Spring Break

Overheard in our house this week...while one parent was lying on the couch reading and sipping wine, and the other one was 'slaving' in the kitchen..."When do home school moms get spring break?"

Then, I ran across this from Peter Kreeft's The God Who Loves You:
We moderns often tend to forget eternal necessities since our lives are surrounded by human artifices, changing and changeable things.

I thought, Aha! This is why I desire to live a simpler life in the country. I want to get away from a life full of human artifices. I want to flee these 'changing and changeable things' and be closer to that which does not change. That which is of God and IS God.

Spring Break is a human artifice. Now, I'd like a Year of Jubilee as much as the next guy. But, Spring Break is not guaranteed in Scripture. Instead of grumbling that I don't get a vacation I need to be thankful for my many God-given blessings.

(By the way, I look NOTHING like this when I am in the kitchen!)

Simplify?

Simplify. It's a common refrain among people these days. It makes sense.

Today I was shopping at our neighborhood craft store for school supplies with our son. I came across a wooden sign, about 20 inches across, made up of the letters: S I M P L I F Y.

If you're trying to pare down, why would you want to buy a sign to clutter your house that reminds you to simplify?

Simplify.

He Is Risen

I stayed home from church today, to be with our dog, who had surgery on Friday. After reading the Resurrection story in my Bible, I listened to our classical radio station and got to hear lots of wonderful Bach music. Here is a snippet of Bach's Easter Oratorio.

(Remember to silence the music on the sidebar to the right before listening to the Bach piece.)

Bach's Easter Oratorio

Good Friday

This past Sunday, our Bible readings included the portion of scripture where the crowd shouts, "Crucify Him!" The congregation was to read that part, but I just couldn't bring myself to say the words. Even though I knew my sins were heaped upon His head, I simply couldn't utter the words. I sat there and softly cried instead.

After the sermon, we were instructed to come forward and each take three nails to remind us of our sin and God's mercy. As I held these nails in my hands during the remainder of the service, I noticed my hands slowly turning grey. The nails were staining my hands. Even though I hadn't been able to bring myself to join in on the words condemning Jesus to death, I had the remnants of His suffering on my hands anyway.

St. Patrick

"Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.”

(from “The Breastplate of St. Patrick”).

"All Glory, Laud, and Honor"

Theodulph of Orleans (760-821), born in Italy, was appointed as a Bishop in France at the age of 21. When a new ruler came into power, Theodulph was suspected of maintaining a secret loyalty to Italy, and was thus imprisoned in 818 (where he remained until his death three years later). Theodulph was sustained by his faith while in prison, and wrote the words to this inspiring Palm Sunday hymn.

"All Glory, Laud, and Honor"

Refrain

All glory, laud and honor,
To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.

Thou art the King of Israel,
Thou David’s royal Son,
Who in the Lord’s Name comest,
The King and Blessèd One.

Refrain

The company of angels
Are praising Thee on High,
And mortal men and all things
Created make reply.

Refrain

The people of the Hebrews
With palms before Thee went;
Our prayer and praise and anthems
Before Thee we present.

Refrain

To Thee, before Thy passion,
They sang their hymns of praise;
To Thee, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise.

Refrain

Thou didst accept their praises;
Accept the prayers we bring,
Who in all good delightest,
Thou good and gracious King.

Refrain

Company With Jesus

I love to read, but I don't remember nearly as much as I'd like. When, however, I seem to read similar thoughts in different sources (and I remember the comparison), I figure God is trying to tell me something.

Here are two things I've run across recently:

"There is only 'one thing necessary'...always ask what God wants me to do and then do it."

from The God Who Loves You
by Peter Kreeft

"Think of the satisfaction it will be to hear Jesus say--'Well done, good and faithful servant'; to know that you have done what He sent you to do. We have all to find our niche in life, and spiritually we find it when we receive our ministry from the Lord. In order to do this we must have companied with Jesus; we must know Him as more than a personal Saviour."

from My Utmost for His Highest (March 5)
Oswald Chambers


Life is hard, but we (more accurately, I) make it more difficult than it need be. We ask God what He wants us to do, and then we do it. We company with Jesus. People don't talk like that any more. But, the words company and companion come from the Latin com-, meaning with or together + panis, meaning bread or food. I suppose we could take that literally to mean availing ourselves of the Lord's Supper regularly. But, I think we can also take it to mean that we live a life so close to Jesus, that it's like we share every meal with Him. Which, of course, we do, if we would but recognize it.

