Abraham Lincoln's World (Genevieve Foster)
Bought this book for our homeschooling endeavors and decided to read it myself, for fun. It’s a fascinating overview of the major events and people, across the globe, of the time period in which Lincoln lived. Easy enough for kids to understand, rich enough for adults to enjoy.
True Grit (Charles Portis)
We’ve had this book on our shelves for a long time, but because of the ugly book jacket, nobody ever read it. It was sitting in a stack to donate to St. Vincent’s when the movie came out, so I pulled it out and read it. Glad I did! Not only did I enjoy this fast-paced story with the compelling narrative voice of a truly gritty young girl, but our edition--a garage sale find—turns out to be an early one that is actually worth something. (I may just have to learn something about online selling in order to reap that reward.)
Yes, I saw the movie, and thought it was very true to the book. I really liked both.
The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen (Jacques Pépin)
Jacques Pepin is an internationally-known French chef and television cooking show host. His story began in France, as a boy sent to the country during WWII, who then learned to cook in his mother’s restaurants and later became a chef in Paris. He served in the French military as the personal chef of Charles de Gaulle, then emigrated to America where he's had all sorts of culinary adventures. I really enjoyed this as an autobiography and as a tantalizing excursion through many different cuisines and ways of thinking about food and cooking. I especially enjoyed the audiobook version, read with authentic French accents and pronunciations.
Sisterchicks Say Oo La La (Robin Jones Gunn)
Another little taste of Paris. Part of a series about Christian women who vacation together in exotic locations and become closer to God and each other in the experience. Lighthearted beach reading.
Gideon's Gift (Karen Kingsbury)
Even though Karen Kingsbury’s books can feel a bit formulaic, I really do like how her stories inspire and encourage. This one is about a homeless man with a story that you don’t learn until the end. Gideon is a little girl with cancer who meets him while serving with her family at a homeless shelter, and gives him a gift that unlocks his story, brings about healing and ultimately…oh, I won't give it away.
Between Sundays (Karen Kingsbury)
This is a story about a spoiled NFL quarterback and a woman whose foster son believes that he’s the son of the star quarterback. Another football player on the team is a family man and a Christian who works with foster kids, which brings boy and quarterback together, and ultimately….ah, shouldn't give this one away either. You can tell this story has an agenda, to raise awareness about foster kids, just as Gideon’s Gift was about homelessness, but I like the way these positive, feel-good stories compel you to care. Blondechick loves this author.
Something Rising (Light and Swift) (Haven Kimmel)
I didn’t care for this novel as much as I liked her first two autobiographical books. It’s well-written and deep in the way that it digs into the human psyche, in a way that reminded me of plays like The Glass Menagerie or A Streetcar Named Desire. But in this novel, the characters merely seemed sad to me, rather than powerfully drawn.
One Thousand Gifts (Ann Voskamp)
Is there anyone out there who hasn’t read this yet? It’s a compelling, deep and joyful encouragement to give thanks for everything, at all times, in all places, with the promise—theologically true and research-based—that it will change your life to do so. Ann is the blogger in the quiet corner called A Holy Experience, which I’ve been recommending for years; I am delighted that her name and her message are becoming so well-known! I feel like I am still such a beginner at viewing life through this lens, but Ann's writing continues to shape my mind and heart.
Poke the Box (Seth Godin)
Seth Godin is a creative, entrepreneurial type who has a well-known blog and several books. This one is basically saying, “Just start something.” It would be a great read if you know there is something God wants you to do, but you need some oomph to just do it. It might also get your juices flowing if you’ve never really asked yourself the question, “Is there something I want/should/need to do?” Very quick; very thought-provoking.
The War of Art (Steven Pressfield)
This is another book Papa Rooster recommended to me, and it has a similar theme to Poke the Box. This one addresses the concept of “resistance” to “doing the work” that you are called to do. Pressfield is a writer, so his words are especially apropos for wordsmiths, but his concepts apply to all artists and entrepreneurs.
Both these books raised questions for me about calling, as it relates to writing, mothering, teaching, drama, and service in the church. I have more questions than answers, still, but it’s been helpful to explore the questions!
The Rest of God (Mark Buchanan)
I liked this book a lot. He talks about Sabbath, liturgy, rest and the ways they intersect with real life and work. I read it too fast because I was lovin’ it, and now I want to review and work it further in.
Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl (N. D. Wilson)
At A Hen’s Pace review here.
Ellis Island and Other Stories (Mark Helprin)
I love a good short story, and Mark Helprin’s are the best. Beautiful, memorable, haunting, ironic, unexpected.
Soldier of the Great War (Mark Helprin)
Like his short stories, but much longer. An epic life story in the vein of Island of the World (At A Hen’s Pace ’08 review here). See above adjectives for Helprin.
The Master Butchers Singing Club (Louise Erdrich)
I wasn’t sure about this one for a while, because early on, there is a disturbing incident of homosexuality--to explain why one character isn’t interested in women, I guess, since it turns out it's tangential to the rest of the book. But I ended up really enjoying this for its strong sense of place and character. It’s about a German immigrant, a butcher, who ends up in North Dakota, gets married and starts a family. Meanwhile, a hometown girl returns to the town to deal with her father, the town drunk, and nurses the butcher’s wife through a losing bout with cancer. She stands in as mother to the butcher’s sons until… Oh, lots of subplots are uncovered by the end of this sober story.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows)
Wow, this one is probably my favorite book of the year. It reminded me of 84 Charing Cross Road (another favorite)--all letters. The central figure is a female author in London. She corresponds with her editor, a college friend, and a gentleman from the island of Guernsey, who begins to share the experience of the islanders during the occupation by the Germans during the recent WWII. Interested in book material, she begins to interview, through letters, other members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and eventually goes to meet them all. I listened to the audiobook, and I’d say that’s the way to go, with different voices for all the different letter authors. Absolutely delightful.
Postern of Fate (A Tommy and Tuppence Mystery) (Agatha Christie)
Typical Agatha Christie, but Tommy and Tuppence were new to me. Apparently they were spies in their heyday, but they are elderly retired folks in this story, moving into a new house in which to settle down quietly. But there is a mystery to its history!
The Last Wife of Henry VIII (Carolly Erickson)
I enjoyed the audiobook version of this story—read by a woman with a gorgeous British accent--which covered all of Henry VIII’s marriages, from the perspective of his last wife. It was written by a history professor, but in a quick survey of reviews, it seems the history buffs think she left out a lot.
