The Year in Review--Books

Mother, Father, Uncle, Aunt (Garrison Keillor)
One of the better (less political) collections of Keillor's famous monologues.  My favorite was "Ronnie and the Winnebago," in which Ronnie takes his dad's Winnebago onto the ice to go ice fishing, with disastrous results--and what he learns as he works it off. 

The Mighty Queens of Freeville (Amy Dickinson)
This could have been a painful memoir of one woman's divorce. Instead, it was about her healthy rise above her circumstances, along with her daughter, due to the extraordinary support of an extended family of strong women who had survived and thrived through desertion and divorce themselves, in a close-knit, small-town community.  Honest, yet positive and encouraging. 

Ben Hur (Focus on the Family Radio Theater)
This excellent radio drama counts as an abridged audiobook, right?

The Pacific and Other Stories (Mark Helprin)
Wow, these are beautiful stories.  Rich, thoughtful, well-constructed.  My favorite is probably one about a woman widowed on 9/11 who asks a construction firm to make a few improvements to her condo and they re-do the whole thing, gratis, with the highest quality materials, while she's gone. 

A Postcard from the Volcano (Lucy Beckett)
This is the one book review I wrote this year. 

Rebecca's Tale (Sally Beauman)
If you liked Daphne du Maurier's haunting novel, Rebecca, you may enjoy this sequel written by a different author.  She imagines a totally different side to Rebecca and constructs a plausible defense of her actions and words, weaving new information into the events of the original novel. Intriguing and enjoyable. 

Barchester Towers (Anthony Trollope)
I just love the wordy Trollope, with his descriptive character names.  Mr. and Mrs. Proudie are ambitious, Mr. and Mrs. Quiverful have 14 children, Plumstead is a prize to be awarded to a deserving clergyman, Obadiah Slope is a clergyman of slippery principles, and I can't even remember the names of minor characters whose character you only learn from their names!  One of my favorite parts is at the beginning of one of the last chapters, where Trollope expounds upon the difficulties of writing the ending of a book, without rushing through it or drawing it out too long.  He states that if an editor would send him a sample of a perfectly written conclusion, he would gladly follow it, but since no editor had ever produced one, he'd just have to do his best. 

Midwives (Chris Bohjalian)
It was tough to find a book on tape that I thought Blondechick would be willing to listen to with me on a road trip to a prospective college, but this is the one she selected from my stack of possibilities borrowed from the library.  It's a fictional account of a midwifery malpractice case, told from the perspective of the accused midwife's young daughter. Not just another courtroom drama, this one stirs up emotional, ethical and poetic sensibilities. We both found it gripping. 

This Year It Will Be Different:  And Other Stories (Maeve Binchy)
This is a collection of Christmas stories that I found rather ordinary.  I've never read anything else by this author.  Should I give her another try? 

But This I Know (Patricia Bailey)
This is an autobiography, self-published by a dear friend of ours, who shares a lifetime's worth of personal experience with God.  She married very young, raised five children, was abandoned by her husband, attended seminary, became a pastor, and got a GED (yes, in that order).  She tells her extraordinary story in devotional-length short essays, full of gentle wisdom, that conclude with a healing, encouraging word.  (Ordering info here.) 

Heaven's Calling: A Memoir of One Soul's Steep Ascent (Leanne Payne)
Another autobiography by a friend of ours and author of many wonderful books on emotional and spiritual healing. While I found her story fascinating, I don't think it would have broad appeal to those who didn't know her other books or her conference ministry. 

The Moon is Down (John Steinbeck)
This was the book Bantam11 picked to read for a school project, so I read it too, since it's very short.  What a little gem of literature!  Steinbeck wrote this as a propaganda piece during WW2 to encourage resistance against the Nazis, and it was rapidly (and illegally) translated into many European languages. It's about a fictional Norwegian town taken over by Germans, and how the townspeople resist and sabotage the mining operations for which the town was captured.  The two protagonists are the Mayor, representing the town, and Colonel Lanser, the German leader, and the story is a fine character study as well as a conflict of ideals. 

