"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!)

"Praise to the Lord"

What a blessing to sing a hymn again! Yesterday we had a very good family retreat at our church. The teaching, full of wisdom, was provided by Bishop Hultstrand. (He's not the Bishop of Colorado, but a personal friend of our rector.) But, for me, the low point of the day was singing praise songs preceeding every teaching session. I was reminded yet again how much I detest them.

This morning, we began our worship with this hymn. Its author, Joachim Neander (1650-1680), wrote it in 1680 shortly before he died of tuberculosis or the plague. It was translated from the original German into English in 1863 by Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878), who is responsible for bringing many German hymns to the English speaking world.


"Praise to the Lord"

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed and, when heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord, who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light, chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

(stained glass window from Holy Trinity Church, Crosshaven, Ireland)

Jesus as Redeemer

Wouldn't you know, I read this right after I was thinking something not very nice about someone this morning. God always knows what we need to hear.


Excerpts from Oswald Chambers' devotional for today:

The characteristic of a disciple is not that he does good things, but that he is good in motive because he has been made good by the supernatural grace of God. The only thing that exceeds right-doing is right-being.

Jesus says--If you are My disciple you must be right not only in your living, but in your motives, in your dreams, in the recesses of your mind. You must be so pure in your motives that God Almighty can see nothing to censure.

Who can stand in the Eternal Light of God and have nothing for God to censure? Only the Son of God, and Jesus Christ claims that by His Redemption He can put into any man His own disposition, and make him as unsullied and as simple as a child.

Dear Lord, reach into the depths of my soul. Clean out those feelings of ill-will that like to hide in there and multiply. Replace them with Christ-like thinking, behavior, and compassion.

Jesus as Teacher

Oswald Chambers' teaching was compiled by his wife in the devotional, My Utmost for His Highest. His lesson for today (excerpted below) is based upon Matthew 5:3, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Chambers talks about the fallacy of looking at Jesus only as Teacher. May my family members who believe Jesus was only a great teacher be drawn to the truth.

"Beware of placing Our Lord as a Teacher first. If Jesus Christ is a Teacher only, then all He can do is to tantalize me by erecting a standard I cannot attain. What is the use of presenting me with an ideal I cannot possibly come near? I am happier without knowing it. What is the good of telling me to be what I never can be--to be pure in heart, to do more than my duty, to be perfectly devoted to God? I must know Jesus Christ as Saviour before His teaching has any meaning for me other than that of an ideal which leads to despair. But when I am born again of the Spirit of God, I know that Jesus Christ did not come to teach only: He came to make me what He teaches I should be. The Redemption means that Jesus Christ can put into any man the disposition that ruled His own life, and all the standards God gives are based on that disposition."

Ora et Labora

Pray and work.

St. Benedict coined this phrase as a motto of sorts when establishing his religious order. Ora et Labora was one of the first sayings the kids and I learned when we started Latin.

This photo shows a Benedictine Abbey in northern Colorado, near the Wyoming border. I went once with a group of women from my old church, and then two more times for a private retreat. I took my Bible, a hymnal, a journal, and some good walking shoes. I attended the services and spent time alone in prayer, singing, and reading. Going there is always such a boost to my mental and spiritual state.

A few Saturdays ago, I went again. This time I got to do more Labora than Ora. The sisters are trying to eradicate a noxious weed [Toadflax], and had a "Weed and Pray" day. A handful of us pulled weeds, attended the Sext service right before lunch and weeded some more.

While pulling the weeds I got to thinking. Toadflax was brought to this country as an ornamental plant. Unfortunately, it soon spread to the wild and began overtaking native plants. Isn't this just like sin? It creeps into our lives, sometimes even disguised as something pretty, but it quickly overtakes us and forces its way into all areas of our lives, pushing out necessary things.

The sisters and their helpers must pull each weed one by one in order to keep it from spreading to the hay field. After about a dozen years of diligent work they hope to have it gone from their land.