The Ragamuffin Gospel (Brennan Manning)
I never read this back when it was all the rage—in the 90’s?--but I’m glad I finally got around to it this year. It hit the grace note hard, which I needed to hear. (Further thoughts here.)
Grace for the Good Girl (Emily Freeman)
I thought from the title that this would be a good follow-up to The Ragamuffin Gospel. It was, and I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t as memorable or as hard-hitting.
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (Laura Hillenbrand)
What an amazing story. A world-class runner and Olympian serves as a gunner on American fighter planes in WWII. He’s shot down and survives on a raft for months in the Pacific before he is picked up by the Japanese and imprisoned in terrible conditions in POW camps, where he barely survives. On his return home, he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and begins to drink heavily to drown the nightmares and hallucinations. He nearly strangles his wife, dreaming that she is one of his captors. She drags him to a Billy Graham crusade, and there he is saved and released from the grip of his torturous memories. It is a remarkable, meticulously researched biograhy of one man and many others who were part of his story. (By the author of Seabiscuit.)
A Crooked Kind of Perfect (Linda Urban)
I loved this kids' book. A 10-year-old girl longs to be a concert pianist, but is given an organ instead, complete with lessons and the chance to compete at the organ company’s Perform-O-Rama. It’s not what she had in mind, but she makes the best of it. Her dad seems to be agoraphobic and can’t leave his house without anxiety. She discovers at a girls’ birthday party that she must be a nerd. Her new best friend is a boy, who comes over to her house all the time to bake and do homework with her dad, since he is basically parentless. It’s not a perfect family or a perfect life, but like her friend’s smile, it’s cute in a crooked way. I like the way this story deals with social trials and imperfect circumstances in a light way.
Understood Betsy (Dorothy Canfield Fisher)
Read this aloud to the two youngest and we loved it. I promptly passed it on to a psychologist friend who deals with a lot of over-protective, "helicoptor" parents. Betsy is an orphan being raised by two hovering and overly-sympathetic aunts; circumstances force her to go and live with relatives on a New England farm who expect independence and responsibility from the young girl, who rises to their expectations.
For more year-end book lists and reviews, see Semicolon's Saturday Review of Books.
And just for fun, you might also like my annotated list of Movies Watched in 2011.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Movies Watched in 2011--Annotated
Killers (2010)
I was told this was a cute little romantic comedy, but it was also a spy movie with a surprising amount of violence and death, for a cute little romantic comedy. The all-star cast tips the scale in its favor, but it's still a movie about a suburban couple who, after three years of wedded bliss, discovers that everyone is trying to kill them. Unsettling. Yet cute. Maybe a good compromise date choice. Not a pick, though.
Fracture (2007)
A little intense, but I enjoyed this for the acting, pitting Anthony Hopkins as a manipulative criminal against Ryan Gosling, ambitious prosecutor. You may remember this appealing younger actor from The Notebook. Did you know he was homeschooled?
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2011)
Rather than staying true to the book, this was a creative re-telling, blending events from the book into a new story line that worked well. I won't say the movie plot is better--it's tighter, but not as rich. I did love the ship, which was better than my imagination ever conjured! And the CGI for the dragon and the sea serpent were fabulous.
True Grit (2010)
This is my kind of Western, about characters with heart. The young actress who plays the main character was amazing. I read the book first and found the movie true.
To Save a Life (2009)
We actually watched this in 2010, but I forgot to list it. This poignant story is about a high school boy who commits suicide, and how his peers process his death and realize the ways they contributed to his despair. Yet it offers hope more than a guilt trip. Our teens really were touched by it. (Although this is one of those low-budget Christian movies, it contains mature situations like drinking, drugs, cutting, sex and teen pregnancy.)
Newsies (1992)
One of our kids’ all-time favorite musicals! It's "all-boy," with big dance numbers and a great musical score. It's one of the few Disney movies without a love story. It's also educational, based on the true story of the Newsboys Strike of 1899.
Bride and Prejudice (2004)
A Bollywood retelling of the Jane Austen story. Very Bollywood and fun.
1776 (1972)
One of my favorite musicals. The characterizations of the Founding Fathers are so believable; it humanizes their story and the drama of those days like no other book or movie I know. Our three oldest used to love to dress up and act out scenes from this movie--so many great moments in it! There are a few ribald jokes, but they go right over the heads of kids.
Tangled (2010)
Cute and fun. Maybe the build-up was too big, but it was not as refreshing and unique as I expected; it was still basically a princess movie, albeit with attitude. I really liked the horse.
The King's Speech (2010)
We thought this award-winning film deserved every bit of the critical acclaim it received for its excellence in portraying the true story of King George VI, who ended up as king after his older brother famously abdicated the throne for the love of Wallace Simpson. His leadership crippled by a speech impediment, he sought and received help from an unlikely source who became teacher, therapist and friend.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993)
I wanted the Bantams to meet the young Johnny Depp, and they loved this well-crafted film. Gilbert Grape (Depp) is a teenager who’s been holding his family together since the death of his father. Their ramshackle house, which his father built, is falling down around them, his mother weighs so much that she never leaves home, and his younger brother (brilliantly played by a young Leonardo DiCaprio) has a mental disability that requires constant alertness and attentiveness. The story speaks to responsibility and love of family in difficult circumstances (There is a housewife that keeps seducing Gilbert; get ready to fast-forward through those parts.)
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
This was an action/adventure movie with a twist about “maps” of people’s lives and angel-like characters who try to keep human beings on the route of their destiny. It was a little gimmicky and not that compelling of a story, I thought, but fine for what it was.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two (2011)
This was such a satisfying end to the series. I loved it.
Doubt (2008)
Intriguing film about a priest who may or may not have abused a young black boy at his parochial school. An older nun, played by Meryl Streep, has suspicions but no proof, and a younger nun, portrayed by Amy Adams, wants to believe the best in the face of reasons to doubt. There is one scene with the boy’s mother which earned that actress a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and at the awards ceremony they said she deserved her own movie…which she got in The Help! (Which I am eager to see on DVD.)
The Beaver (2011)
This was a strange movie. Mel Gibson plays a father who is depressed and about to lose his family and his company. He dons a beaver puppet on one hand which becomes his energized, non-depressed alter ego, and he will only relate to his family and employees through the puppet. Upset with his own dependency on the puppet, he cuts his hand off, and his depression is gone. It made sense to Papa Rooster as "a fable about idolatry and dependencies, even apparently therapeutic ones which seems to make us more useful to society but in the end are dangerous to our true selves. 'Better to cut off your hand than to lose your soul.' " But the kids and I just found it disturbing.
