So...I'm Still Alive

Okay. I realize it's been forever. Actually, I didn't realize just how long it had been till I took a look today! There's a lot of water under the bridge since I posted last: a national election, a Seminary board meeting, many, many meetings at school, horse shows, Eddie James' services, preaching and singing in Crab Orchard and...I've been to Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Helsinki, Finland! No wonder I haven't posted!!

The last post ("Guess Where I've Been") was of pictures from my reconnaissance mission for the Society for Pentecostal Studies. The 2010 meeting (for which I will be Program Chair) will be hosted by North Central University in Minneapolis, MN. So, yes, the pix are of Minneapolis. David Roebuck (Dixon Pentecostal Research Center and SPS Director) and I traveled to Minneapolis at the end of September in order to see the North Central facilities and to secure a conference hotel. North Central is a very nice campus and we were warmly welcomed. The president, Gordon Anderson, is actually a blues guitarist so we were off to the races! Dr. Glen Menzies, New Testament prof there, is the on-sight coordinator for the 2010 meeting. He had done lots of legwork and made the trip fairly easy. Long story short (as Groucho would say, "Too late!"), the facilities at North Central are great and we secured The Radisson Hotel for the conference. It is their flagship hotel and is really beautiful. And, yes, we went to a Twins game! (That was David's idea.)

The Pittsburgh trip was for an Association of Theological Schools meeting for Women in Leadership. I thoroughly enjoyed it and gained a lot of valuable insights into how theological education is functioning in the US and Canada. In addition, the conference was very helpful for women who are becoming leaders in what is traditionally a "man's world" (and where isn't that the case??)

Every Fall, I attend a meeting of scholars and pastors from the Wesleyan-Pentecostal traditions in Kansas City. This meeting is funded by the Louisville Institute and meets at Nazarene Theological Seminary. It is organized and nurtured by the man who first had the vision for it, Hal Knight. Next year is our final year meeting and I will miss the conversation.

And I just got back from Helsinki! I left November 14 and arrived home on this past Saturday (the 22nd). This was a meeting called the Joint Consultative Group sponsored by the World Council of Churches. It is a week-long conversation between representatives from WCC churches (Lutheran, Orthodox, Baptist, Reformed, etc) and representatives from Pentecostal non-member churches. We stayed at an Orthodox conference center called Sofia on the Baltic Sea. It was a lovely place and reminded me very much of Maine. The fellowship was really good and I enjoyed getting to know these pastors and teachers from various traditions. The Pentecostal team was made up of theologians and academics from the US, Finland, Holland, Zambia, South Africa, Malaysia and India. The Body of Christ is so diverse, yet there is an essential unity in the Spirit.

So...that's the catching up post! I've been so busy that the holiday season might even be a real relaxing time for me!!

Guess Where I've Been

The Fruit of Our Lips

For several weeks I have been contemplating the idea of Christian speech. I mean here the character of the Christian's speech. (For an excellent, and long, discussion written over fifty years ago by a Mennonite follow this link)

A few months ago I listened to a person speak on pacifism. I greatly admire this person, and agreed with virtually everything he said. However, the more adamant he became about peace, the angrier he became and the more violent his epithets became. Unfortunately, in many ways, his violence was more remembered than his pacifism. (Fortunately, I took notes on the rest of what he said!) It occurred to me then that in a moment one's words could undo a lot of good said otherwise.

Perhaps I am particularly sensitive to this issue because angry, sarcastic speech can be a besetting sin for me. As Corky has said often, the angrier I get the more lucid my speech! It's exhilarating! I am logical, and have a great memory, so I can be murderous in an argument! And that is just the point: I can kill with my tongue.

If I am to bear witness, then a large part of my public personae is my speech. And as the saying goes, "my speech betrays me". Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." My Nigerian friend, Ayo, told me about an African proverb which says that you can't blame the ugly speech of a drunk man on the drink; the drink only brings out what is inside. So, if my speech is unfruitful, I am not bearing witness to Jesus.