Little House on the Prairie (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
I just love this series.  I'm reading them aloud to the three younger children, and we're almost done with On The Banks of Plum Creek as well. 

Pippi Longstocking, Pippi in the South Seas, Pippi on the Run (Astrid Lindgren)
I love the first two.  I read and re-read them so many times as a kid, trying to figure out the unfamiliar words and expressions (since they are set in Sweden and translated from the Swedish).  The third one doesn't have the same charm; it reads like someone trying to copy Lindgren's style.  Great read-alouds, if you've never read them! 

Sisterchicks Do the Hula (Robin Jones Gunn)
I only picked this out because it was at the library and on audiocassette, which is all I can listen to in my car, and it was better than I expected.  This series is Christian chick-lit, and I figured it would be pretty fluffy, but there was actually some good substance to this story about two friends who go to Hawaii together to celebrate their 40th birthdays and have a number of God-filled experiences on the trip. I enjoyed it! 

Steps to Financial Freedom (Suze Orman)
Another book that I picked up simply because it was available on audiocassette.  Plus I wondered if she'd have any helpful advice on paying for college!  There was good wisdom in this book, but it was read by the author and her way of saying "dint" for "didn't" and "shount" for "shouldn't" (etc.) was really distracting. 

The Jesus Storybook Bible:  Every Story Whispers His Name (Sally Lloyd-Jones)
Thank you to my friend Jennifer, for giving our family this book!  I had to wait till the timing was right, but finally we read and loved this wonderful book that weaves the salvation plan into every story.  The kids never wanted me to put it down. 

Jewel (Brett Lott)
This was a moving story about Jewel, the matriarch of a backwoods lumbering family, whose sixth and last child is born with Down's Syndrome, in 1943 in Mississippi, where there is no support for the little girl besides her mother's determination. Strain on the family, on the marriage, and on Jewel's friendships are all consequences, and throughout, she questions God on who is and what He really wants from her.  Engrossing. 

Summer of Light (W. Dale Cramer)
I really enjoyed this story about a steel worker (Mick) who is forced by circumstances to become a stay-at-home dad for awhile.  I especially enjoyed the scenes with his neighbors, who were well-drawn, interesting characters. One of them gets Mick into photography, and he discovers he has a gift for it. I also liked the way Christianity is portrayed, with honest, genuine characters like the homeless, handless man called "The Preacher" and the willing volunteers at the homeless shelter. 

The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
This was an interesting read, so well-written, with engaging characters and a story rooted in true events in the Belgian Congo in 1960. As a believer, it was hard to watch the disintegration of the missionary family who were the main characters, and to see them all lose their faith by the end of the novel. As an American, it was tough to read the story of the crisis in the Congo and of America's role in displacing the elected prime minister. The tone got a little too political and agenda-ish by the end of the book, I thought, but I enjoyed the way this novel developed the story from the points of view of multiple characters over time. 

National Velvet (Enid Bagnold)
I think this is the fourth time I've re-read this short novel, this time because it appeared in a volume of short stories I had picked up, and I just couldn't help myself!  I don't know what it is about the language and the terse dialogue that always tantalizes me, but I think this is just a gem of a novel. I used to read it with a mind only attuned to the horse story element, but as I've gotten older, I've appreciated it more and more on many different levels.  This time it was for the remarkable and memorable characterizations of Velvet's family members. Do read this if you never have! 

The Bridge of San Luis Rey (Thornton Wilder)
This one has been recommended to me before, and there it was in the same collection of short stories (Stories to Remember, Vol. 2, edited by Costain and Beecroft). It was interesting.  I think I'd need to read it again to fully appreciate it. It's about the lives of four people who die when the bridge collapses, and it looks to faith to make sense of the tragedy. 

