Bloom Where You Are Planted

This saying got me through many a difficult day when I was pining for a baby many years ago. Sometimes it was very hard to be thankful for the childlessness during our season of infertility.

There are times in my life now when I pine for something else: living away from the city, living a slower life, more in tune with nature and the seasons, and more self-sufficient. My heart knows that The Grass Is Greener syndrome hits us all and we imagine a better life lived somewhere else, when what we often need is to be content where we are. I read these verses today and felt convicted about this dissatisfaction of mine.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters--that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace."

Jeremiah 29:4-7 NKVJ

Then, I was also reminded of, "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much..." (Luke 16:10a NKJV)

I am to be faithful in my little garden, my home, my family.

In other words, I am to bloom where I am planted.

The Myth of Socialization

My son and I are reading Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, about a time in the future where firemen start fires. People are forbidden to read books, so it is the firemen's job to burn any house that contains books. Although there are a few people who hide books and read and talk about them, most people are contentedly busy entertaining themselves with various distractions similar to those of today: sports, radio, TV, movies, amusement parks, etc.

The main character, a fireman, makes the acquaintance of a seventeen-year-old neighbor girl who opens his eyes to new ways (actually old ways) of thinking about the world. When she speaks about why she doesn't attend school, you can't help but think it's a compelling argument for home schooling.

"Oh, they don't miss me," she said. "I'm antisocial, they say. I don't mix. It's so strange. I'm very social indeed. It all depends on what you mean by social, doesn't it? Social to me means talking to you about things like this...Or talking about how strange the world is. Being with people is nice. But I don't think it's social to get a bunch of people together and then not let them talk, do you? ...we [students] never ask questions, or at least most don't; they just run the answers at you, bing, bing, bing, and us sitting there for four more hours of film teacher. That's not social to me at all. It's a lot of funnels and a lot of water poured down the spout and out the bottom, and them telling us it's wine when it's not."

Give Thanks

Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Psalm 105:1-4

The View From Our Schoolroom Window--Part 2

Here's the latest in technology at our local government schools. Paid for by our tax dollars, of course.

This year, three schools in our district have a new machine that reads the magnetic strip on one's driver's license. (I didn't realize we HAD such a thing on our licenses until I just looked.) Every visitor that enters the building must have their license scanned to check for prior criminal status, including that of being a registered child, you-know-what offender. If the person passes muster, they receive a visitor badge, complete with a photo of themselves, their name, and the room to which they are going.

We've got a way to keep criminals out of our school, too. It's called a discerning mommy, a locked security door, and a dog.

The View From Our Schoolroom Window

Today was the first day of school for the neighborhood government elementary school, and as is usually the custom, many parents escorted their children to their classrooms. Living 1/2 block from the school, our street ends up as an overflow parking spot.

Our little schoolroom overlooks our front yard and the street. This morning we had an SUV parked out front as parents walked their children to school. I was getting ready for our own school day and saw a young couple standing by the vehicle about ten minutes after the school's tardy bells had rung. They were hugging and the male appeared to be consoling the female.

Now, those are the facts. What I can only conjecture, but believe to be true, is that this woman was distressed over taking her child to school. Perhaps it is her child's first day of kindergarten. Perhaps she has accepted as "normal" that you take your child to school when they are five.

But what her heart told her was something quite different entirely. Leaving your five year old child in a large brick building with a stranger and lots of other little strangers isn't normal at all.

"Lead On, O King Eternal"

I had to come to church late this morning, arriving in time for communion and the final hymn. Then I planned to attend the next service to hear the sermon, thus completing the circle. So I sang this hymn at the first service, not knowing yet that our priest had announced at the close of the sermon that he, the church staff, and the entire vestry have all resigned, effective October 1. It looks like our parish is headed for some major changes, to say the least.

I'm excited about what the future will bring. I'm thankful that our church leadership is saying that they don't want to be associated with the Episcopal church anymore.

May God be glorified!

"Lead On, O King Eternal"

Lead on, O King eternal,
The day of march has come;
Henceforth in fields of conquest
Thy tents shall be our home.
Through days of preparation
Thy grace has made us strong;
And now, O King eternal,
We lift our battle song.

Lead on, O King eternal,
Till sin’s fierce war shall cease,
And holiness shall whisper
The sweet amen of peace.
For not with swords’ loud clashing,
Nor roll of stirring drums;
With deeds of love and mercy
The heavenly kingdom comes.

Lead on, O King eternal,
We follow, not with fears,
For gladness breaks like morning
Where’er Thy face appears.
Thy cross is lifted over us,
We journey in its light;
The crown awaits the conquest;
lead on, O God of might!