I am bothered by my brothers and sisters in the Religious Right who have adopted the rhetoric (both in content and style) of the Extreme Republican Right. There should be a marked difference between the speech of the Christian Conservative and the non-Christian Conservative. The Christian's speech, it seems to me, should be marked by truth and grace. It is possible to be prophetic, to rebuke and to challenge in a way that bears witness to Jesus or reflects Him. In a graceless age, my first obligation is to point the way to grace.

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer."

Emma Singing at "The Call", Washington, D.C.

So exciting! Emma sang with Eddie James on stage at The Call in D.C. on Saturday, August 16.

Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D

Of course we wanted to see Batman, a.k.a. The Dark Knight. And we plan to. But that's the problem. We didn't plan ahead. Somehow that takes the spontaneity out of the whole thing! Buying tickets way in advance. Anyway. We are getting old and it's not the priority it used to be. I fondly remember going to see the first Batman movie (appropriately titled "Batman") at a midnight "pre-showing", on Thursday before it opened on Friday while we lived in Atlanta. And I've seen all the others. And will see this one...probably soon.

Anyway, we went to see the new "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D" at the Imax because we figured the crowds would be down and everyone would be waiting in line for "The Dark Knight". We were right.

"Journey" is great fun. It builds on the original but with great special effects and those in 3D! Lots of prehistoric dangerous plants and animals, cave experiences, and a reasonable and non-embarrassing romance.

Happily, one element that was left out was the "greedy old-man load" character. This archetype is best remembered as the terribly annoying professor in "Lost in Space". They are selfish, generally older men, who look out for themselves and then get into scrapes or have heart attacks which require the rest of the team to put themselves in jeapordy in order to save "The Load". (I am indebted to MST3K for this nomenclature utilized in their commentary on "The Mole People".) I believe the original "Journey" had one of these figures who loaded up with jewels, thus increasing his weight, etc. Anyway, that element is handled differently in this one and I'm thankful for it. Though, come to think of it, inclusion of "The Load" probably makes the whole thing more realistic and believable. Alas, "The Load" is a cultural universal (and a church universal). Can you name "Loads" in literature, movies, etc?

My "Various" Life

One of my favorite Mark Twain quotes comes from Huck Finn (I believe) when Huck and Jim don't enter a room because "it looked too various in there". [something like that! Anyway...that's the spirit of it!] That's the way this week feels!

It started with a great youth service at LH, thanks to Josh and Hope (and the youth). After the service Sunday night, Leslie, Lex and I made our way to Saluda, NC, where my sister and her daughter (Michele and Hannah) have rented a cabin for the week. My parents had come up from Rock Hill for the night and Monday....so they could see Lex! On Monday the 4 "girls" went tubing on the Green River [that's not us tubing...but it is the Green River]. Mom/Dad kept Lex on the bank and he got to wade in the river with his water shoes. He thought this hysterical since he's not supposed to get his shoes wet! The trip down river was about 3.5 hours (a bargain at $7!) and had moderate rapids (enough for kayaking) and still water to float in. It was wonderful and great fun! I hadn't tubed in years and loved all of it except drifting into the bank and overhanging spider-y tree limbs! I never fell out but at the very end when we were supposed to "de-river" so we could be picked up by the short bus, I went in over my head! Some guy who was fishing on the shore said it was only about 3 ft. deep there, and I was moving pretty swiftly away from the shore so I jumped out and in over my head! But the Mary Kay make-up stayed in place!! Leslie fell out once and scraped her back but still had a blast!

This morning, Leslie and I headed west to Shelbyville, Tennessee and the Celebration Grounds for the State 4-H Show. She races tomorrow (barrels and poles). She's at the pizza party and dance tonight and then camping out there. Meanwhile, I'm staying in a dorm room with Corky, who is completing his 2 week Fuller D.Miss. cohort at Lipscomb University. Beginning tomorrow night they are hosting the Christian Scholar's Conference with keynote speakers Sen. Bill Frist, Jim Wallis (yes...on the same program!) and lots of other sessions, including presentations by William J. Abraham (Methodist scholar from SMU) and the producer of "Amazing Grace". The theme is "The Christian Faith, Life of the Mind and the Public Square". There will also be a screening of the film.