The Sea of Grass (Conrad Richter)
Another novel included in Stories to Remember.  I kept trying to remember what I'd heard about this book, but I must have been thinking of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass.  Later I realized that the author is more well-known to me for his novel (and later a movie) The Light in the Forest.  This novel is set in the West, at the time that the vast prairie of the cattlemen was being parceled up by the government and given to "nesters." It tells the story of a beautiful woman who comes West to marry a powerful rancher, has three children with him and then leaves him for a government attorney. Her husband and nephew (from whose point of view the story is told) never stop loving her, through the years and complications that ensue.  A literary, lyrical Western romance. 

The Cure (Athol Dickson)
This is a well-written and engaging story about a homeless man with a history, who stumbles upon the cure for alcoholism.  This was not a predictable story; I could never guess what was coming next.  Thought-provoking, too. 

Swallows and Amazons (Arthur Ransome)
This is a British children's classic about children "messing about with boats" (to borrow a line from The Wind in the Willows), and camping, and pretending to be pirates, and a robbery and an ensuing treasure hunt.  Just delightful.   The only bummer about this book is that one of the characters is a little girl named Titty. Maybe some kids would think nothing of it, but my 11-year-old son--and a third son at that--would be bothered by the name, he admits.  I wish they would re-issue a version calling her Kitty! 

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World:  Finding Intimacy With God in the Busyness of Life (Joanna Weaver)
I found this book really encouraging, and I appreciated that it was directed to all women, not just mothers.  I'm going to pass it on to Blondechick18, as soon as I get a chance to go back over it and make a few notes. Practical, wise, reassuring and encouraging. 

My Utmost for His Highest (Oswald Chambers)
A Diary of Private Prayer (John Baillie)
I haven't ever read either of these cover to cover, but they are wonderful, short, devotional reading that I highly recommend.

The Year in Review--Movie Edition

It's a tradition with many of the lit bloggers to post their end-of-the-year list of books read, and I'm getting mine ready for Semicolon's Saturday Review of Books!

But awhile back, I also began to keep a list of movies watched. It's not comprehensive, actually--these are just the ones I remembered to write down.  Some are good, some are duds; some are family-friendly, some aren't. Here's what I saw and what I thought it.

Schultze Gets the Blues
This is a 2009 view that I forgot to include in last year's list.  It's a subtitled film about a German miner, forced to retire early, with nothing to do but play the polka on his accordian with others in the town music league.  One day, entranced by a new type of music he hears on the radio, he begins imitating its Cajun blues sound, beginning a quest which brings him to America and ultimately the bayou, where he dies suddenly.  The film ends with his friends in Germany celebrating his life and his quest.  This is a subtle film, slow at times, sparse in dialogue, rich in imagery and moments of humor.

G-Force
This is an animated kids' movie about guinea pigs on special ops missions.  The pigs are cute, but it's a pretty dumb movie. 

Madea Goes to Jail
I guess there are a bunch of "Madea" movies, but this is the only one I've seen.  The title character is a 6'5" black woman, played by a man, who is hilarious.  Though she cusses a little, she's sort of a crazy "Church Lady" character, and there are some good messages to the movie, along with a whole lot of funny moments.  Not for younger kids. 

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Now this was a special movie.  Not one that I'd for sure recommend for younger kids, as several of the more colorful characters have poor morals, but the character you relate to and cheer for is the plain and deserving Miss Pettigrew. (Although Amy Adams is delicious as the delectable Delysia.) 

Anne of Green Gables
Rewatched with our younger kids. Soooo delightful. I cry every time when Matthew dies. 

My Father's Glory
Another re-watch, although we never got around to re-watching its sequel, My Mother's Castle.  Like Schultze Gets The Blues, these are subtitled and a little slow, but so well-done.  Fine for kids (that can read, of course). 

Penelope
This was cute enough, about a rich girl cursed with the snout of a pig, and only true love can break the spell.

The Boys are Back
Now this was a more complex film, about a father struggling to raise his two sons after the death of his wife, their mother.  Good acting and some real moments, but overall I thought it took too long to go not that far. 

The Blind Side
Y'all saw this one, right?  If not, climb out from under your rock and get thee to a video store.  I loved the mother character played by Sandra Bullock (who won the Best Actress Oscar for this performance).  How come bossy and controlling looked so good on her?  Because she was right, perhaps, or because she's Southern?  Ah well, it gives me hope. 