Exploding Pyrex

God was gracious and we averted danger this afternoon when my 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup exploded. Yes, exploded.

I accidentally hit my measuring cup against a bowl and a little piece of the pouring spout broke off. I placed the measuring cup on the counter while I finished putting the rest of the dishes away and about one minute later, we heard an exploding sound. Thankfully, neither the kids, our dog, or myself were injured, even though we were all within no more than 8 feet from the explosion.

It scared our dog out of the kitchen. The kids and I stood there in shock. We immediately knew we were most fortunate that none of us were hurt. God kept most of the millions of pieces of broken glass on the counter.

This evening I Googled "exploding Pyrex cup" and learned many other people have had similar experiences with glass Pyrex products. What little reading I did made me realize how fortunate we truly were. Some people had dishes explode while they were holding them or cleaning them. Some exploded right at the table.

I could be all wrong about this, but I can't help but think the company is knowingly putting out shoddy products. I think Pyrex (now owned by Corning and under the umbrella of yet another company called World Kitchens) is trying to rest on their past good reputation and is manufacturing an inferior product in order to make more money. (I have older Pyrex dishes I've used for more than 25 years. This measuring cup was not even 2 years old.) I fear that this happens all too frequently. A large company, far removed from their consumers, produces a product with inferior materials and inferior methods just so a few guys at the top can make more money.

It's bad enough that glass measuring cups are manufactured and sold this way. It's really scary when you realize that much of the food we buy at the grocery store isn't far removed from this same scenario. Big ag has the goal of producing the most food for the lowest price and showering their high paid execs with perks and high salaries. The consumer, high quality, a good name...these don't count for much anymore.

(The photo comes from a consumeraffairs.com article about exploding Pyrex dishes.)

"O Lord, Make Haste to Hear My Cry"

This hymn is in honor of its composer, George Frederick Handel, born February 23, 1685. (Which is, by the way, the same year J.S. Bach was born.) To see additional verses and hear the melody, go to the link below.

"O Lord, Make Haste to Hear My Cry"

O Lord, make haste to hear my cry,
To Thee I call, on Thee rely.
Incline to me a gracious ear,
And, when I call, in mercy hear.

When in the morning unto Thee
I lift my voice and bring my plea,
Then let my prayer as incense rise
To God enthroned above the skies.

When unto Thee I look and pray
With lifted hands at close of day,
Then as the evening sacrifice
Let my request accepted rise.

Farmer Washington-George and Martha (Part 4)

George Washington (born February 22, 1732) not only shunned the title of King, he prefered to think of himself as Farmer Washington.

Ponder what he wrote about farming:

I think that the life of a Husbandman is of all others the most delectable. It is honourable. It is amusing. And with Judicious management it is profitable. To see plants rise from the Earth and flourish by the superior skill and bounty of the labourer fills a contemplative mind with ideas which are more easy to be conceived than expresed. The more I am acquainted with agricultural affairs the better I am pleased with them. I can nowhere find so great satisfaction as in those innocent and useful pursuits.

The Finger of Providence (George & Martha-Part 3)

I am in awe of what George Washington accomplished in the War for Independence.

In a letter to Joseph Reed, one of his inner circle during the war, Washington wrote:

"Few people know the predicament we are in on a thousand counts; fewer still will believe if any disaster happens to these lines from what cause it flows. I have often thought how much happier I should have been if, instead of accepting of a command under such circumstances, I had taken my musket on my shoulder and entered the ranks; or if I could have justified the measure to posterity and my own conscience, had retired to the back country and lived in a wigwam. If I shall be able to rise superior to these and many other difficulties which might be enumerated, I shall most religiously believe that the finger of Providence is in it, to blind the eyes of our enemies; for surely if we get well through this month, it must be for want of their knowing the disadvantages we labor under..."

In 1783, the year the peace treaty with Britain was signed, Washington wrote to Nathaniel Greene:

"It will not be believed that such a force as Great Britain has employed for eight years in this country could be baffled in their plan of subjugating it, by numbers infinitely less, composed of men oftentimes half starved, always in rags, without pay and experienced every species of distress, which human nature is capable of undergoing."