So who said life is boring or dull? Tiring, yes; dull, never.

Moral Courage

Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality of those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change.

- Robert F. Kennedy, in a speech in Capetown, South Africa, June 6, 1966. Today is the 40th anniversary of his assassination. (Source: Wikiquote )

Cecil the Carrot and Lex

Since Corky posted the Lex the Bee I thought I would post a few more pix of Lex of late. I am particularly fond of the Cecil the Carrot pose because of one of our long-time friends from NC, Cecil Chambers, a friend through thick and thin. Lex isn't too sure about the carrot. The "playhouse sessions" photos were taken at the church playground.

I have been quite amused at Corky and I as we've found ourselves just watching Lex run and play, laughing at him and looking at each other in great Adoration of the Grandson. We could do that for hours and be totally content and entertained. We are getting old. And it's all good.

Emma's Home

Emma got home yesterday! She came in bearing gifts, stories and about 500 pictures. From all indications, her trip was a great success. They held medical clinics and worship services in 3 cities in Uruguay and Argentina. No one got sick, always a blessing on a missions trip! The American team (Patrick, Darien and 4 twenty-year olds) were joined by a team from a church in Argentina which included the pastor, some staff and several other 20-year olds. Emma sang and testified, checked vital signs and assisted Dr. Silvina Gonzalez and, it appears, was the life of the party. God is so good...they even came upon an Argentine folk dancing class and Emma joined in the dance!

This morning I am thankful to God that he kept her safe, that he broadened her experience and worldview and I am thankful for my church, the Church of God, without which this experience couldn't have happened. I need to remember that in this Assembly year when it's easy to remember and meditate on a lot of other things about my denomination!

Emma and the Away Team

Finally, this morning, we had news from Emma. Dr. Silvina Gonzalez sent pictures of her assisting with medical work and with the group. Silvina reports that Emma gave her testimony in the service in Artigas and sang with the team. Darien Fox, another former student, also on the trip, reported this morning that Emma is "the life of the party" and sent pictures of her eating to prove it! He also sent the picture here of the whole team. It was great to wake up to news and to hear how well things are going! Keep praying!

Pray for Emma in South America!

Our second-born, Emma, is flying to Uruguay at this moment. Last night she finished her job at the local elementary school where she had been teaching dance in an after-school program. They presented an end-of-the-year program featuring dances from the decades of the 30s through the 90s, ending with the show-stopper, "Party Like It's 1999"!

Today she joins a team of others, led by Dr. Patrick Jensen on a medical missions trip. They will work with Dr. Silvina Gonzalez in Uruguay and Argentina for approximately 2 weeks. Medical treatment will be given during the day and worship/evangelistic services will be held at night. Both Patrick and Silvina are graduates of the seminary and both are gifted worship leaders. Several of the others going are musicians as well. So, this trip is right up her alley! Nursing, singing and worship!

They will return on May 27! Please keep her in your prayers.

Dottie Rambo 1934-2008

My dad sent me an email with the sad news that Dottie Rambo had been killed in an accident in her tour bus early Sunday morning. Dottie was one of the earliest influences on me as a gospel singer. When I was very young, my dad brought the Rambos to Rock Hill, SC (my hometown) for a concert. I was mesmerized by this tiny woman with the huge voice, who could tear up an electric guitar, and, though I didn't recognize it, sang under an anointing of the Holy Ghost[she was UPC]. I do remember her shouting and dancing all over the stage, and shouting as my Dad's group, The Chordsmen, sang. I saw her a number of times in concert after that.

She was a prolific songwriter, writing over 3500 songs, recorded by numerous artists, even outside of gospel music, including Whitney Houston ("I Go to the Rock"). Some of her best-known songs, most of which I've sang at some time or other, are "He Looked Beyond My Fault", "We Shall Behold Him", "I Will Glory in the Cross", "Sheltered in the Arms of God", "If That Isn't Love", "Too Much to Gain to Lose" and "Remind Me, Dear Lord".