Note: The author of this morning's recessional hymn, Ernest Shurtleff (1862-1917), (pictured above) wrote it when he was only 26. It was sung at his graduation ceremony from theological seminary in 1888. Quite an accomplishment, I must say.

Thank You, Lord!

Last week my mom met my son and I at a lake near her place. My mom and I walked around the lake, sat in camp chairs I toted along, and watched the sunset while my son fished on the opposite shore.

Our son has been wanting to catch a carp for a couple of years. He's been trying very earnestly at this particular lake several times this summer. Well, he finally caught one! You should have seen his face when he brought that carp to me. He walked halfway around the lake just to proudly show it off. Then he gently rocked the fish in the water to send it back into its home.

What a view! My contented (and appreciative) mom, the lake, the trees, the mountains, the sunset, and a beaming thirteen-year-old angler.

Simple pleasures.

Thank you, Lord.

(photo taken at the lake in a previous autumn)

Ora et Labora-Part 4

Lately I've been writing about a Benedictine Abbey I've been privileged to visit for personal retreats. So, just who was Benedict?

Benedict was born in Italy around 480. A Benedictine nun who wrote Wisdom Distilled From the Daily, states,

"He went to school in Rome when the Empire was in a state of material prosperity but moral decline... He decided that life lived in that fashion was not the fullness of life at all. He left Rome and went to a rural area south of the city to contemplate the meaning of life, to simplify its demands, and to refashion his own attitudes and life-style.

"It wasn't long until he was sought after by multitudes of other people who were also uneasy with the secular climate of the day but unsure as well of what ought to be its spiritual character. Out of this came what we know today as Western monasticism, the pursuit of the spiritual life in community, rather than in the secluded cells of the solitaries, which was the form of religious life that had been prevalent in the deserts of Egypt and in the East... As time passed, Benedictine monasteries became the anchor points and centerpieces of whole villages in Europe. From the monastics... the people learned to live and to work and to pray. As a result, the Benedictine Order has often been credited with having saved Western Europe after the barbarian invasions, and Benedict himself was named the patron of Europe."

From this brief history of Benedict and his time, I see many parallels to today's Christian agrarian movement. America is certainly in a state of seemingly material prosperity, coupled with extreme moral decline. Many agrarians are pursuing a spiritual life in community. Sometimes the community is an actual geographic place where several like-minded families settle to farm and worship. Sometimes it is a community that exists in cyberspace. Nonetheless, people are leaving the secluded cells of the solitaries to become part of this new spiritual community. These secluded cells range from cubicles in corporate America to postage stamp sized suburban backyards fenced in by six foot tall privacy fences. Some folks are instead tangling with barbed wire fences and modest farmhouses situated on a few acres they can call their own.

While an agrarian lifestyle doesn't work for everyone, I am impressed with the ingenuity, hard work, honest convictions, desire to please God, and committment to providing for future generations that I see in the agrarian blogs I read. My maternal grandfather passed down to me a love of gardening and an appreciation of God's creation. If I never get my farm, may I pass along to my children the desire to pursue a more agrarian lifestyle.

Waiting Patiently for the Lord

My husband took our dog, Lady, on a walk early this morning and as is his custom, let her go off her leash in a huge field. It was still dark, and when a jogger spooked our dog, she bolted. After searching frantically, my very dejected husband came home alone. By now, it was light, so I went out in the car, while our son took off on his bicycle. Separately, we combed the area and prayed. I came home to wake our daughter when my husband left for work. She cried and prayed while we searched together.

About an hour and 45 minutes after Lady was lost, our son found her sitting under a tree in a large open area. The spot was one I had driven past, and our son had ridden by twice. Lady hadn't been there before, but here she was, sitting patiently close to a little road, where we could see her. Aside from being hot, tired, and thirsty, Lady was so happy to see us. God was gracious.

It was when our dog sat still and waited that we finally found her. Sometimes that's what we need to do with our Lord. We need to quit being so busy and stop constantly running around. We need to wait patiently for the Lord. It's not that He can't find us, for of course He always knows where we are. But until we sit and listen and wait, we won't know He's there calling our name. Eager to draw us back to Himself. Ready to take us home.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
And in His word I do hope.
Psalm 130:5 (NKJV)

(Until we have a working digital camera, this photo of someone else's dog will have to suffice. Of course, our dog's cuter!)

In God's Hands

My husband and I were not Christians when we married, but the Lord in His mercy, drew us both to Himself. Not having Christian friends or family for guidance, we hunted around for almost ten years to find a good church. We joined a PCUSA, then Baptist, and then Evangelical Free. It wasn't until we "happened" upon Reformed theology and discovered a little PCA church that we knew we had found our niche.