(excerpts from Elswyth Thane's Lady Washington and Paul Johnson's George Washington)

"Wilt Thou Forgive"

The First Sunday of Lent

I'm going to teach this hymn (which is new to me) to our children this week. The words are by John Donne (1573-1631); music harmonized by J.S. Bach (1685-1750).

I had to read through these words a few times, but there is such comfort and truth there.

[The link to the music here has a wrong note which is a little disconcerting, but I can't find a better rendition. Sorry. The painting above is of a young J.S. Bach.]

"Wilt Thou Forgive"

Wilt Thou forgive that sin, by man begun,
Which was my sin though it were done before?
Wilt Thou forgive that sin, through which I run,
And do run still, though still I do deplore?
When Thou hast done, Thou hast not done,
For I have more.

Wilt Thou forgive that sin which I have won
Others to sin, and made my sin their door?
Wilt Thou forgive that sin which I did shun
A year or two, but wallowed in a score?
When Thou hast done, Thou hast not done,
For I have more.

I have a sin of fear, that when I’ve spun
My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;
But swear by Thyself, that at my death Thy Son
Shall shine, as He shines now and heretofore:
And, having done that, Thou hast done:

Tired and Tense (George and Martha-Part 2)

It was customary for Martha Washington to join her husband while the armies for both sides wintered in one spot and ceased fighting for a time. She encouraged George, bouyed the spirits of all who met her, mended uniforms, and made bandages with other officers' wives. The third winter of the Revolutionary War (1777-1778) was spent at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (drawing above). What a difficult winter it was, too.

"The tired and tense faces of the lonely men brightened into smiles in her [Martha's] company, but she saw with pity and concern the threadbare coats and ragged breeches and stockings, the weather-stained buckskin and broadcloth worn by the officers...

She pitied too the gaunt, heavy-footed saddle horses, whose well-polished equipment and loving grooming could not hide their bones.

As for the men in the huts, they often went for days together without a mouthful of meat, and their clothes were indecent rags. Many were barefoot, and for lack of blankets they sat up around the fires all night to keep from freezing. The hospitals - inevitably - were the worst of all, and everyone did his best to keep out of them."

There were many things that contributed to the ultimate victory over Britain, but there are times when one must marvel at the seemingly impossible obstacles facing Washington and his men.

(text from Lady Washington by Elswyth Thane)

Apparent Serenity (George and Martha-Part 1)

I have just finished a biography of Martha Washington by Elswyth Thane. For me, it was a splendid way to read about American history by looking at it through Martha's eyes. I think, too, that I have enjoyed reading about a true statesman, which seems to be in short supply these days. Here's a lovely example of Thane's writing as she describes Martha's observations of George very early on in the war with Britain.

"Better than anyone else, she could trace in his face and bearing the almost superhuman self-control which enabled him to sit at the dinner table cracking nuts and drinking little toasts in apparent serenity, for the sake of maintaining the spirits of the men who depended on him for guidance and support, and for the deception of the watchful guests who were always eager for his hospitality. She did not suspect the sleight of hand he performed with the returns on enlistment, desertion, and sick, so that no one officer, not even Harrison, ever saw the whole dreadful situation at any one time. She could guess at his hours of discouragement and despair, spent alone at his desk behind a closed door when other weary men had gone to bed. And she could see him aging day by day under the crushing load he had set himself to carry alone--in the tightening lips and jawline, in the hooded ice-blue gaze, the enigmatic drop of the lean eyelids, the deliberate levelness of tone when he spoke."

from Washington's Lady by Elswyth Thane
(drawing is of a young Martha)

"Beautiful Savior"

As I prepare to say good-bye to Epiphany and contemplate the season of Lent, I'll share this hymn which is recommended by Sing for Joy for this Lord's Day. The words were written by German Jesuits and published in a German songbook (from Munster, Germany) in 1677. Perhaps a more well known version is "Fairest Lord Jesus," but the words below are the original translation to English, done by a Lutheran pastor in America in 1873.

"Beautiful Savior"

Beautiful Savior, King of Creation
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love Thee, truly I’d serve Thee,
Light of my soul, my joy, my crown.

Fair are the meadows, Fair are the woodlands,
Robed in the flowers of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
He makes our sorrowing spirit sing.

Fair is the sunshine, Fair is the moonlight,
Bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels in the sky.

Beautiful Savior, Lord of the nations,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, Praise, adoration
Now and forevermore be Thine!

(the above drawing is a detail from a 1572 map of Munster, Germany)