Dottie could be categorized as country-gospel, I suppose (her ex-husband, Buck, certainly could be), but Dottie had soul. I didn't like every phase she went through, and by no means, followed everything she did. Actually, I never owned that many of her albums, but her influence on me is undeniable.

Here's Dottie singing "I Will Glory in the Cross" in the early 1980s. I only regret I couldn't find a video of her playing lightening fast guitar as well!

Leslie's Saturday Barrel Run

Have You Seen My Grandson?

Lex is coming home tonight! He's been at my parents' (his great-grandparents) house since the family reunion. Mom and Dad are bringing him home tonight "on their way" to Pigeon Forge. Dad just sent me these pictures of Lex "riding" the rocking horse I had when I was his age!

More Family Togetherness

This week-end we traveled to my hometown, Rock Hill, SC for the reunion of the Newton side of my family. My mom's brother and sister-in-law, Wayne and Lil Newton, have taken the responsibility for the last few years of organizing this early summer event. This year there were four generations present (Lex representing the 4th). Most of my family are in the ministry (pastors, teachers, worship leaders, missionaries) so we have a lot in common beyond just blood. In spite of the holiness background, we did have fun dancing this year: YMCA, Macarina, Hokey-Pokey and Square Dancing. Few of us have any real talent in that area. Maybe, being holiness, we missed the moment in learning because the "young people" present all seem to be able to move! Of course, we dance in church, but that tends to be less-choreographed in our tradition!! Anyway, it was all great fun.

The hi-lite was having my Uncle Wayne officiate at the baby dedication for his young grandson, Christian Taylor Newton. Christian is the son of my first cousin Chip and his wife, Jennifer. This was both a dedication and a celebration of Chip's healing. About 7 years ago, Chip was diagnosed with testicular cancer, undergoing both radical surgery and radiation therapy. A newlywed at the time, he was told unequivocally he would not be able to father children. But the Great Physician saw the prognosis differently! Chip and Jennifer are now the parents of two beautiful children, Anna Grace (appropriately named!) and Christian Taylor! I know Mamaw and Papaw Newton were shoutin' and rejoicing with their kids, grandkids and great-grandkids yesterday!!

Recent Outings

Corky and I just returned from a week in Arizona. It was primarily a research trip for him (Navajo Contextual Theology/Practice and Disabilities Services) and a reconnaissance mission for my Aunt Margaret and Uncle Don Whichard (she will probably do a women's conference on the Navajo Rez next year). The picture was taken as we hiked 275 ft. down into Canyon de Chelly.

The other picture is of our family and Georgia family (Jill, Joel and Katie Libramento) and friends (Pete, Kristen and Katie) in Atlanta when we went to see the The Lion King.

Christmas in April: Of Lions, Onion Rings and Family

On Saturday the Tennessee Alexanders (Corky, Kim, 3 girls, son-in-law, grandson) drove to Atlanta to meet the Atlanta Libramentos (Jill, Joel, Katie and friends) to see the Lion King at the Civic Center (see Corky's blog for the trailer). This was our Christmas present to our family and Jill and Steave's to theirs. It was too wonderful for words...so I won't try. Afterwards, we had chili-cheeseburgers, onion rings, fries, peach and apple pies and Frosted Oranges at the Varsity. Again...too wonderful for words. Sometimes its nice to spread the festivities out--even over months!

The Weather....Again

It may drop to freezing tonight (it's 37 F right now) and the Meteorologist is on the weather porch again.

Arts and Entertainment

Does anyone out there remember when A&E actually featured art? I have a vague recollection of ballet, opera, etc. as well as quality programming, sort of BBC/PBS style. Obviously, something has happened. But this is not a post about a television network.

This is about the value of art, the beauty of music and the glory of God. That's pretty lofty. It may be a post in process, saved, only to be completed later.

I began thinking/feeling this yesterday morning at church (a good thing, right?) when I our choir was privileged to sing and lead worship with the Lee University Symphonic Band, directed by Dr. Mark Bailey. We had been asked to sing 2 songs with them, "Unto the Lamb" and "Thou, O Lord". So, I was in great anticipation of how wonderful this experience would be for our choir, but also for me. There is no comparison between singing with live music and singing to a track, no matter how well-produced the track. Music is as much felt as heard. And live music, whether orchestral or produced by a 3 piece band, shakes me to the core. So I was ready...I thought.

