, by Marguerite Henry. Growing up, I read and re-read every book this author wrote, because I was a horse-crazy girl, but also because they were so well-written. This one quickly grabbed their attention and held it, and taught some real character lessons as well. There is one scene where the apprentice rider is asked whether he blames the horse for his fall, or the boy in the stands who waved his hat at the riding pair, and he says he blames only himself--which is the answer that allows him to continue at the Viennese riding school. There is a Lipizzan horse farm not far from here, and now I think I won't be the only one interested in visiting it this summer!

Another winner, which we started reading concurrently with our other fiction book, has been Tales from Shakespeare, by Charles and Mary Lamb. These retellings are much more understandable than trying to read the original plays, but the language is stretching the boys, and challenging to me as a reader, too, to read well, and to know when to stop and summarize or explain vocabulary.

Here is an example:

It was by desire of the king that the queen sent for Hamlet, that she might signify to her son how much his late behaviour had displeased them both; and the king, wishing to know all that passed at that conference, and thinking that the too partial report of a mother might let slip some part of Hamlet's words, which it might import the king to know, Polonius, the old counsellor of state, was ordered to plant himself behind the hangings in the queen's closet, where he might unseen hear all that passed.

See what I mean? Not difficult to understand--if read correctly! (And kind of a fun challenge, if you enjoy reading aloud.) But well worth the effort, to expose them to Shakespeare's excellent tales. We read "Much Ado About Nothing" first, since they were familiar with the movie, and then I chose "Romeo and Juliet," since it had come up as an issue of cultural literacy a few weeks ago. They loved it: duels, poisonings, stabbings, suicide...and people always think it is a gushy romance! I told them that Shakespeare had several other tragedies that ended with everyone dead on the stage, so we read "Hamlet" next. Madness and ghosts--even better. We've been reading each one in about three sittings.

And upon Googling, I just found that the complete Tales are online, here! But I love my beautiful hardback Children's Classics version (pictured above).

Time to wrap up. I just re-read for typos and found a good one:

Happy read alouding!

Multiplication in God's Economy

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" (John 6:5-9)

Such a familiar story. But this morning it reminded me of a few things.

When Jesus asks, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?," Philip answers him practically, humanly--even doing a little math in his head, perhaps--that financially, it is impossible. How very like practical me!

What was Jesus testing in Philip when he asked him this question? He probably already knew Philip's bent for thinking concretely. Was he testing his compassion? I think my reaction, after stating the facts, would be to conclude, "They're going to have to leave now. We're going to have to draw this meeting to a close and send everybody on their way. They can stop at the market on the way home!"

Andrew is the hero of this story, of course. He happens to be the one who discovers the boy's small lunch, but he has enough imagination to bring it to Jesus' attention, rather than sending the boy on his way. He has little hope that it will go very far, but perhaps a few people could be fed with it, he thinks.

How many times have I missed out on God's miraculous multiplication of resources by concluding that something is simply impossible? How often have I failed to bring even the slim resources that I have to the Lord, to see what He might do with them?

I am too quick to say, "There isn't enough time, money, or energy for that, Lord. That person or that need is going to have to be filled some other way. I can't do it." Instead, I should prayerfully bring that need to the Lord along with what little I may have to give...and see what He does!

Absolutely, my family comes first. My marriage, my kids' education, our church family--these are things that will consume the bulk of my time and attention. But I want to be a kingdom thinker. I can spend a few minutes in prayer on needs that are beyond my capacity to meet. I can bring a little imagination into the next "impossible" equation, give a little thought to who I know who might be interested in the need, I can attend a meeting or write a letter. I can write a few more small checks.

Lord, help me change my focus on what I don't have to give, to what I do have!

Don't Mess With the Old Lady

I hear that this is a staged video--that really a blow like that couldn't make an airbag go off.

But isn't it great, anyway?


(Go on, you're got time: It's only 34 seconds long. And turn up the sound so you can hear the film maker snickering at the end!)

Light Blogging Means Heavy Duties

Heavy, but good!

Mostly I have been working on two things: planning our Easter Vigil, and preparing for the theater group's informational meeting next week!

You may recall that the church that we thought was going to host our theater classes and rehearsals next fall changed its mind. Now, we still have plenty of time to find an alternate location (or locations, would be more likely), but it sure would be nice to be able to tell folks, at next Thursday's meeting, where these weekly events will be held--and it's even possible that the "when" might change, now, depending on our host church.