The Hangover
Oh, shame and chagrin, I saw this.  Spare yourself. 

Neverwas
An intriguing story which plays with the line between reality and imagination.  Not just a kids' movie.

Henry Poole is Here
Another special one.  Here's why, and better than I could say it.

The Legend of 1900
This movie captured our imaginations like no other this year (though this is a 1998 film).  A baby is born and deserted on board a luxury ship reminiscent of the Titanic. He's adopted by a boilerman, who christens him "1900" for the year he is born and raises him like a son, until his death.  1900 is discovered as a piano prodigy and soon he is tuxedoed and playing piano every evening  for the ship's wealthy guests. Though he's never set a foot on land, his reputation spreads, and Jelly Roll Morton books a passage in order to challenge him to a piano duel (our absolute favorite part of the movie).  (A close second is a scene where he plays the piano during a storm, as the piano and bench glide gracefully to and fro across the pitching ballroom floor--a fabulous touch of magical realism).

The end of the movie--in which the aged boat, now a mothballed hospital ship after the World Wars, is demolished with 1900 still aboard, imprisoned by his fear of land--is disturbing, unless you realize that the character 1900 is a metaphor for the bright hopes and dreams of that new century, dashed by war and industrialization.  (Papa Rooster first saw this and it makes perfect sense of the whole film, but I just googled a bit and am amazed that so few reviewers seemed to recognize the metaphor, especially with the screenplay based on a Italian monologue called Novecento--or "Twentieth Century.")

Tim Roth plays the title character, looking ten years younger than he does in his current series Lie to Me.  The soundtrack is haunting and award-winning.  There is some bad language at the beginning in the boiler room scenes, and the ending could be disturbing for kids.  Still, such a beautiful film, visually and musically.  Our kids all loved it.

Up in the Air
This movie was a downer. George Clooney plays a businessman who's nearly racked up ten million miles with the same airline, because he travels so much.  His job?  He fires people.  He likes it, he's good at it, and he never gets involved in relationships.  But then he meets someone and takes some relational risks, which you so badly want to go right for him...but then it all goes wrong, and he's back to racking up the mileage, alone and apparently at peace again, up in the air. This movie made my own "road warrior" husband, who recognized so well the whole frequent flyer routine, cringe and shake miserably. 

Leap Year
A cute romantic comedy, in which Amy Adams hops a plane to Ireland in order to propose to her selfish boyfriend of 4 years on February 29, as allowed by an Irish tradition.  Mishaps abound, she ends up far from where he is, she hires a handsome Irish innkeeper to drive her the rest of the way...eventually dumping the loser boyfriend for those smilin' Irish eyes. 

Sideways
We have friends who are Paul Giamatti fans, and we enjoyed watching this with them, but I can't recommend it for family viewing. However, if you like wine or movies about wine, this is about a trip through California vineyards, pursuing women and wine.  Sales of Pinot Noir went up 20% after its release! 

Cold Souls
Another Paul Giamatti film which raises excellent questions about what our souls really are, and what we might be apart from our souls.  Cleaner than Sideways, but too slow and philosophical for kids. 

Night at the Museum 2:  Battle of the Smithsonian
I remember enjoying this movie.  I remember Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart.  Beyond that, I don't remember much. (Maybe I didn't see the whole thing.) 

Secretariat
What a good true-life horse story, almost as good as Seabiscuit.  It lacks the jockey/trainer/owner Depression-era drama of that movie, but the horse sure is a hero, and his owner is another strong mom that I just have to admire.  This movie had me surfing the internet for original video footage of the finish of the Belmont, one of the most amazing sports moments of all time. (Which I remember watching live as an 8-year-old!) 

Good Morning Vietnam
For some reason, I kept wanting to show my older boys this old movie.  Partly for educational reasons--to at least put the Vietnam War on their mental radar.  Partly to show them Robin Williams in his heyday, since they only know him as an old man (Night at the Museum, RV, August Rush) and they can't quite appreciate him as Mork on YouTube.  They loved it. (Some bad language, but oddly, not as bad as it struck me back in the 80's...a sad statement of how much worse things have gotten!) 