But the anticipation was only shadow of what I experienced.

The songs stand on their own. They are beautiful songs of worship. Sharon Ballinger, our director, sang the solo (beautifully) on "Unto the Lamb" at the request of Dr. Bailey. The band, of course, presented the music, covering all the musical bases: highs, lows and in-betweens. Because we were singing with live music, our choir "opened their mouths and sang"! Subconsciously, or consciously, when you are surrounded by music, you push and sing, in order to be heard or in order to be a part of it all.

But it was more than just technically correct. The music, the singing, the songs were united in worship and in return were anointed by the Spirit who breathes life and beauty. And being caught up in that synthesis is other-worldly, and I believe, literally "sitting in heavenly places". Without rationalizing what was happening, or even verbalizing my prayers, I experienced the healing power of God through Art.

"Whatsoever things are good, true and beautiful....think on these things."

BBC's Planet Earth

How cool is that photography??

Don't Miss This...

Easter 2008

Leslie, Emma, Hannah (my niece), Hope with Lex the Sailor Boy

Sabbatical So Far: Pros and Cons (Mostly Pros!)

What a wonderful way to make a living! I told my Dean last week that I was considering writing an essay on the healing power of the sabbatical. Later....

For now, let me list a few pros and cons.

On the positive side:

• I direct my days. That means the alarm clock is not a threat!
• My mind is being refreshed by the input of both theological writings and great literature.
• I am more rested than I've been in years. Since I am now experiencing the torment of menopausal insomnia/hot flashes, I rarely get an uninterrupted two hours of sleep, let alone 8! But the relaxed schedule allows me to sleep later (say 8:30 or so) and to go at a much more sane pace during the day.
• I get all my work-outs in! And, related to this, my daily wardrobe is very comfortable: long-sleeve t-shirts and work-out pants!
  
• I see my kids at times other than early in the morning and late at night.
• Since Corky doesn't usually have to go to work till mid-morning, I get to spend some time with him in the mornings and not just after 9 pm.
• I occasionally get to see Lex during the day!
• I'm saving lots of money on gas and I have no need to buy any "professional clothes" for Spring!
  

On the negative side:

• I constantly see all the things wrong with my house. The remedy: I just try not to look.
  
• I have developed tendonitis in my left hand (thumb) from holding back the pages of too many books! (Notice how the woman in the Renoir painting is holding the book and imagine the injury she sustained from the repetitive motion of holding the pages in place with her left thumb!) And most people think that the life of an academic has no risk of work-related injury! The remedy: I'm wearing a wrist splint and taking lots of ibuprofen, trying to avoid getting a cortisone shot.
  
• I have more opportunity to "snack" during the day and I'm finding it harder to maintain my weight. The remedy: I'm recording all my calorie intake on a free website called Fitday.
  

The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity

I've spent the better part of the evening finishing this book. It was recommended by both Steve Land and Cheryl Johns, and being the good student, I always read what my teachers recommend! They've never led me astray!

William P. Young's novel uses the story of one man's confrontation with his own demons to teach us what it means to be authentically human (hint: it doesn't have anything to do with self-sufficiency!). It is a story that encompasses every parents' nightmare, every theologian's speculations and every follower's questions.

Young's own story (found on the book website) may be intertwined in Mack's but so is yours and so is mine. Eugene Peterson has called this the Pilgrim's Progress for our time". I was reminded more of Hinds' Feet on High Places, but as Papa says to Mack, "Stories about a person willing to exchange their life for another are a golden thread in your world, revealing both your need and my heart."

Blog of Note

What's it like to be a young Methodist campus pastor who is the son of a Muslim father, a Christian mother and married to a woman who is one-half Jewish? Read the stories posted on Firstborn Son and begin to imagine.