People Will Talk (1951)
This is a black-and-white Cary Grant movie that was pretty unremarkable and slow, we thought. But hey, it was streaming on Netflix.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
All six of our children love this movie and quote from it. Now I know why. A delightful kids' movie in the Pixar mold.
Shine (1996)
With aspiring musicians and actors in the house, we decided it was time to watch this with our teenagers. Amazing acting and an incredible true story about David Helfgott, a brilliant but neurotic piano prodigy.
Des Hommes et des Dieux (Of Gods and Men) (2010)
This was a beautiful true story about French monks in Algeria who decide to remain in their monastery and serve their community during the Algerian Civil War (1996) despite the personal sacrifice it eventually costs them. Subtitled and slow, but moving.
Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
We watched this spoof after our boys played Merry Men onstage last spring. Not full of gay jokes, as you might think from the title, nor as bawdy as one might assume. I may not be remembering perfectly, but it seemed straight-up funny to me. And Robin Hood? He was played by Cary Elwes from Princess Bride ("As you wish")--all grown up and heroically humorous.
Soul Surfer (2011)
More well-done than I expected, still something lacking in the script and/or directing…but you couldn't help but appreciate the inspiring story.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Okay, I hear this is funnier if you’ve seen a lot of zombie movies, but it was my first, and I thought it was lame and disturbing. Blech!
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Just as funny as ever; more bad language than I remembered. But it’s a comedy classic.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Concert (2001 TV)
This dark musical is best appreciated as a morality tale about those who let their appetites (especially for revenge) control them. For our teens, this is like the musical equivalent of a horror movie; they love the 2007 Johnny Depp version. But this version—which is the full score and story acted out, but with minimal staging and props--is vocally amazing, they agreed. Sondheim’s brilliant score never sounded so incredible. Even without blood, it is intense. (Patti LuPone plays Mrs. Lovett, if you’re trying to look this one up.) Not for everyone!
I was told this was a cute little romantic comedy, but it was also a spy movie with a surprising amount of violence and death, for a cute little romantic comedy. The all-star cast tips the scale in its favor, but it's still a movie about a suburban couple who, after three years of wedded bliss, discovers that everyone is trying to kill them. Unsettling. Yet cute. Maybe a good compromise date choice. Not a pick, though.
Fracture (2007)
A little intense, but I enjoyed this for the acting, pitting Anthony Hopkins as a manipulative criminal against Ryan Gosling, ambitious prosecutor. You may remember this appealing younger actor from The Notebook. Did you know he was homeschooled?
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2011)
Rather than staying true to the book, this was a creative re-telling, blending events from the book into a new story line that worked well. I won't say the movie plot is better--it's tighter, but not as rich. I did love the ship, which was better than my imagination ever conjured! And the CGI for the dragon and the sea serpent were fabulous.
True Grit (2010)
This is my kind of Western, about characters with heart. The young actress who plays the main character was amazing. I read the book first and found the movie true.
To Save a Life (2009)
We actually watched this in 2010, but I forgot to list it. This poignant story is about a high school boy who commits suicide, and how his peers process his death and realize the ways they contributed to his despair. Yet it offers hope more than a guilt trip. Our teens really were touched by it. (Although this is one of those low-budget Christian movies, it contains mature situations like drinking, drugs, cutting, sex and teen pregnancy.)
Newsies (1992)
One of our kids’ all-time favorite musicals! It's "all-boy," with big dance numbers and a great musical score. It's one of the few Disney movies without a love story. It's also educational, based on the true story of the Newsboys Strike of 1899.
Bride and Prejudice (2004)
A Bollywood retelling of the Jane Austen story. Very Bollywood and fun.
1776 (1972)
One of my favorite musicals. The characterizations of the Founding Fathers are so believable; it humanizes their story and the drama of those days like no other book or movie I know. Our three oldest used to love to dress up and act out scenes from this movie--so many great moments in it! There are a few ribald jokes, but they go right over the heads of kids.
Tangled (2010)
Cute and fun. Maybe the build-up was too big, but it was not as refreshing and unique as I expected; it was still basically a princess movie, albeit with attitude. I really liked the horse.
The King's Speech (2010)
We thought this award-winning film deserved every bit of the critical acclaim it received for its excellence in portraying the true story of King George VI, who ended up as king after his older brother famously abdicated the throne for the love of Wallace Simpson. His leadership crippled by a speech impediment, he sought and received help from an unlikely source who became teacher, therapist and friend.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993)
I wanted the Bantams to meet the young Johnny Depp, and they loved this well-crafted film. Gilbert Grape (Depp) is a teenager who’s been holding his family together since the death of his father. Their ramshackle house, which his father built, is falling down around them, his mother weighs so much that she never leaves home, and his younger brother (brilliantly played by a young Leonardo DiCaprio) has a mental disability that requires constant alertness and attentiveness. The story speaks to responsibility and love of family in difficult circumstances (There is a housewife that keeps seducing Gilbert; get ready to fast-forward through those parts.)
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
This was an action/adventure movie with a twist about “maps” of people’s lives and angel-like characters who try to keep human beings on the route of their destiny. It was a little gimmicky and not that compelling of a story, I thought, but fine for what it was.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two (2011)
This was such a satisfying end to the series. I loved it.
Doubt (2008)
Intriguing film about a priest who may or may not have abused a young black boy at his parochial school. An older nun, played by Meryl Streep, has suspicions but no proof, and a younger nun, portrayed by Amy Adams, wants to believe the best in the face of reasons to doubt. There is one scene with the boy’s mother which earned that actress a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and at the awards ceremony they said she deserved her own movie…which she got in The Help! (Which I am eager to see on DVD.)
The Beaver (2011)
This was a strange movie. Mel Gibson plays a father who is depressed and about to lose his family and his company. He dons a beaver puppet on one hand which becomes his energized, non-depressed alter ego, and he will only relate to his family and employees through the puppet. Upset with his own dependency on the puppet, he cuts his hand off, and his depression is gone. It made sense to Papa Rooster as "a fable about idolatry and dependencies, even apparently therapeutic ones which seems to make us more useful to society but in the end are dangerous to our true selves. 'Better to cut off your hand than to lose your soul.' " But the kids and I just found it disturbing.