Are we as willing to diligently purge sin from our lives, weed by weed?

"O Day of Rest and Gladness"

It's been a bit busy around here. Birthdays. Family visiting. Gardening. Life.

This was our processional hymn today. Inspiring words. Cool alto part.

"O Day of Rest and Gladness"

O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
most beautiful, most bright;
on thee the high and lowly,
before the eternal throne,
sing, "Holy, holy, holy,"
to the great Three in One.

On thee, at the creation,
the light first had its birth;
on thee for our salvation
Christ rose from depths of earth;
On thee our Lord victorious
the Spirit sent from heaven,
and thus on thee most glorious
a triple light was given.

Thou art a port protected
from storms that round us rise;
a garden intersected
with streams of paradise;
thou art a cooling fountain
in life's dry dreary sand;
from thee, like Pisgah's mountain,
we view our promised land.

Today on weary nations
the heavenly manna falls;
to holy convocations
the silver trumpet calls,
where Gospel light is glowing
with pure and radiant beams,
and living water flowing,
with soul refreshing streams.

May we, new graces gaining
from this our day of rest,
attain the rest remaining
to spirits of the blessed.
And their our voices raising,
to Father, Spirit, Son,
for evermore be praising
the blessèd Three in One.

Independence Day

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.


Great days never exist alone. There are important events preceeding and following such great days. Consider our country's birthday. Britain's Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765, angering the colonists. British troops shot and killed five civilians in Boston in 1770. The actual war began in April of 1775 when colonists took up arms against British troops trying to seize the supplies of the Massachusetts militia. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, forming the United States of America. The Americans defeated the British at the Battle of Yorktown in Virginia in 1781. Finally, the Americans and British signed the Treaty of Paris in 1783, 18 years after the Stamp Act.

We would do well to learn from our Founding Fathers. Aside from the Bible, the Declaration of Independence is one of the most inspired texts ever put to paper. In wisdom, and using restraint, they tried to address their grievances without bloodshed and within the confines of the existing ties to Britain. But when provoked, attacked, and ignored, they fought back when necessary. Although up against a more powerful and much larger army, the American troops were victorious in the end.

When we are faced with unfair opposition in our individual lives, we should declare independence from those who would seek to oppress us. As the Declaration states, we should appeal to the Supreme Judge of the world. We can stand firm in our faith, rely on God, and resist the attacks of those who don't understand or agree with us. We can turn the other cheek while also aligning ourselves with those who will uphold us through trials.

Children and Answered Prayer

It is amazing how God graciously answers the prayers of our children.

This evening, we all took our dog, Lady, to the dog park. Our daughter was lamenting the fact that some of her favorite dogs weren't there for her to play with. So, I boldly prayed with her that God would bring one of them to the dog park within five minutes. She added that she wanted to see Belle and Strider the most. Within less than two minutes, Belle and Strider showed up!

Now, in light of eternity, a little girl's wish for two dogs to play with doesn't seem very important.

But, a few hours later, while putting our daughter to bed, she became sad about her birth mother [a recurring thing these days]. Usually, when I ask if we could pray for her birth mother, our daughter gets upset. But tonight, she agreed. Since her birth mother probably wakes up shortly after our daughter goes to bed [time zone difference], together we prayed for her birth mother to have a good day. We prayed that she would become a Christian if she isn't already. Then, our daughter prayed that her birth mother would want to talk to her when we find her [a search that we won't be able to institute for another 7 1/2 years].

Now, I know He's not Santa Claus, and His ways are not always our ways. But, if God can make two dogs show up at the dog park, can't He make a birth mother want to meet her birth daughter?

Another Reason Why We Home School

Fifty Years of Math 1957 - 2007

Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl took my $2 and I was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding
the nickel and 3 pennies, while looking at the screen on her register. I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two quarters, but she hailed the manager for help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried. Why do I tell you this?

Because of the evolution in teaching math since the
1950s:

1. Teaching Math In 1950s

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is
4/5 of the price. What is his profit ?