Weather Panic

Well, the meteorologists (a.k.a. "Severe Weather Team") are hard at work this morning. Apparently they've been up since before the crack of dawn, measuring barometric pressure, temperature, relative humidity and making predictions about snow accumulation in East Tennessee. They've all donned their Northface parkas and Thinsulate gloves and ventured out into the medians of the highways, dodging traffic and camped out on the back porches of the studios to warn us about bad road conditions and slick steps.

They are disappointed, I know, that this is not a repeat of the infamous Blizzard of '93. Though I was living in RI at that time (where winter weather is never really news), I understand that some of the news and weathercasters never left the studios, not bathing or grooming during the blizzard and aftermath! Such dedication is rarely found in this day and age.

This morning, though there is almost no accumulation to speak of, they've pre-empted the network morning shows to zoom around the East Tennessee region, showing various degrees of winter weather. School closings are scrolling across the screen. People are calling in from all points in the viewing area talking about the person they saw sliding on the highway and the dusting of snow on the windshield. We even had one video clip of a truck sliding about 10 feet.

I'm sure there is no bread or milk to be had in any grocery store in the area. I guess snowy weather brings about an insatiable desire in many people for "milktoast", whatever that is.

This year (where there has not been so much as a 1/2 inch accumulation of snow or ice where I live), I've learned some new weather vocabulary in these frantic reports. This morning I heard a weathercaster talking about "heavy flurries", which seems to me to be an oxymoron. A few weeks ago, when we had an unexpected freeze (catching the meteorologists off-guard apparently), one weatherman was asked if what we were seeing was "sleet or freezing rain". His reply was, "Neither. What we are seeing is really ice fragments." I guess someone or something was shattering a glacier hovering far above us and the fragments were falling to earth. Maybe it was Johnny Depp, a.k.a. Edward Scissorhands creating an ice sculpture! Of course the fallback position is to label it all a "wintry mix".

Right now I am seeing a picture on the weather report of snow in a place called Petros (pronounced pee-tros), Tennessee. This brings me to another oddity of winter weather reporting: we learn about obscure places, which are apparently blanketed like a winter wonderland and we often get to see obscure people, with the appropriate hillbilly accent, offering commentary. Last night, for instance, the news featured a rotund grocery store employee predicting there would be no snow or bad weather. This prophecy was based on the lack of sensation in his bad knee. Thank God for his obesity, without which we would not have a weather forecast or a news story! Unfortunately, this morning they replayed his forecast and proved him wrong. So much for folk-meteorology.

I'm going to go enjoy the "heavy flurries".

Things I Learned at Shabbach

I did the unimaginable this week-end: I chaperoned a youth group trip! First time ever! After raising 2 daughters to adulthood without being a chaperone on one of their trips I finally bit the bullet. Hope and Josh (Student Ministers) needed chaperones for the trip to Shabbach and I like Eddie James who did the music so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Overall it was a great experience but....I learned some things.

1. I am a lot older than I thought.

2. Not all kids (i.e.- teen-age girls) are snipey and mean. Many are actually supportive of each other and sweet. This has not necessarily been the experience of my daughters in all youth groups and was not my experience while teaching middle and high schoolers.

3. My daughters are not the only messy kids on earth.

4. My daughters have actually learned some things about basic housekeeping.

5. There are more kids in serious trouble (cutting, suicide, addictions) than I (or most adults) want to believe or imagine. Thankfully, I saw scores of kids getting help and praying through to repentance.

6. Young people will worship without restraint when given the space and encouragement to do so.

7. We have come some distance with regard to race. This was truly an interracial gathering of 3000 people, mostly youth. They all worshiped together; they had traveled together and were in effect living together for 3 days. For me, it was a wonder to see this happening in SC. That would have been impossible in the SC I grew up in.

8. It is possible to have a large gathering that is predominantly COG without politics and commercials.

9. God is still moving; the Pentecostal Movement is still very much alive. Our kids will be okay. But will they be in the church/denomination they grew up in? The jury's still out.

Reflection and/or Relaxation?