People Will Talk (1951)
This is a black-and-white Cary Grant movie that was pretty unremarkable and slow, we thought. But hey, it was streaming on Netflix.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
All six of our children love this movie and quote from it. Now I know why. A delightful kids' movie in the Pixar mold.
Shine (1996)
With aspiring musicians and actors in the house, we decided it was time to watch this with our teenagers. Amazing acting and an incredible true story about David Helfgott, a brilliant but neurotic piano prodigy.
Des Hommes et des Dieux (Of Gods and Men) (2010)
This was a beautiful true story about French monks in Algeria who decide to remain in their monastery and serve their community during the Algerian Civil War (1996) despite the personal sacrifice it eventually costs them. Subtitled and slow, but moving.
Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
We watched this spoof after our boys played Merry Men onstage last spring. Not full of gay jokes, as you might think from the title, nor as bawdy as one might assume. I may not be remembering perfectly, but it seemed straight-up funny to me. And Robin Hood? He was played by Cary Elwes from Princess Bride ("As you wish")--all grown up and heroically humorous.
Soul Surfer (2011)
More well-done than I expected, still something lacking in the script and/or directing…but you couldn't help but appreciate the inspiring story.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Okay, I hear this is funnier if you’ve seen a lot of zombie movies, but it was my first, and I thought it was lame and disturbing. Blech!
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Just as funny as ever; more bad language than I remembered. But it’s a comedy classic.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Concert (2001 TV)
This dark musical is best appreciated as a morality tale about those who let their appetites (especially for revenge) control them. For our teens, this is like the musical equivalent of a horror movie; they love the 2007 Johnny Depp version. But this version—which is the full score and story acted out, but with minimal staging and props--is vocally amazing, they agreed. Sondheim’s brilliant score never sounded so incredible. Even without blood, it is intense. (Patti LuPone plays Mrs. Lovett, if you’re trying to look this one up.) Not for everyone!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Sibling Revelry
 |
| Ten years apart |
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| Ten years apart |
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| (Snuggie advertisement) |
Best gift of all for Mom and Dad--kids who enjoy each other!
Monday, December 26, 2011
Best Christmas Gift
Well, it wasn't under the tree on Christmas morning, but my best gift, which I feel dizzy with relief and thankfulness for, is a new used car. It's almost exactly like my old one, which was totaled just a week before Christmas.
Yeah, it was a little worse than I realized when I wrote this post. So thankful for that airbag, which absorbed much of the shock to my body!
I dithered for a few hours about whether to look for the same car or something else. But all my carefully thought-out reasoning for buying a Prius 2.5 years ago was still valid, and the decision was clinched by my experience with it--I had absolutely loved driving it! To replace it, I would have to find the same model year or older for financial reasons, but low-mileage '02 Priuses are few and far between, I was told by many, and in '01 there were very few on the road. I couldn't even find '03's, '04's or '05's to consider. But amazingly, there was an '02 for sale about an hour away that sounded perfect. Papa Rooster and I set aside last Thursday to spend together for our anniversary, so in between lunch and dinner dates and picking up a settlement check, we bought a car.
On Facebook, when I posted about my accident and how devastated I was to lose my sweetheart car, a couple people said they were praying that my next car would be even better, or be more of a favorite. It reminded me of something God has shown me before: I remember long ago praying with a friend for her autistic son to not only not freak out when the organ started playing at a family wedding, but for him actually to be swept up in the music and enjoy it--and that's what happened! I had just been praying as the Holy Spirit led, but my friend told me later that she felt like it was an important prayer principle to follow--to pray for positive things to happen, not just negative things not to happen.
So I appreciated those prayers from my Facebook friends, and maybe it will turn out to be true. My new car isn't the color I was just delighted by every day, the bluish-purple of my old one. But it's a very nice silver, with more of a champagne cast to it than gray, and I like it. But even better, my new car has both a tape player and a CD player, while my old car only had a tape player. This means I can check out any audiobook in the library! What a gift! And little things that weren't operational in my old car--a broken rear cupholder, a broken door to the storage compartment in the dash, and a burnt-out passenger reading light--are all unbroken and functional in my new car. The interior is exactly the same color, so it seems like I'm in my old car when I'm driving. Best of all, my new car has only 75,000 miles on it; my old Prius had 99,584. Although we still had to chip in quite a bit to what the insurance company gave us--for our deductible, plus--it will undoubtedly be cheaper, over the next 75,000 miles, to maintain the lower mileage car. So maybe in the long run, it will be a wash, I'm hoping.
All in all, the best material Christmas/anniversary gift ever. So thankful to God. And Papa Rooster and I ended up having a delightful day together, even so!
And I am feeling much better. It's now nine days post-accident, and I'm only a little stiff and sore still. Although I took a lot of ibuprofen for the first week, I never felt bad enough to take the time to go to my chiropractor or doctor. It seemed like frequent stretching was what my body needed, and every day has brought improvement. The last two days, I've only needed ibuprofen when I first woke up.
I am so grateful for life and health and God's mercy on me and on my family. And soooooo happy about my new car.
Yeah, it was a little worse than I realized when I wrote this post. So thankful for that airbag, which absorbed much of the shock to my body!
I dithered for a few hours about whether to look for the same car or something else. But all my carefully thought-out reasoning for buying a Prius 2.5 years ago was still valid, and the decision was clinched by my experience with it--I had absolutely loved driving it! To replace it, I would have to find the same model year or older for financial reasons, but low-mileage '02 Priuses are few and far between, I was told by many, and in '01 there were very few on the road. I couldn't even find '03's, '04's or '05's to consider. But amazingly, there was an '02 for sale about an hour away that sounded perfect. Papa Rooster and I set aside last Thursday to spend together for our anniversary, so in between lunch and dinner dates and picking up a settlement check, we bought a car.
On Facebook, when I posted about my accident and how devastated I was to lose my sweetheart car, a couple people said they were praying that my next car would be even better, or be more of a favorite. It reminded me of something God has shown me before: I remember long ago praying with a friend for her autistic son to not only not freak out when the organ started playing at a family wedding, but for him actually to be swept up in the music and enjoy it--and that's what happened! I had just been praying as the Holy Spirit led, but my friend told me later that she felt like it was an important prayer principle to follow--to pray for positive things to happen, not just negative things not to happen.