Toy Story 3
What fun!  Do you think there's still room for future sequels, with the gang broken up?  How about Woody and his new friends?  Or some way that they all are reunited?  We debated. 

How to Train Your Dragon
Oh, ho!  This one sure appealed to the Nordic blood in my children. We loved it. 

Sleuth
Uck.  If you enjoyed the original Sleuth, with Michael Caine as the young man, DO NOT watch this remake with him as the old man.  This version is perverted and disturbing. Uck, I say. 

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
I sure am glad Bantam15 remembered that he and I never got around to seeing this when it came out. And it's a good thing we watched it before we went to see #7 in the theater.  I'm afraid I would have spent most of the movie snatching at filaments of memory, trying to fill in! 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
I'm glad they split the last book into two movies; so much more character development was possible in this one. A great continuation of the series. 

Inception
This intriguing movie reminded me of The Matrix in how it plays with our ideas about reality. 

Nanny McPhee Returns
Alllmmmmost as good as the first one. Missed the first one?  Nanny McPhee comes when children don't want her but need her; when they want her but don't need her, she has to go.  Emma Thompson is wonderful, as always, as the authoritative Nanny McPhee, and this sequel also stars Maggie Gyllenhaal, who I just like, as the mother. 

The Sorcerer's Apprentice
This was good!  The main character is played by the same actor who does the voice for Hiccup in How to Train Your Dragon.  What an appealing nerd. 

Four Christmases
How a selfish couple who planned on a tropical vacation end up spending Christmas with all four of their (divorced/remarried) parents and find the true value of family and relationships. Probably not okay for the whole family, but not terrible. 

Step Up 3
Upbeat dance numbers with a loose plot tying them together.  This urban, street-dance style of hip-hop was interesting and kinda cool, but overall too mechanistic--almost industrial--for my taste.  Still, a fun dance movie. 

Salt
This was sort of a James Bond movie with Angelina Jolie as the double--no, is that a triple?--agent, and the Russians as the bad guys again.  It was good.  But I hate when a film asks me to suspend disbelief too many times, and this one stretched me further than I appreciate. 

Lie to Me, Psych, Chuck
Okay, these are TV shows, not movies, and I didn't see every episode.  But these are family favorites.

How about you?  I got some great recommendations from commenters last year (Penelope, Neverwas).  Any recommendations for me?

Welcome, Holy Child

(by Chris Rice)

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome, Holy Child
Welcome, Holy Child

Hope that You don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home
Please make Yourself at home

Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around you
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

Here It Is

 Wrappin' up my love this 24th anniversary...

When they blow Gabriel’s horn
Rip fiction from fact
I want to get caught
In some radical act

Of love and redemption
The sound of warm laughter
Some true conversation
With a friend or my lover

Somewhere down the road
We’ll lift up our glass
And toast the moment
And moments past

The heartbreak and laughter
The joy and the tears
The scary beauty
Of what’s right here

I’m wrappin’ up my love this Christmas
I’m wrappin’ up my love this Christmas
I’m wrappin’ up my love this Christmas
And here it is


From "Here It Is" on Over The Rhine's Christmas album, Snow Angels 

Rehearse What?

Me, driving in the car with Bantam11:  "Well, this afternoon I am going to a wedding rehearsal back in Illinois.  It will be fun to attend, but what I'm really looking forward to is the rehearsal dinner afterwards!"

B11:  "I just don't get that."

Me:  "What?"

B11:  "The rehearsal dinner."

Me:  "What do you mean, you don't get it?"

B11:  "Well, I can see that you need a rehearsal for the wedding...but do you really need to rehearse for the dinner?"

Advent at the Henhouse

So what are we doing for Advent this year?