Moms need to know when and where, because a lot of us have to make decisions now, for next fall!

So I've been making phone calls, writing emails and visiting churches. I doubt we're going to get a definitive answer from anyone by Thursday, but it's as good a reason as any to put the time in now rather than later. Today I met several interested and accomodating folks, and on Monday, I hope to catch a few others. We'll see what comes of it all....

I've also arranged a couple of readings for the Vigil, lined up most of our readers, I think (for that service, at least), and found someone to add a creative touch that I was hoping for to one of the readings.

Somehow, I'm still keeping up with laundry, meals and homeschooling, too, by God's grace, and with my family's help. Tonight, while I'm taking the Mayor of Munchkinland to his rehearsal (and writing emails and this post at Panera), Bantam18 made Mexican Macaroni for the rest of the family!

And now, it's nearly time to go pick up the Mayor...

No Funny Business, Now...

Papa Rooster was explaining to our oldest son how he could quickly make eggs for himself in the mornings in our microwave egg poacher. After telling him how much water to add and how long to cook it for, he finished: "They're called poached eggs."

B18 gave him a suspicious look and inquired, "They're not illegal, are they?"

Tuesday Misc.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Have you sung St. Patrick's Breastplate yet?

***

Today's Scripture thought:

But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.'

Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. (Jer. 7:23-24)

Lord, help me incline my ear to your voice, and obey it, and walk in the ways you command. Help me not to to trust in my own counsel, or the stubbornness of my own heart; keep me from evil, and lead me forward in your way, not mine. Amen.

***

I recently updated the prayer requests in my sidebar to add our church member Barbara, our upcoming Holy Week services at Light of Christ, and concerns regarding the start-up of the new theater program.

Thank you, all you prayer warriors, for lifting us up!

And don't miss the praise update there, you who have been praying for Christian friends for our teenagers! Bantam13 now has solid friendships with 4 Christian homeschooled boys, three of whom are also 7th graders, and one is a younger brother. Now there is another Christian boy right down the street that he just met at one of the other boys' houses, also a 7th grader at a private Christian school, who is also becoming a friend. One thing they all have in common is skateboarding, and most of their time together is spent constructing ramps and practicing tricks. Several of them play instruments, and they dream of forming a band someday when they're more accomplished. We're hoping a number of them will get involved in theater with us too! It's been a surprising and wonderful answer to that prayer.

***

Finally, I completely forgot to announce the Lenten Blog Carnival, at Homemaking Through the Church Year! If you need a little inspiration here, halfway through Lent, Jessica has got a nice collection of links, and she's added to it in subsequent posts as well. Check it out for some Lenten encouragement.

And if you're in the mood for Lenten humor, I've discovered (by way of Undercurrent of Hostility) a hilarious blog, written by a Catholic nun, called Ask Sister Mary Martha. Today's post will give humorous yet serious encouragement to those who are fasting this Lent--as most of us should be, she says!

Old Town, New Town

When we first moved here, I started a list of things that were different about our new community. I just found this draft and figured I'd better post it before we start feeling like natives! (In mid-May, it'll be one year since we moved.)

One of the big differences we noticed right away is how WINDY it is here, compared to the far western suburbs of Chicago. It can be a fine sunny day with mild temps, but you still need a jacket because of the wind! Of course, Kenosha is right on Lake Michigan.

Speaking of the Lake, it's quite the selling point of our new community, and we barely realized it until we moved here! It's great to be so near it. Moonlit walks on the beach, hot summer days in the sand, the ever-changing colors and moods of the waves--it's like a vacation destination any time you have a spare hour. (Just don't get IN the Lake! Very chilly.)

In contrast to these beautiful lakefront areas, in the downtown area of Kenosha there are older, ghetto-like areas which make even the worst parts of DuPage County look decidedly middle-class. Most middle-class neighborhoods in the city proper would be described as urban rather than suburban--small houses on small lots, very close together. There are relatively few subdivisions here, and they're either far south, near the Illinois border, or out west, by the tollway. (I don't want to give too much away about our exact location, but we feel like we have an ideal mixture of desirable elements--not too urban, suburban, or rural.)