Most of you know: I'm on sabbatical. For someone who is task-oriented, routine-driven as well as guilt-driven, time spent in reflection, reading, studying often feels like "wasting time". It's hard being the oldest daughter of Builder Generation Parents! I didn't struggle as much with this guilt when I was in England, as I was paying good money to go there to further my education. Anyway, my retired pastor friend, Lowell Brannen, must feel the same way. Here's a poem he recently wrote and posted on his blog:

The Sighs of a Sluggard

The day has come, the day has gone,
And here I sit. I’m all alone.
The day was short, and not so kind,
I could not satisfy my mind.

Were you out there? I should have known.
You did not speak. Then you were gone.
But then I thought, Why should you care,
About my plight, or my despair.

I had the day just like you did,
And all day long, My face I hid.
I could have called, or visited,
But here is what I did instead:

I sat me down upon my chair,
And focused only on the air.
I only thought of me myself,
And all my dreams upon the shelf.

I viewed them over in my mind,
And knew that they were left behind.
What a wise man I’d have been,
If I had only let you in.

Time and time and time again,
I know you tried to be my friend,
But I refused to let it be,
Because of my concern for me.

Why, oh why did I do wrong,
By doing nothing for so long?
Now, it’s gone. My days are spent.
And for this sin, I now repent.

— Lowell A. Brannen

Also enjoying.....

This is Tom Jones

Gift

It is possible that the gift I will appreciate longest was given to me by Corky, who knows me well. (Ironically, I had already purchased it for Hope!) The gift was Caroline Kennedy's A Family Christmas. Kennedy has collected many well-known and some lesser known readings on Christmas including Scripture, familiar stories such as "The Gift of the Magi" and "The Night Before Christmas", letters ("Yes, Virginia....", her letter to Santa from 1961, JFK's letter to a young girl about Christmas and the Missile Crisis) and other genre by writers including Twain, Keillor and Elliot. One of the most enlightening is the 2006 instructions to those employed by Macy's to portray Santa. Kennedy's introduction is wonderful as she reminisces about her mother's traditions. I look forward to enjoying this beautiful work for years to come.

Christmas Memories 2007

My friend Mike McMullen posted recently with the title "I Just Sat Down". I concur. This has been one of the busiest holiday seasons ever. And we weren't pastors! I was, however, along with Hope, Josh and Emma, in "The Christmas Post", the Lovell Heights Christmas musical; the girls were also in the a youth cantata. Both were very successful and beautiful. There was a horse show in December and a total of 9 parties, only one of which I was unable to attend. Leslie had a chorus concert; Emma worked her "part-time" job at Bath & Body Works every day. Corky preached last Sunday at LH. I attended a taping of an event at TL's Global Ministry Center. Then there were final exams and papers to grade, and I had to prepare for my sabbatical (!!) by packing all the books and files I could possibly need for six months.

I got some of my decorating finished, but not all. I did no baking after creating a buche de noel last year! Both of those things were discouraging to me.

We had good trips to Virginia and SC for Christmas week, though Josh was sick. Lots of loot, games and food. Our traditions include a game and appetizer party at my sister's, taco soup on Christmas Eve for lunch, lasagna for dinner, Christmas morning brunch and a more traditional turkey-dressings-ham dinner for Christmas night. Our baked goods traditions are fudge, cookies, cheese wafers, peanut brittle, seven-layer cookies, homemade Chex Party Mix. Added this year were several other decadent things including some great mincemeat bars and those wonderful chocolate covered peanut butter Ritz crackers!

Perhaps the thing that added the most to the "busyness" was that I "crafted" for Christmas gifts this year, something I haven't done in decades. I made a huge scrapbook for my sister, Michele. Lots of fun, lots of work, lots of emotion! Going through all the old pictures was nostalgiac and brought up lots of memories. Then I decided to re-upholster my old rocking chair for Lex. My dad and mom had fixed it for Hope when she was a baby. I haven't sewn in years and was thrilled to find out that my sewing machine (which was my mom's) still worked after sitting in the garage for years. It was well worth it, as Lex loved sitting in the rocker, like a big boy!

Now, I have to take down the tree, organize my home office (thanks to my thoughtful husband, Corky, for a desk chair!), set a new budget, and get back on some sort of sensible eating plan!