In the past, I have written about our Advent traditions, particularly as Anglicans trying to separate the liturgical seasons of Advent and Christmas.  We've done the Advent wreath, Advent candles and Advent calendars.  We've had Christmas trees, Jesse Trees, no tree until Christmas, and a tree decorated in Advent colors and changed to Christmas colors on Christmas Eve.  We've had Christmas music, and we've waited till Christmas (and the following twelve days) to enjoy Christmas carols.

Did I say "traditions?" It's been more like "let me count the ways."

This year, it's been back to basics. Both Mom and Dad are in energy conservation mode--our own, that is--so when we put up the tree, we decorated it for Christmas.  It just sounded like too much work to change the ornaments later on!  With no discussion, we went ahead and put out the Christmas CD's too.  We decided a few years ago that waiting till Christmas Day to begin listening to Christmas music just leaves too little time to enjoy it. Christmas carols feel like a preparation for Christmas, which is the point, right?  (And there just aren't enough familiar and singable Advent tunes, let alone Advent albums!)

The one tradition we have kept up for years is this special Advent calendar. It's a collection of 24 little books which each tell a part of the Christmas story. After you have read the booklet for the day, you hang it as an ornament on the Christmas tree.  This year, Bantam11 has been reading it to Chicklet8 and B5 every day.  That's probably why this one has stuck--it doesn't depend on Mom to make it happen!

We'd normally be doing the Advent wreath on Sundays, too, except this year, we're out of the candles and I just keep forgetting to go to the religious gift store.  Case in point, I guess.

We also have a Playmobil nativity set that we put out each year.  This year, there is enough room around it to set it up with the Three Kings far away from the stable.  They'll be moving closer as we near Epiphany.  B11 also set it up with Mary and Joseph and the donkey on the way to the stable, and the shepherds out in the field. Only a couple animals are in the barn today!

I'm in pretty good shape on the shopping and wrapping fronts, although the cookie-baking is going to have to wait till Christmas break this year, I fear.  We haven't done a Christmas card or letter in years, which I mourn but accept for another year.  Maybe an Epiphany letter, I always think...

Usually we end our home school a week or so before Christmas, so I can focus on getting ready for the holiday, at least for the last few crucial days.  But this year, both C8's and B11's virtual schools go right up to the 23rd, on paper at least.  I am pushing them this week in hopes they can finish by the 21st, so I can concentrate on housecleaning and food preparation for the rest of the week--before the relatives descend!  We're having Grandma and Grandpa Rooster, and Uncle, Aunt and Cousin Rooster overnight for Christmas; then the Hen side grandparents arrive a few days after.  It will be a wonderful time with extended family.

We are planning a Christmas Eve service as well, with kids involved.  (More on that later.)  And this weekend, we have a wedding back in IL, for the daughter of our closest friends from our old church.  Father Rooster is performing the ceremony, so we are going to the rehearsal and dinner as well.  It will be a wonderful celebration with many IL friends!

It's a crazy time of year to fit in a wedding, but we did the same thing, 24 years ago, so on top of everything else, we hope to fit in an anniversary date next Monday. 

Oh wait, BC18 and B15 have a Choir concert that night...

"It's the most...
wonderful time...
of the year!"

Tooth Fairy Revealed!

That would be the headline if Bantam5 were publishing a newspaper.

"Mom, it's too bad.  B5 knows who the Tooth Fairy is now," Chicklet8 told me.

"Yeah, Mom, he knows," Bantam11 chimed in.

I looked at young B5, brimming over with knowledge and self-importance.

"Well?"  I asked.  "Who is it?"

"It's Ty's MOM!" he exclaimed.



(Lisa?  I knew you were a busy lady, but I had no idea!)

Birthday Wishes and Senior Pictures

My baby girl is all grown up!  Eighteen years old last month.

She's driving, she's busy with a job, she's paying some of her own expenses, she's applying to colleges....

She's full of energy, individuality, creativity and fun....

I miss her already!

These are some of the finalists in the "senior picture" photo shoots she and her dad took this summer when we were visiting the Ohio farm where I grew up.

As you can see, you can't take a bad picture of her.