There seem to be way more cigarette smokers, mixed-race couples, and teenage moms in the stores, restaurants and gas stations of Kenosha than we saw in similar establishments back in the old country.

By contrast, there are areas of Kenosha that are so rural, you can hear packs of coyotes howling at night. The first time I heard them, far off in the distance on a night when we had all the windows open, it woke me out of a sound sleep, thinking it was Bantam4 or Chicklet6 crying!

Back in the western suburbs, we all knew the roads where you were likely to lose your connection if you were talking on your cell phone. How annoying to have to redial to resume your conversation. Here, we compare cell phone companies with our neighbors to find one that has service at all, by the Lake or in the more rural areas!

Back in Warrenville, visitors always told us we needed a bigger house. Here, everyone tells us, "Wow, you have such a big house!" (It is bigger, but it would be unremarkable in our old stomping grounds.)

Back in DuPage County, when people heard we had six kids, they would tell us about other large families that they knew of. Here, people say, "You have SIX KIDS?"

When we say "back in Illinois...," people here say, "Oh, where?" And you tell them, and they nod knowingly and say: "Oh, my cousin's family lives in Elmhurst." Or: "We used to live in Downer's Grove." It seems like everyone here was either born in Wisconsin, or they used to live in Illinois. And if they don't fall into one of those two categories, then they're married to someone who does.

Wonderful advantage, especially for large families, in Wisconsin: No sales tax on food!!! Back in DuPage, it was around 8%.

Ridiculously bad thing about Wisconsin, or maybe it's just Kenosha: BAD roads. And I mean potholes the size of kiddie pools and sunken sections of pavement that give an old van's frame such a death-jolt that you imagine ty rods shattering, axles loosening and the crankcase cracking loose from its mounting. Every time. (I am working on memorizing the locations of certain bumps....)

(Once Blondechick16 was trying to sleep in the car on the way to theater class in Illinois, and a few moments after we crossed the state line, she murmured, without opening her eyes, "Oh, good, we must be in Illinois now.")

So, as you can see, it's been an adjustment! But there is much to love about our new town--especially the people in it--and I think we are all pretty happily embracing our new identity as Kenoshans.

("Cheeseheads," no. We're still too close to Illinois for THAT nonsense.)

Update

As it turns out, the baby's lungs were nowhere near developed enough yet for our friend to be induced. She's just 38 weeks, but they were hoping to have the baby before her husband is deployed next week. It's doubtful that will happen now...but God's timing is perfect!

Please keep them in your prayers.

Bad News & Prayer Requests--and a Bright Spot

Well, it's been a week of bad news. Besides Bantam13 getting cut, I got news that the church we thought was able to host our new theater group's classes and rehearsals has re-evaluated their usage policies and are no longer able to host us. So it's back to Square One on that front, with our informational meeting only two weeks away.

But these bumps in the road seem like a kiddie rollercoaster compared to the life-and-death dilemmas of so many. Because there is no end to the number of folks in need of prayer, I limit prayer requests posted on my blog to those that I know personally. And my heart is heavy for two women and their families tonight.

One is Barbara, whom I posted about before. She found out today that her cancer is significantly more advanced than they thought--is actually a Stage IV, with lymph nodes involved. It is early yet, though, and there is a 30-50% chance that she can still be cured, with aggressive chemotherapy for the next 6-12 months. Will you please lift up your prayers for Barbara's complete healing, and for our little congregation as we support her and her family in practical and spiritual ways for the duration?

Tomorrow, another woman, who has only visited our church a couple of times, will be induced to give birth to her second-born, who appears to have significant parts of his brain missing. She and her husband (who leaves for Iraq in a week) may have many difficult decisions to make about his care, if he lives. This young woman says she feels more at home at Light of Christ than anywhere else they have visited, and she plans to make it her church home for the year that her husband is deployed. Please, join me in prayer for this young woman and her family as well, and for our congregation's role in ministering to them.

***

Scripture thoughts from today's readings:

Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. (John 5:21)

O Lord, have mercy on Barbara, and on this baby boy.

***

And now, because God gave me a little bright spot tonight in this series of sad news, I will share it with you.

Tonight at bedtime, Bantam4 and I were using my fingers to count how many boys and how many girls (children) were in our family. He was getting a little hung up by wanting to count Daddy as one of "Mommy's boys" and Mommy as one of "Mommy's girls."

So I asked him "How many Daddys are there?"