So I appreciated those prayers from my Facebook friends, and maybe it will turn out to be true. My new car isn't the color I was just delighted by every day, the bluish-purple of my old one. But it's a very nice silver, with more of a champagne cast to it than gray, and I like it. But even better, my new car has both a tape player and a CD player, while my old car only had a tape player. This means I can check out any audiobook in the library! What a gift! And little things that weren't operational in my old car--a broken rear cupholder, a broken door to the storage compartment in the dash, and a burnt-out passenger reading light--are all unbroken and functional in my new car. The interior is exactly the same color, so it seems like I'm in my old car when I'm driving. Best of all, my new car has only 75,000 miles on it; my old Prius had 99,584. Although we still had to chip in quite a bit to what the insurance company gave us--for our deductible, plus--it will undoubtedly be cheaper, over the next 75,000 miles, to maintain the lower mileage car. So maybe in the long run, it will be a wash, I'm hoping.
All in all, the best material Christmas/anniversary gift ever. So thankful to God. And Papa Rooster and I ended up having a delightful day together, even so!
And I am feeling much better. It's now nine days post-accident, and I'm only a little stiff and sore still. Although I took a lot of ibuprofen for the first week, I never felt bad enough to take the time to go to my chiropractor or doctor. It seemed like frequent stretching was what my body needed, and every day has brought improvement. The last two days, I've only needed ibuprofen when I first woke up.
I am so grateful for life and health and God's mercy on me and on my family. And soooooo happy about my new car.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
And His Name Shall Be Called Emmanuel
"God has drawn near to us in His Son Jesus. No longer may we speak of God way out there somewhere or way up there in heaven. He is Immanuel, God with us. He is the God who gets involved. The God who puts on the uniform and plays the game. He doesn't sit by watching us make a mess of things. He doesn't watch helplessly from his throne heaven while we destroy each other here on earth. He sets down his crown, takes off his royal robes, puts on the workclothes of a servant. He takes on our humanity. And in our humanity He humbles himself to death on a cross. Immanuel works and weeps and suffers and sleeps and bleeds and dies. He is with us in every facet of our lives. Nothing is left out of His being with us to save us.
Jesus is Immanuel, the only Immanuel there ever was, the only one there ever will be. When He appears in glory, He will be the same Immanuel who came by the Virgin, who laid in a manger, who died for you on the cross, who comes to you now in His Baptism, Word, and Supper. The good news...is that you are never alone as one of the Lord's baptized believers. God is with you. Immanuel."
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Twenty-Five Years Today
We already celebrated 25 years of marriage with a cruise last March.
But today is the actual day!
Sometimes, in all the busy-ness, our marriage feels a little like Tevya's and Golda's, from Fiddler on the Roof. With our anniversary looming, it seemed an appropriate choice for us to perform at the last Light of Christ Talent Show!
So grateful for that third cord, Jesus Christ, who holds us together when we start to fray.
And so grateful for my good, generous, faithful, funny, providing, honoring, wise and loving husband!
But today is the actual day!
Sometimes, in all the busy-ness, our marriage feels a little like Tevya's and Golda's, from Fiddler on the Roof. With our anniversary looming, it seemed an appropriate choice for us to perform at the last Light of Christ Talent Show!
A cord of three strands is not easily broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:12b
Ecclesiastes 4:12b
So grateful for that third cord, Jesus Christ, who holds us together when we start to fray.
And so grateful for my good, generous, faithful, funny, providing, honoring, wise and loving husband!
Monday, December 19, 2011
Good News, Bad News, Good News
And the good news is...the cast list was posted, and our kids all got leading parts! Chicklet9 and Bantam12 are both double-cast as Von Trapp children--Marta and Friedrich. This means they will play these parts in half the performances; in the other half, C9 is a Townsperson and B12 is a Party Guest. So he will have to learn to waltz. With a girl. And wear an elegant suit. He will be dashing, indeed.
And B16 is Captain Von Trapp! He is so pleased, and eager for the challenge of a straight role. He found his last role, as the comedic Little John in Robin Hood, to be almost too easy. (Let's just say he and Little John have a lot in common.) He has much in common with the Captain too; he's already used to ordering around his younger siblings off-stage, and now he will get to do it on-stage as well! He is very good with kids, and he'll enjoy working with them in this show.
(The performances are March 1-4, local friends, but we don't know yet which performances will feature the Red Cast. So don't rush to buy your tickets yet! We'll let you know.)
The bad news is...I was in a car accident on Saturday, on my way to pick up Chicklet after her callback was finished. I was heading north when the light turned yellow....and since I was going about 40 mph (under the 45 mph speed limit), and since there was still snow and ice on the roads in places, I kept going. A southbound pickup truck waiting to turn left apparently had his eyes on the light but not on the traffic, and he began his left turn just as I entered the intersection. I slammed on my brakes but had no time to stop.
My air bag cushioned me both from the sound and much of the impact of the crash. I am sooo grateful for that air bag! Both of us drivers were okay, it seemed, and his passenger, a child in a car seat, was too. What a mercy.
Almost 48 hours later now, I am sore all over. But my head and neck are better than my shoulders and ribcage, and I have pretty normal range of motion in my neck, able even to look over both shoulders, so I am better than I was after my other accident nearly three years ago. It was a lower-speed accident and the air bag didn't deploy, so my body took the full shock that time. (I really am grateful for that airbag!)
But I am heartsick about my beloved purple Prius. I am so afraid that it's totaled. Both airbags deployed, and it's turning 10 years old in 2012, with nearly 100,000 miles on it. But it was still running after the accident, and surprisingly, it didn't appear too badly damaged. I expected the whole front end to be completely crumpled, but it wasn't. I think my brakes must have really slowed me down before impact. So I still cling to some hope that the adjuster will find it worth repairing. It's a Toyota, and a hybrid, after all. And it's my baby!
How life can change in an instant! The remaining bit of "good news" that I am trying to soak up today is how every minute of life and health is a gift from God. I am trying not to let my grief over my sweetheart car, that I may never drive again, overshadow the fact that my kids are not motherless and my husband is not a widower. I am not crippled, hospitalized or in a wheelchair. I am trying not to let the financial concerns crowd out my gratitude for God's mercy on all three of us in the accident, and for the blessings of life and health.
I am reminded too, of the Advent truth that no one knows the day or the hour that Christ will return, and we should live as those prepared. My heart echoes that Advent prayer from the first Sunday in Advent, that "when he shall appear, he may not find us sleeping in sin but active in his service and joyful in his praise." And from the second Sunday in Advent, "when he comes again, we may be ready to greet him with joyful love and firm faith."
Joyful, active, serving, praising, loving, firm, faithful and joyful (again).
Lord, let it be so.