This one's my favorite, I think--though it's a tough choice! 

Which one would you choose?

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.  Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. 

(Proverbs 31:30-31)

Hear, my child, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.
(Proverbs 1:8-9)

May your beauty always be heart-deep, precious daughter.  May it shine on others to bring comfort, compassion, love and service.  May your life and vitality, your humor and fun be a blessing to many throughout your life. And as your outer beauty fades, as eventually it will, may your interior loveliness grow ever more radiant.  May you resemble your Father more and more! Amen.

It's hard to let go.  She'll always be my little girl!

Advent: Light in the Darkness

It's the season of Advent.

”Arise, shine; for your light has come, 

And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. 

For behold, darkness will cover the earth, 

And deep darkness the peoples; 

But the LORD will rise upon you, 

And His glory will appear upon you. 

And nations will come to your light, 

And kings to the brightness of your rising."  

(Isaiah 60:1-3)

Some call it a mini-Lent, as Christ's light contrasts with the darkness that each of us knows within ourselves:

When the Lord comes, he will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. 

(1 Corinthians 4:5)

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light... 

(from The Book of Common Prayer) 

It is during the season of Advent that our earthly darkness reaches its greatest point.

And then, after the shortest day of the year, when the days begin imperceptibly to lengthen, as our earthly light is on the increase, we celebrate the coming of the Light into the world.

In the tender mercy of our God, the dayspring on high shall break upon us, to give light to those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1: 78-79)  

In Advent, we wait in darkness. But it is not a passive waiting.  Like the ten wise virgins, we are called to prepare for His coming.

The questions that truly matter in life are remarkably few, and they are all answered by these words— “Come to Me.” ...If I will simply come to Jesus, my real life will be brought into harmony with my real desires. I will actually cease from sin, and will find the song of the Lord beginning in my life. ...Personal contact with Jesus changes everything. Be “foolish” enough to come and commit yourself to what He says. The attitude necessary for you to come to Him is one where your will has made the determination to let go of everything and deliberately commit it all to Him.

“. . . and I will give you rest”— that is, “I will sustain you, causing you to stand firm.” He is not saying, “I will put you to bed, hold your hand, and sing you to sleep.” But, in essence, He is saying, “I will get you out of bed— out of your listlessness and exhaustion, and out of your condition of being half dead while you are still alive. I will penetrate you with the spirit of life, and you will be sustained by the perfection of vital activity.” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, June 11)

It is a living Light that we await.  It is his Life that beats within our waiting hearts, as we turn them toward Him.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.  (Isaiah 9:2)

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Wonka Land

For the last nine months, we've had an unusual break from theater, for our family.  Last spring, the show was Snow White, and only Bantam11 was interested in auditioning.  Show weekend was the same weekend as B19's high school graduation, so it was an easy call to skip that one.

Then this fall, the show was Schoolhouse Rock, and Bantam11 (and his older siblings) had already been in it before, plus he wanted to play soccer.  Chicklet was turning 8, and finally old enough to audition, so she really wanted to do it, but we were also starting a new school year, with a new curriculum and outside accountability to a virtual school, plus piano lessons, so it seemed prudent to get those off the ground before we added another commitment to her life.

So here we are, at the winter show, and both C8 and B11 auditioned Friday night.  Chicklet was really hoping for an Oompa Loompa...and she got her wish!  What a fun role for her very first show.  Bantam11 was called back for a boys' lead and was very pleased to be cast as of James, a school friend of Charlie Bucket's who has a few lines and who sings "The Candy Man" and "Think Positive" with Charlie.

Bantam15 got involved a little bit this weekend by running sound at auditions, and now he's saying he'd like to do tech or backstage crew for this show.  So maybe we'll have three kids participating again; one of the reasons we were attracted to this program in the beginning was the potential for many of our kids to be involved in the same activity, so I'm excited.  He definitely plans to audition for the spring show--Robin Hood!