2. Teaching Math In 1960s

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100 His cost of production is 4/5
of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

3. Teaching Math In 1970s

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is
$80. Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Math In 1980s

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is
$80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5. Teaching Math In 1990s

A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and
inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the
preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20.
What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class
participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels
feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers, and
if you feel like crying, it's OK. )

6. Teaching Math In 2007

Un hachero vende una carretada de maderapara $100.
El costo de la producciones es $80. Cuanto dinero ha hecho?

Have a GREAT day!!


[This was sent to me by my cousin, John, and I found the truth and irony compelling enough to share it in my blog.
The photo is the cover of the 1857 Ray's Arithmetic.]

"Praise My Soul"

This was our processional hymn in church yesterday. What words of wisdom are tucked away in this hymn! I know that long posts can become tedious, so I'll just share a few nuggets. Go here to read all five stanzas and listen to the music.






Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven;
To His feet thy tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King.

The third line of the first stanza gives us enough to ponder for an entire lifetime. We are ransomed, healed, restored, and forgiven. Rereading those four words helped me to more fully grasp their weight.

Verse two tells us that He is slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Oh, that we could always be like that with our children. How easy it is to be swift to chide and slow to bless.

Lord, help me to truly grasp what You have done in my life. Give me the wisdom and strength to forgive others as I have been forgiven.

Real Work for Sons--part 2

A few weeks ago our son made a blow dart gun out of a broken fishing rod. He made darts out of wooden shish-kabob skewers and craft foam. He's been out in the backyard shooting homemade cardboard targets and even taught his little sister how to do it.

The other day he purchased some one inch diameter PVC pipe, cut it to size, wrapped it with camoflage duct tape, and added a PVC "mouthpiece." He then spent the better part of the afternoon in the backyard shooting at just about anything he could get his hands on, including an old potato.

We watched him, intently shooting. "It's natural that he wants to shoot at things," my husband said. "Yes," I replied. "He's ready to help defend the family."

And here we sit in suburbia. In a neighborhood of tract houses, across the street from a government school that we've never used.

Lord, I know each part of 'the body' has its place. Help us to learn where we fit. Help us to be obedient. Help us to be content.

Theses on Worship-Part 9

Notes from Jim Jordan's book, Theses on Worship...

Thesis 13
Worship Comes in a Context of Death

The title of Thesis #13 may be a little off-putting, but read some of what Jordan has to say:

"...death comes in many ways: the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, or the loss of a dream; a pregnant teenager; a son with AIDS; a philandering spouse; a fearful sickness; a spell of depression; a bitter and sarcastic mate; a dark night of the soul. Psychological techniques may give 'fast, temporary relief' to some of these things, but in fact all are forms of death. It is the pastoral ministry of the Church and only the Church that can deal with the fact of death."

"The gospel is real good news for real people hurting in real life situations. That is why modern gospel songs are so inadequate. They present a 'happy gospel' without the context of pain, enemies, and death. Advertising-jingle music just does not make the grade.

"The effect of this kind of worship is that it isolates worship from life instead of transforming life into worship."

(To read previous posts on Jordan's book, click on "worship" below.)

"Breathe on Me, Breath of God"

I always thought this hymn was written recently because of its simplicity, but its author was Englishman Edwin Hatch (1835-1889).

Biographers have written:

"Hatch was a man of deep piety and simplicity of spirit..."

"Hatch was an esteemed member of the Oxford University faculty, ... but when it came to expressing his faith in ways that would speak to the ordinary person, nobody has done it better than Edwin Hatch did..."

"Dr. Hatch was widely known for his scholarship and lectures in early church history. Despite his scholarly attainments, Hatch was said to have possessed a faith as 'simple and unaffected as a child's.'"

Towards the end of his life, Hatch was the rector in Purleigh, England(pictured above).


"Breathe on Me, Breath of God"


Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with Thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Blend all my soul with Thine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with Thee the perfect life
Of Thine eternity.