And B16 is Captain Von Trapp! He is so pleased, and eager for the challenge of a straight role. He found his last role, as the comedic Little John in Robin Hood, to be almost too easy. (Let's just say he and Little John have a lot in common.) He has much in common with the Captain too; he's already used to ordering around his younger siblings off-stage, and now he will get to do it on-stage as well! He is very good with kids, and he'll enjoy working with them in this show.
(The performances are March 1-4, local friends, but we don't know yet which performances will feature the Red Cast. So don't rush to buy your tickets yet! We'll let you know.)
The bad news is...I was in a car accident on Saturday, on my way to pick up Chicklet after her callback was finished. I was heading north when the light turned yellow....and since I was going about 40 mph (under the 45 mph speed limit), and since there was still snow and ice on the roads in places, I kept going. A southbound pickup truck waiting to turn left apparently had his eyes on the light but not on the traffic, and he began his left turn just as I entered the intersection. I slammed on my brakes but had no time to stop.
My air bag cushioned me both from the sound and much of the impact of the crash. I am sooo grateful for that air bag! Both of us drivers were okay, it seemed, and his passenger, a child in a car seat, was too. What a mercy.
Almost 48 hours later now, I am sore all over. But my head and neck are better than my shoulders and ribcage, and I have pretty normal range of motion in my neck, able even to look over both shoulders, so I am better than I was after my other accident nearly three years ago. It was a lower-speed accident and the air bag didn't deploy, so my body took the full shock that time. (I really am grateful for that airbag!)
But I am heartsick about my beloved purple Prius. I am so afraid that it's totaled. Both airbags deployed, and it's turning 10 years old in 2012, with nearly 100,000 miles on it. But it was still running after the accident, and surprisingly, it didn't appear too badly damaged. I expected the whole front end to be completely crumpled, but it wasn't. I think my brakes must have really slowed me down before impact. So I still cling to some hope that the adjuster will find it worth repairing. It's a Toyota, and a hybrid, after all. And it's my baby!
How life can change in an instant! The remaining bit of "good news" that I am trying to soak up today is how every minute of life and health is a gift from God. I am trying not to let my grief over my sweetheart car, that I may never drive again, overshadow the fact that my kids are not motherless and my husband is not a widower. I am not crippled, hospitalized or in a wheelchair. I am trying not to let the financial concerns crowd out my gratitude for God's mercy on all three of us in the accident, and for the blessings of life and health.
I am reminded too, of the Advent truth that no one knows the day or the hour that Christ will return, and we should live as those prepared. My heart echoes that Advent prayer from the first Sunday in Advent, that "when he shall appear, he may not find us sleeping in sin but active in his service and joyful in his praise." And from the second Sunday in Advent, "when he comes again, we may be ready to greet him with joyful love and firm faith."
Joyful, active, serving, praising, loving, firm, faithful and joyful (again).
Lord, let it be so.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Advent Waiting, Earthly Waiting
Auditions were last night...I may or may not have audition video to post later...but B16, B12 and Chicklet8 all did very well.
All three are at callbacks as I write. B16 is called back to read and sing for Captain Von Trapp, B12 is a potential Friedrich or Rolf, and Chicklet8 will be considered for one of the younger three Von Trapp girls.
And I am waiting.
Waiting makes me think of Advent, yet Advent waiting is so different than earthly kinds of waiting. We wait for the cast list to come out in the next 24 hours or so, but we don't know what the waiting holds. The news may be disappointing, or it may be the fulfillment of hopes.
Advent waiting, however, is a waiting filled with promise. We don't have to worry that at the end of the wait, there may be disappointment or unfulfilled expectations. Even though we can hardly imagine what we are waiting for, we trust--we know--that it will be all good. Christ's coming will be the fulfillment of all that we have ever longed for.
When a baby is born, we wait. We don't know how short or long a life will be. We don't know what lies ahead for ourselves or for our loved ones. We wait through trials, through illness, through challenges. We wait in fear of the worst, and in hope of joy.
And we trust in a God who sees it all, sees the darkness and the light ahead of us, sees it all and is bigger and brighter than any darkness we could enter.
Eyes on him, we wait.
The longest night of the year approaches. But it is as the days begin to lengthen that we celebrate Christ's coming to earth.
He is here now; God with us, Emmanuel.
He will return to earth to judge the living and the dead, to set to rights all that is amiss, to restore God's kingdom in a new heaven and a new earth, and to satisfy all our righteous hopes and desires. He will be the fulfillment of every good desire, the joy we have always anticipated and cannot sustain in earthen vessels. In him is no shadow, no disappointment, no possibility of unfulfillment.
Advent waiting is the anticipation of fulfillment, the fulfillment of everything.
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
All three are at callbacks as I write. B16 is called back to read and sing for Captain Von Trapp, B12 is a potential Friedrich or Rolf, and Chicklet8 will be considered for one of the younger three Von Trapp girls.
And I am waiting.
Waiting makes me think of Advent, yet Advent waiting is so different than earthly kinds of waiting. We wait for the cast list to come out in the next 24 hours or so, but we don't know what the waiting holds. The news may be disappointing, or it may be the fulfillment of hopes.
Advent waiting, however, is a waiting filled with promise. We don't have to worry that at the end of the wait, there may be disappointment or unfulfilled expectations. Even though we can hardly imagine what we are waiting for, we trust--we know--that it will be all good. Christ's coming will be the fulfillment of all that we have ever longed for.
When a baby is born, we wait. We don't know how short or long a life will be. We don't know what lies ahead for ourselves or for our loved ones. We wait through trials, through illness, through challenges. We wait in fear of the worst, and in hope of joy.
And we trust in a God who sees it all, sees the darkness and the light ahead of us, sees it all and is bigger and brighter than any darkness we could enter.
Eyes on him, we wait.
The longest night of the year approaches. But it is as the days begin to lengthen that we celebrate Christ's coming to earth.
He is here now; God with us, Emmanuel.
He will return to earth to judge the living and the dead, to set to rights all that is amiss, to restore God's kingdom in a new heaven and a new earth, and to satisfy all our righteous hopes and desires. He will be the fulfillment of every good desire, the joy we have always anticipated and cannot sustain in earthen vessels. In him is no shadow, no disappointment, no possibility of unfulfillment.
Advent waiting is the anticipation of fulfillment, the fulfillment of everything.
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Brennan Manning on God's Love
THIS is the kind of love that gave up everything to come to earth as a human baby, knowing that journey would end at the cross.