So maybe we'll have three involved in that show as well--although there are few parts for little girls in it, which makes me nervous for Chicklet8.  The good and bad news for Kenosha County is that we've grown!--yay!--which means over 100 kids auditioned for Willy Wonka; but that means that for the first time, some kids had to be cut from being in the show.

Tomorrow night, I'm subbing for a drama teacher, and six kids from that class were cut.  Pray with me that we can have a discussion about it that will be both healing and encouraging.

So today we are rejoicing with those who rejoice--and weeping with those who weep.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

(1 Corinthians 10:31, the "show verse")

Parish Update

For starters, that's a misnomer in the title there, because Light of Christ isn't a parish yet.  But that's where we're headed, and it's exciting!

The plan is to officially become a parish in January, in Epiphany, the season of the Light of Christ and our birthday month as a church.  (It will be four years since a handful of people first met for services in Mr. & Mrs. A's living room!)

We will also officially install the rector.  Prior to that, our new vestry will have to hold its first meeting and officially call a rector.  Prior to that, we will have elected a vestry from among our church members, which means prior to that, we will have laid out a membership process, solicited vestry nominations, and formed a Nominating Committee to present a slate of vestry nominees to be elected by our membership sometime before the annual meeting, which needs to fall before the big day in Epiphany.  Additionally, we need by-laws before we can have a vestry, and we need Articles of Incorporation; we should apply for 501(c)3 status as well. Makes your head spin, doesn't it?

Fortunately, we have a very able Acting Senior Warden who thought through all this and laid out a timeline to guide us.  Consequently, we've consulted a lawyer, submitted our Articles of Incorporation to the state and are in process with the 501(c)3 application.  We held membership classes during October and received new members on All Saints'.  Over the next several Sundays, we solicited vestry nominations from our members, new and old. Our ad hoc Nominating Committee considered the nominations and picked a slate of candidates to present to the congregation a month prior to our annual meeting.

And that was last night, at an all-church dinner and special business meeting.  Now the members will have one month to register concerns, if any, before the vote at our annual meeting in a month--not so much an election as an affirmation of the nominations--just days before the Bishop arrives to install the rector of the new parish.  Acting Senior Warden also presented our draft By-Laws, which he and Acting Junior Warden researched, produced, discussed with Father Rooster and our core leadership team, and revised, all prior to tonight's engaging and clear explanation of the key decisions that were made along the way.  We had good participation, and a lot of head-nodding and confirmation of the groundwork that had been laid.  We'll adopt the final version of the By-Laws at the annual meeting--just in the nick of time!--so they'll be in place to govern the vestry election which will follow.

Father Rooster, as the Acting Rector--or Vicar, more properly--spoke briefly about his sense of calling and vision for the church, should he be installed in January.  It seems very likely that he will be, of course, but it's something we actually hold loosely, if God were to direct the Vestry otherwise.  The bi-vocational model (a priest who holds a full-time job outside the church) has been hard on Father Rooster and stressful for our family, and if God were to lift that call of ministry and place it on another's shoulders, it would be a relief, in many ways.  It will also be relieving, in another sense, if the Vestry affirms his call to this ministry.

It's just exciting to see God at work, even in these mundane processes.  I am so thankful for our slate of vestry nominees, all wise, discerning and full of care for Light of Christ and its mission.  I am especially thankful that our Acting Wardens have agreed to continue in their positions; their leadership has been key, in bringing us to this point.  I am thankful for our Deacon, Mr. A, Father Rooster's good friend and someone with whom he can share the spiritual leadership and pastoral burdens of our small church.  I am thankful for those on our leadership team, who have served so faithfully each month.  And I could go on and on!  We have so many who serve, in so many ways.

Father,
may everything we do
begin with your inspiration
and continue with your saving help.
Let our work always find its origin in you
and through you reach completion.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

(The Liturgy of the Hours)

First Snow

First Snow

Lighter than thistledown

Blown by a fairy, 

Fine flakes of snow fall through

Space grey and airy.

Whiter than lily that

Blows sweet in summer,

This first snow of winter,

This gentle newcomer.

from Fairies and Suchlike, by Ivy O. Eastwick