We were at our church for about 11 years, and grew tremendously in our faith. It felt like our world came crashing down when the church disbanded (long story--aren't they all?). We miss so many things about that church and have never found anything that matches it. But a little over a year ago we started attending an Episcopal church all because it had an organ and I couldn't bear to sing insipid praises songs for Easter. This particular Episcopal church had very similar liturgy, weekly communion with wine, which our children were allowed to take, and we sang hymns. The teaching wasn't as deep as our old church, but it was Biblical and practical. We disagreed with major points of theology within the Episcopal church at large, but this church seemed to be full of many God-fearing, Bible-believing Christians. We decided to stick around, knowing that ensuing turbulence was sure to come.

Well, it has struck. I suspect that our vestry is soon going to recommend totally breaking away from The Episcopal Church. Some of the old-timers feel like the rug has been pulled out from under them. A few others are playing the role of ostriches, and don't want to deal with the apostasy within The Episcopal Church's leadership. I pray that such a breaking away will glorify God.

One of the old-timers said at a meeting last week, "We're in the Bishop's hands now."

Our rector replied, "No, we're in God's hands. God's calling us to faithfulness."

Isn't it comforting to know we're always in God's hands?

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.
And He delights in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the Lord upholds him with His hand.

Psalm 37:23-24 (NKJV)

Buy Locally

I picked up a box of Clementines on sale today at the store. When I read the fine print and saw they were from Chile, I said, out loud, "Nope. I'm buyin' local," and put them back. "I'm stickin' with the peaches!" The fresh Colorado peaches taste great this time of year.

We don't need every exotic food known to man available to us every day of the year. More of us need to stop buying food shipped in from overseas. (The tainted dog food from China should be sufficient as a wake up call!)

If, like us, you lack enough garden space to provide much food for yourselves; then if you can't GROW locally, at least BUY locally.

Ora et Labora-Part 3

I got to go to the Abbey again last week with a dear friend.

I started keeping a journal of Abbey visits when I went two years ago. Some of the same words crop up in my thoughts from visit to visit: peaceful, calm, serene, worshipful, simplicity, sense of purpose.

In addition, this time I was struck by the contrasts present at the Abbey:

Work and Prayer
Same and Unique
Order and Freedom


It seems that the very things that one would mistakenly think would constrict the sisters, actually serve to free them. One might think that work and prayer would interfere with one another, but the two together form a perfect balance and serve to enhance each other.

The sisters may look similar when wearing their habits. But, because of their "uniform," you don't notice who is skinny, who is heavier, who has new clothes, etc. You look at their faces, where you see joy instead of stress.

They have the same schedule every weekday, but it appears to free them instead of restrict them. They are more in tune with the seasons because of their farm work. They all have such a sense of purpose, not just for their own community, but for all of those who come to the Abbey for retreats.


Two years ago I wrote in my Abbey journal:
The Abbey creates a haven for me--a place I love to be. A place that nurtures. A place that comforts you the minute you walk in. A place that comforts you when you merely think about it. A place that you think of when you're away. A place that you want to return to. A place that makes you want to be more like the sisters: purposeful, reverent, unhurried, loving, diligent.

As I reflect on this, I realize that my duty is to create a similar haven for my family in our home. It's a tall order, but it should be what drives my decision making, my every action, my daily prayer.

Lord, help me to make a haven for my family in our home.

Prayer

This prayer was in The Divine Hours, which I am using in my devotional time. The Concluding Prayer for the Midday Office was powerful enough that I wanted to share it.

O Lord my God, to You and Your service I devote myself, body, soul, and spirit.

Fill my memory with the record of Your mighty works; enlighten my understanding with the light of Your Holy Spirit; and make all the desires of my heart and will center in what You would have me do.

Make me an instrument of Your salvation for the people entrusted to my care, and let me by my life and speaking set forth Your true and living Word. Be always with me in carrying out the duties of my vocation; in praises heighten my love and gratitude; in speaking of You give me readiness of thought and expression; and grant that, by the clearness and brightness of Your holy Word, all the world may be drawn to Your blessed kingdom.

All this I ask for the sake of Your Son my Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen.

"God, My King"

Our processional hymn this morning was new to me. Go here to listen to the melody and read the interesting biographies of the authors of this hymn.

God, My King

God, my King, Thy might confessing,
Ever will I bless Thy Name;
Day by day Thy throne addressing,
Still will I Thy praise proclaim.

Honor great our God befitteth;
Who His majesty can reach?
Age to age His works transmitteth,
Age to age His power shall teach.