"One!" he exclaimed.

"How many Mommys?"

"One," he said, with pleasure.

"Now," said Mommy, with a warning note that this next question would be harder, "how many kids in our family?"

"A LOT," he stated emphatically.

Guilty

Well, it turns out the reason he was cut had nothing to do with his performance, and everything to do with...ME!

Yup, I screwed up big-time in not communicating clearly enough about a conflict we had listed on the audition form. I thought I understood one thing, and really, something else was meant. A tough lesson to learn!

I was so consumed with guilt and "if onlys" playing through my head that I could barely think of anything else, for a few days there. The only prayer I could pray, in the sleepless night hours, was "Lord, have mercy." (Talk about a Lenten experience: If there had been sackcloth and ashes to hand, I'd have donned them, in quantity.)

And He has! He's shown me great mercy. In the ensuing days, Bantam13 has thought of a number of silver linings to the situation, and though he was initially hurt and disappointed, he's come around to feeling just fine about it. He never blamed me, but it's so much easier for me to stop beating myself up about it, now that he's decided it may actually be a good thing. And hey, he'll get to attend his team's robotics competition after all!

I'm so aware that it could have been worse. I'm grateful that this happened with a show that none of us really like much. (That's not sour grapes, either; I'm on record here! ) There wasn't a dream role in it that B13 was hoping for. It's not like Blondechick16 and Bantam10 were both cast and he's the only one who wasn't. As it is, with just one child in the show, and the Munchkins in only one scene--my favorite one, for the record--we probably won't even have to attend as many rehearsals as usual, and that will be helpful, considering the extra responsibilities I'm carrying right now.

I can think all these comforting thoughts today, but yesterday I was still trapped in guilt and the loss of all that we had planned on and hoped for. Because I wasn't feeling up to much else, I started a new book, and there in the introduction was quoted this prayer by Brennan Manning:

May all your expectations be frustrated;
may all your plans be thwarted;
may all your desires be withered into nothingness....
that you may experience the powerlessness
and poverty of a child;
and sing and dance in the poverty of God;
Who is the Father, Son and Spirit. Amen.

Even when we think we know what we are doing...life is not in our control. And that is something to be celebrated!

It's been a good reminder.

Scripture Thoughts for Today

These are the verses that jumped out at me today:

But my people have changed their glory for something that does not profit...my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water. (Jer. 2:11,13)

And because we still haven't heard what happened with Bantam13:

Hear my cry, O God, and listen to my prayer.
I call upon you from the ends of the earth
with heaviness in my heart;
set me upon the rock that is higher than I. (Psalm 61:1-2)

For God alone my soul in silence waits;
truly, my hope is in him.
(Psalm 62:6)

I have often tried to dig my cisterns for myself...but in this difficult circumstance, by God's mercy, I am sustained by the fountain of living water!

Auditions...on Video!

On Friday night, the middle Bantams auditioned for The Wizard of Oz.; this morning Bantam10 was called back as a potential "Featured Munchkin." (He sure would like to be the Mayor of Munchkinland!)

And tonight, thanks to Papa Rooster's willingness to spend the time uploading and editing them, I am pleased to present, for your viewing pleasure, their one-minute auditions! Those are all the directors, seated at the table, and behind them are other auditioners and their families, whom you will hear but won't see.

Bantam13 went first, with "What's This? from The Nightmare Before Christmas.



But the real crowd-pleaser was Bantam10's rendition of the theme song from The Muppet Show! In fact, as you'll see, the crowd noise was so loud that one point he couldn't hear his music!



Wasn't that fun??!!

And now, we wait...for the cast list to go up...in the morning...sometime...!


UPDATED: It's up! Late on Saturday night!

And Bantam10 is the Mayor of Munchkinland!!!

But Bantam13's name does not appear on the list.

We hope this is a mistake. How very, very disconcerting.

And it may be awhile before we'll find out anything.

In need of your prayers, friends....

Beyond Smells and Bells

Beyond Smells and Bells: The Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy is for anyone who has ever wanted to understand what's so great about a liturgical service!

After reading it, Father Rooster and I agreed that this is a perfect primer on liturgy, the book to recommend when asked to explain the appeal of a liturgical service. Mark Galli writes in a way that is easy to understand, yet is rich in theology and thorough in its examination of the many beautiful facets of liturgy.