Just what I need this Advent, to meditate on that amazing love....
Just what I need this Advent, to meditate on that amazing love....
Monday, December 12, 2011
Return to the Theater
I am so excited. A new 10-week session of theater begins this week!
I really missed it, while our kids were doing soccer this fall. Even though I taught a drama class, it wasn't the same without my kids. And I missed being involved with a production. There's nothing like the thrill and the camaraderie of making that ten-week journey together.
So although we missed the Christmas Carol journey, we are excited to begin a new one: auditions for The Sound of Music are this Friday night! I am delighted that three of our kids are auditioning. Chicklet8 and Bantam12 were givens, but B16 wasn't sure until recently. For me, it simplifies my life when most of my kids are going in one direction, and I'm also happy when more of my own children benefit from the sacrifices of my time and energy that theater requires. I love making these memories with my kids, though, so I'm glad that B16 will be making them with us.
B6 isn't old enough to audition for the production, but he's going to classes with us! He'll be in Our Gang, an introductory theater class for 6- and 7-year-olds. B12 is taking Improv, and Chicklet8 will be in Musical Theater. B16 is going to be my aide in Drama 1. It's a large class of 17 students, including one student with special needs; so he's a good fit, with his experience growing up with a brother with autism. I'll be staying late to teach Drama 3: Scenes and Monologues in the second time slot of classes. I've been busy pulling together curriculum, scenes, and monologues, and I'm excited to teach this advanced class for the first time!
We have over 100 kids enrolled in classes for this winter session of our Christian theater group. It has grown so much in 2+ years! There were so many new families last session. I am eager to see how many more lives will be touched by this program as it grows. And I'm so happy to be part of it!
I really missed it, while our kids were doing soccer this fall. Even though I taught a drama class, it wasn't the same without my kids. And I missed being involved with a production. There's nothing like the thrill and the camaraderie of making that ten-week journey together.
So although we missed the Christmas Carol journey, we are excited to begin a new one: auditions for The Sound of Music are this Friday night! I am delighted that three of our kids are auditioning. Chicklet8 and Bantam12 were givens, but B16 wasn't sure until recently. For me, it simplifies my life when most of my kids are going in one direction, and I'm also happy when more of my own children benefit from the sacrifices of my time and energy that theater requires. I love making these memories with my kids, though, so I'm glad that B16 will be making them with us.
B6 isn't old enough to audition for the production, but he's going to classes with us! He'll be in Our Gang, an introductory theater class for 6- and 7-year-olds. B12 is taking Improv, and Chicklet8 will be in Musical Theater. B16 is going to be my aide in Drama 1. It's a large class of 17 students, including one student with special needs; so he's a good fit, with his experience growing up with a brother with autism. I'll be staying late to teach Drama 3: Scenes and Monologues in the second time slot of classes. I've been busy pulling together curriculum, scenes, and monologues, and I'm excited to teach this advanced class for the first time!
We have over 100 kids enrolled in classes for this winter session of our Christian theater group. It has grown so much in 2+ years! There were so many new families last session. I am eager to see how many more lives will be touched by this program as it grows. And I'm so happy to be part of it!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Collects for the Third Sunday in Advent
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.
We give you thanks, O Lord, for these heavenly gifts; kindle in us the fire of your Spirit, that when your Christ comes again we may shine as lights before his face; who is alive and reigns now and forever. Amen.
Today is "Gaudete Sunday" which takes its name from the Latin word for "rejoice." In the Latin mass, the traditional introit begins, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say 'Rejoice!' " It's a Sunday that we joyfully anticipate the second coming of Christ. Instead of Advent purple, the clergy wears rose vestments, and on the Advent wreath, we light the rose-colored candle today.
In some traditions, today is also known as "Stir-Up Sunday" because of the first words of the first collect, above.
However, the collect for the last Sunday before Advent ("Christ the King") is probably the more-celebrated "Stir-Up Sunday," because it reminded cooks everywhere that it was time to mix up their Christmas puddings--which needed to stand for several weeks before baking at Christmas!
We give you thanks, O Lord, for these heavenly gifts; kindle in us the fire of your Spirit, that when your Christ comes again we may shine as lights before his face; who is alive and reigns now and forever. Amen.
Today is "Gaudete Sunday" which takes its name from the Latin word for "rejoice." In the Latin mass, the traditional introit begins, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say 'Rejoice!' " It's a Sunday that we joyfully anticipate the second coming of Christ. Instead of Advent purple, the clergy wears rose vestments, and on the Advent wreath, we light the rose-colored candle today.
In some traditions, today is also known as "Stir-Up Sunday" because of the first words of the first collect, above.
However, the collect for the last Sunday before Advent ("Christ the King") is probably the more-celebrated "Stir-Up Sunday," because it reminded cooks everywhere that it was time to mix up their Christmas puddings--which needed to stand for several weeks before baking at Christmas!
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Brothers Banter
B16, who has been snarling a lot lately about his school workload, was in a good mood the other morning.
He was dressed in silky gym shorts and no shirt. A fluffy Christmas blanket was draped around his shoulders as he fried eggs, over-easy, for himself. His brother sat at the dining room table, school laptop open in front of him, engrossed in Garfield strips on GoComics.com as he ate cold cereal from a bowl. His attire was identical to his brother's, but his blanket was black, a fake fur affair that is his constant companion.
"Y'know, Mom, I know I complain a lot, but there are a lot of things I like about being homeschooled," B16 told me. "It's kinda cool that I can wear whatever I want." He grinned down at his blanket and silky shorts. "I can get up and make myself something to eat whenever I want." He nodded at the skillet in front of him. "And I can put on Christmas music while I study." He gestured cheerfully toward the stereo, where his iPod rested, pushing Michael Buble's silky voice through the speakers.
"And I get to hang out with B12." His eyes traveled across the kitchen and connected with his brother's. "That's one of the best parts. We joke around a lot. And I can beat him up whenever I want." He made punching motions at B12's head. B12 didn't bat an eyelid, just kept his eyes glued to Garfield as he replied, deadpan, "Yeah, that's my favorite part too."
"It's a pretty good life, y'know?" B16 summarized, picking up his plate. He paused, fork in hand. "Except for the school part. Now if I just didn't have to worry about THAT...."
It's not the first time that B16 has told me that one of the best things, for him, about homeschooling again, has been reconnecting with his younger brother. They really do have a good time together, and their laughter and joking around are contagious. And hard to stop! It becomes my unpleasant duty to constantly call them to FOCUS. Sometimes they have to separate, just to get anything done.