They shall talk of all Thy glory,
On Thy might and greatness dwell,
Speak of Thy dread acts the story,
And Thy deeds of wonder tell.

Nor shall fail from memory’s treasure
Works by love and mercy wrought;
Works of love surpassing measure,
Works of mercy passing thought.

Full of kindness and compassion,
Slow to anger, vast in love,
God is good to all creation;
All His works His goodness prove.

All Thy works, O Lord, shall bless Thee;
Thee shall all Thy saints adore:
King supreme shall they confess Thee,
And proclaim Thy sovereign power.

Foxes-Part 2

In keeping with my thoughts about just passing through this world, we heard this encouraging scripture this morning at church.



These all [Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah] died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland... They desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11: 13-16


(detail of "The New Jerusalem" from a tapestry in a French castle)

Foxes Have Their Holes

I had the privilege of taking our dog for a long walk recently. The air was slightly humid (by Colorado standards), the sun was shaded somewhat by scanty cloud cover and there were droplets still clinging to some of the grasses from the previous night's much-needed rain.

About half-way through a field, I spied a prairie dog hole close to the path. Now, I know prairie dogs don't have the same romantic appeal as foxes, but I was reminded of Jesus's comment, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head." (Matthew 8:20 and Luke 9:58)

This verse reminds us that Jesus was always on the move, teaching and healing. In the margins of my Bible I copied someone's wisdom: "Deprived of provisions in the natural world (Matthew 8:20), Jesus is revealed as nature's Lord (Matthew 8:26)."

On my walk I was also struck by the temporary nature of Christ's time on earth. In terms of importance, there has been no other more necessary or important Person who walked the face of this earth. But, when thinking of actual time spent here, in light of eternity, He was here for just a blip of time. In light of eternity,OUR time here on earth is but a blip as well.

How do we spend that blip? We're just passing through. Yet, we're supposed to obey God, glorify Him, serve Him and His people, minister to others, etc. A fox hole can be a useful thing from which to fight a battle, spiritual or otherwise. But a fox hole that ties us down and doesn't allow us to roam freely, going WHERE we are sent, WHEN we are sent becomes a burden instead.

May we not get too bogged down in our fox holes that we don't see the service we can render to our brothers, our sisters, and our Heavenly Father.

"Miss Potter"

This hardly qualifies as a movie review, but I wanted to get my two cents worth in here. My family and I recently watched the film, "Miss Potter," now out on DVD.

What a delightful movie about the life of Beatrix Potter, author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," and other books. There was beautiful scenery of the English countryside. A rarity in today's movies, the love interests were very tastefully handled.

We have had the added bonus of rereading some of our family's favorite Beatrix Potter stories over the past week.

It wasn't a flawless movie, but it's certainly entertaining, and wholesome for the entire family. I recommend it.

Just for fun...Puns

Here are a few favorites from a bunch of puns my daughter forwarded to me.



* A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.


* Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A flat miner.


* In a democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism, it's your Count that votes.


And the one that made me laugh out loud...


* A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France, and resulted in
Linoleum Blownapart.

Ora et Labora Part 2

In a recent post I wrote about my visit to a Benedictine Abbey to help the sisters pull weeds. Most of the visit included work, so I gained insights quite different from when I normally go there for personal renewal and prayer.

Benefits of 'Pray and Work'
First, the concept of pray and work is quite powerful when repeated throughout the day. During our before-lunch weed pulling, I was "on a roll" and didn't want to stop. If I had been doing this on my own, and didn't have a scheduled prayer service looming, I would have kept yanking those weeds. Invariably, I would have gone on too long, and missed any prayer time if I were calling the shots. Instead, we all stopped and gathered in the chapel for the service. We then refueled ourselves over lunch before going back to the weeds. Our afternoon session of pulling was quite profitable. We found whole patches of weeds and pulled many more than we had in the morning. The time of prayer, fueling our bodies, and visiting over lunch, all gave us renewed vigor to attack the task at hand.

Time Management
Second, knowing that you have a limited time changes your outlook on your work. You work harder and smarter during the time you DO have. You don't waste the time.

Take Time to Listen and Talk
Third, I noticed that the sisters were able to make you feel like they had all the time in the world to talk while we worked. Although they are very purposeful in their work, they don't rush around in a frenzy, ignoring people who visit the Abbey.

The sisters have the ability to work hard, set aside time to pray and praise God, and give people their time. What a wonderful combination of traits that we would do well to emulate.

I just read this Bible verse, and decided it applied to the sisters, too.

In everything that [Hezekiah] undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.
2 Chronicles 31: 21

(I got the above photo from the Abbey website. It really is beautiful there!)