The chapter titles give such a helpful idea of what's in this little book. There's Cosmic Daytimer: How the Liturgical Calendar Can Bring Order to Our Lives; Bizarre, Holy Moments: How the Liturgy Reshapes Our Sense of Time; We Worship a Material Savior: Why the Liturgy Engages the Whole Body; and If You Don't Get It, You've Got It: The Liturgy as a Mystery Full of Meaning--plus ten other chapters! Each is short but filled with quotations, history, theology, and the author's own experiences and insights.

The Appendices are most helpful as well. Appendix A explains terms from a liturgical service, such as collect, creed, lesson and acclamation. Appendix B contrasts Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian liturgies. The Christian year is described in Appendix C.

A highly recommended resource.

Anticipating

It's so true that sometimes anticipation is as great as the fulfillment!

I have been occupied lately with administrative details, both for the new theater group and in the planning of our first Holy Week at Light of Christ, and I am so excited about both!

I am the coordinator for the Easter Vigil, the long Saturday night service which calls for much creativity and celebration. I've been having a blast thinking through, with others and to myself (it filled my dreams last night!), all the possibilities for the readings, in particular--and it's so exciting to settle on some and imagine how it all will work!

For the theater group, I know a secret. I know what our first show next fall PROBABLY will be. And I'm so excited about it!

I am also working hard on getting the word out about both. We're still early in the process of advertising our Holy Week services, but the word is spreading about the March 26 informational meeting for the theater group. It sounds like it is going to be well-attended!

And somehow, homeschooling continues amidst the exciting busy-ness. Thank you, Lord!

***

I've been keeping up with the Daily Office, but I'm having trouble finding a verse to meditate on. The Deuteronomy and Hebrew readings are all about those who are filled with unbelief--lots of warnings there.

The one verse that struck me was Jesus' response to Nicodemus, after he tried to explain about being born again and about the wind blowing where it wills: "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?"

I think of earthly things like the water of baptism, the bread and wine of communion, oil for healing, hands clapping or raised in worship. Don't these earthly elements precede belief and participation in heavenly things? Is it even possible to reverse the order? We often try, but Christ, here, says no.

Suddenly, Things Have Been Very Busy!

Last Friday night, the kids and I went back to see a musical at Wheaton Academy that so many friends and acquaintances where in. It was Into The Woods, and they did a wonderful job! It had been 15 years or so since I'd last seen the show, and it was amazing how differently it hit me at this stage of life. I never really "got" the darker Act Two, last time, but as a parent now launching teenagers, it was most poignant! I realized how much the show is about the pain of growing up, even at my age.

Then on Saturday, I met with a family who is considering homeschooling...went to the grocery and made food for guests on Sunday while the kids cleaned up the kids...enjoyed our guests for a relaxing Sunday afternoon...then Papa Rooster and I had a great visit with our friend who had surgery, and her husband, on Sunday night.

On Monday, the older kids had a day off of school, so I took Blondechick16 to our two favorite resale shops to freshen up her wardrobe...then back home to drop her off and pick up boys for dental check-ups...then driver education classes and piano lessons.

And now it's Tuesday and we're headed back to the dentist, since Bantam13 needs sealants, preferably before he gets braces put on next week. As long as I had to go, I asked for appointments for the three youngest as well--and then everybody's 6 month cleanings will be done except for Blondechick's. (One of the only things that really bugs me about having a large family is getting everybody in to the dentist! Not counting Papa Rooster, that's 14 appointments a year to schedule and sit through!)

Then this afternoon, a new session of theater classes begins. This time just the two middle boys are taking them. B13 is going to try out a film-making class, a new offering by the California director who's here to direct this session's production, The Wizard of Oz. (Auditions Friday!) And B10 didn't blink when I asked him what class he wanted to be in--he wants to take a dance class again, and this time he wants his OWN tap shoes!

(Remember the kid who couldn't stop doing somersaults? Same one! As his dance teacher said, "Some kids just want to stand there, but he really likes to move!")

There have been so many good readings in the Daily Office, but time is short, so I will excerpt one that needs little comment. This should be a warning to our own nation, as it was to Israel! But during Lent, especially, we need to search our hearts as individuals for ways that we fall into this thinking, maybe not about wealth, but about accomplishment:

Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." ...If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed...for not obeying the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 8:11-20)