It even extends to Facebook, where they tease each other, and their sister, Blondechick, at college. I give you the following interchange:
B16 posted on Blondechick's wall:
Mucho PU ablo?
Blondechick:
Okay so I have to admit, I just put that into google to see if it actually meant something and google asked me "Did you mean, Michel Pablo?" STOP you're just trying to mess with me with yer fake spanish words.
B16:
Haha you got me. On a brighter note. "That fart smelled like the fart I farted a couple farts ago." The wise words of B12.
Blondechick:
Oh, how-I-miss-you-two. Monotone, bro.
B12:
Never art thou weak too strong as for the weak are the weak and the strong the strong. Some more wise words that won't do you any good.
B16:
Wise words, my friend!
Blondechick:
Thanks B12, I'm proud to say you have officially become your father's son. Only Dad [linked to her father's wall] has that kind of humor.
So there you have the culprit. My dear husband.
If only he was around to break up the joking during the school day. But he would probably just join in--leaving me with not two, but three unruly males.
I guess there are worse problems to have....
He was dressed in silky gym shorts and no shirt. A fluffy Christmas blanket was draped around his shoulders as he fried eggs, over-easy, for himself. His brother sat at the dining room table, school laptop open in front of him, engrossed in Garfield strips on GoComics.com as he ate cold cereal from a bowl. His attire was identical to his brother's, but his blanket was black, a fake fur affair that is his constant companion.
"Y'know, Mom, I know I complain a lot, but there are a lot of things I like about being homeschooled," B16 told me. "It's kinda cool that I can wear whatever I want." He grinned down at his blanket and silky shorts. "I can get up and make myself something to eat whenever I want." He nodded at the skillet in front of him. "And I can put on Christmas music while I study." He gestured cheerfully toward the stereo, where his iPod rested, pushing Michael Buble's silky voice through the speakers.
"And I get to hang out with B12." His eyes traveled across the kitchen and connected with his brother's. "That's one of the best parts. We joke around a lot. And I can beat him up whenever I want." He made punching motions at B12's head. B12 didn't bat an eyelid, just kept his eyes glued to Garfield as he replied, deadpan, "Yeah, that's my favorite part too."
"It's a pretty good life, y'know?" B16 summarized, picking up his plate. He paused, fork in hand. "Except for the school part. Now if I just didn't have to worry about THAT...."
It's not the first time that B16 has told me that one of the best things, for him, about homeschooling again, has been reconnecting with his younger brother. They really do have a good time together, and their laughter and joking around are contagious. And hard to stop! It becomes my unpleasant duty to constantly call them to FOCUS. Sometimes they have to separate, just to get anything done.
It even extends to Facebook, where they tease each other, and their sister, Blondechick, at college. I give you the following interchange:
B16 posted on Blondechick's wall:
Mucho PU ablo?
Blondechick:
Okay so I have to admit, I just put that into google to see if it actually meant something and google asked me "Did you mean, Michel Pablo?" STOP you're just trying to mess with me with yer fake spanish words.
B16:
Haha you got me. On a brighter note. "That fart smelled like the fart I farted a couple farts ago." The wise words of B12.
Blondechick:
Oh, how-I-miss-you-two. Monotone, bro.
B12:
Never art thou weak too strong as for the weak are the weak and the strong the strong. Some more wise words that won't do you any good.
B16:
Wise words, my friend!
Blondechick:
Thanks B12, I'm proud to say you have officially become your father's son. Only Dad [linked to her father's wall] has that kind of humor.
So there you have the culprit. My dear husband.
If only he was around to break up the joking during the school day. But he would probably just join in--leaving me with not two, but three unruly males.
I guess there are worse problems to have....
Monday, December 05, 2011
Repairs Needed
At church yesterday, our teacher spoke on John the Baptist's call to repentance.
Repentance is a word that has always offered me hope, and yet the suggestion that I repent from my multitudinous failures and shortcomings has always filled me with a certain amount of despair. Because I have done that. Many times. And I'm still battling the same old thought patterns and outright sins.
Our teacher yesterday took the opportunity to preach on repentance and turned the spotlight on grace.
He told about a job he'd once had, as an electrician, in one of the most grace-filled environments he'd ever worked in. He told of frying out two expensive volt meters before he realized that the generator he was testing was way over the maximum voltage the meters could handle. When he admitted his mistake to his supervisor, the man said, "Don't worry about it. We'll send them out and get them fixed."
He suggested that repentance was a call to grace, to hearing the Lord say, "Don't worry about it. We can fix that."
And I liked that. Repentance can sometimes, in my wrong-headed scheme of things, feel like whiplash after whiplash: Failed again. Failed again.
When really, repentance is a chance once again to turn myself and my perennial problems over to the One who made me, who knows how to fix me. Way better than I do, though I spend so much time trying.
After the sermon, we came to another collect in the liturgy, which mentions Christ returning as Judge, and my alarm bells started ringing. See, I've got to get fixed--he's returning to judge me!
But the next part of the collect is so perfect:
Father in heaven, who sent your Son to redeem the world and will send him again to be our judge: give us grace so to imitate him in the humility and purity of his first coming that, when he comes again, we may be ready to greet him with joyful love and firm faith....
How do I imitate him in the humility and purity of his first coming? It's like Christ said, "Unless you become as a little child...." It's like the sentimental poem about the child demanding that his father fix his toy and the father saying in the end, "But you would never let go of it." It's exactly what was taught in the sermon. We repent like a little child expecting grace from a loving parent. We repent of trying to solve our own problems and give them to God. We repent of trying to fix our broken selves, and we give ourselves over to the Creator and Fixer of our souls.
And we accept that he may not fix us yet. We may have more to learn from being broken. We may serve his purposes better in our brokenness. We can't demand anything of him--perhaps there lies the judgment. But in the humility and purity of little children, we can be with him, rest in him, trust him.
May he find me in that state when he returns, like a little child, "ready to greet him with joyful love and firm faith."
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Collects for the Second Sunday in Advent
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation; Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Father in heaven, who sent your Son to redeem the world and will send him again to be our judge: give us grace so to imitate him in the humility and purity of his first coming that, when he comes again, we may be ready to greet him with joyful love and firm faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Father in heaven, who sent your Son to redeem the world and will send him again to be our judge: give us grace so to imitate him in the humility and purity of his first coming that, when he comes again, we may be ready to greet him with joyful love and firm faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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