In My Life

Generational Blessings

2009-01-08T14:27:00.004-05:00

While we hear a lot about "generational curses" in pop theology, we rarely hear much about "generational blessings". It seems to me that Scripture has much more to say about the latter! While the ultimate act of blessing is the work of God, it is a fact that the patriarchs (and I would say matriarchs as well) made much of blessing the next generation and therefore the generations to come.

Though I have some room in my theology for generational curses which are supernatural by nature (demonic in origin), I have more room for "curses" which are brought on the the next generation through bad choices, poor modeling and sinful lifestyles of the elders, mostly the works of the flesh or worldly aspirations. In a similar way, the next generation, and those after can be blessed through right choices, good and intentional modeling and godly (and healthy) lifestyles.

I recently read a quote from "The Great Law of The Iroquois Confederacy" ((oddly enough, I read it on a detergent bottle!): "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations."

If I consider the impact of my decisions with that kind of sobriety, not only will my children be blessed but so will theirs and those for at least seven generations to come.

Is this not something of what it means to live a life of holiness?

Dreaming of a White Christmas

2006-12-19T22:13:00.000-05:00

So, here I sit, dreaming of a white Christmas. I'm afraid it is only a dream. The weather is balmy. It has actually seemed inappropriate this year to have a Christmas wreath on the door....it's sunny and warm.

But Christmas isn't really about atmospheric conditions. Snow, sleighbells (never have actually heard those on Christmas or much of any other time), even fires in the fireplace don't really make it Christmas. It's about tradition.

Of course, we always think first of the foods we love at Christmas, the ways our family celebrates. And that's a part of what I'm talking about when I say "tradition." As we learned from Fiddler, "Tradition!" holds things together. Our family traditions connect us to each other but also to the larger Tradition, especially at Christmas. The larger Tradition is the history of those who follow Jesus, and how they have worshiped and honored Him, and specifically, the Incarnation.

So, I'm tired of the annual Christmas War, led by those who want to diminish the importance of the celebrations. Yes, of course, we borrowed a lot of the traditions from Pagan cultures or Turner Classic Movies. But God is about redemption, so the hanging of the wreath, the lighting of the tree, the yule log (not my family's tradition but I've been thinking of making Julia Child's Buche de Noel this year!), all can be redeemed to honor the Incarnation. As the Eastern Church says, his becoming flesh has redeemed flesh and all of creation. So, the tree, the holly, the applesauce cake, the bubble light (that one is for Corky) can all reflect the greatest of all stories.

So, while I dream of a White Christmas....Christmas is actualized even in the heat of a Southern December!

The Perfect Christmas

2006-12-20T01:44:00.000-05:00

Sunday night Josh and Hope's youth group presented a play at Lovell Heights COG called "The Perfect Christmas". You know the story: someone thinks they can design the perfect Christmas by eliminating this and adding that, only to find out that it's perfect as we allow God to interrupt it and as we reach out to others.

Well, it doesn't get anymore perfect than our first family celebration, this past Monday night. Corky, the 3 girls, Lex and I went to the Christmas dinner for the service recipients at the agency where Corky now ministers. Of course, we went there to "share our blessings with others" by Christmas caroling. As usual, we were the ones ministered to. Later, we had dinner and a karaoke party at a home. I was thrilled to be a part of an all-out party where everyone was on the same playing field and everyone's contribution was appreciated. We sang, we danced, arm in arm, twirling, spinning, yelling, weeping (at least I was) and everybody was happy. When one sang a song, everybody cheered. Sheer joy!

For all our talk of egalitarianism, of democracy, of freedom for all, in the nation and world we certainly haven't achieved it. And as soon as we come close in the church, we try to perfect it, only to see the dream fade away. But on Monday night, I sat (and danced!) in a heavenly place.

It was perfect.

The Greatest Christmas Movie Ever

2006-12-20T10:44:00.000-05:00

Everyone younger than 30 will have to imagine what it was like to wait patiently for one of the three major networks or maybe a UHF independent channel (which always had fuzzy reception) to show a favorite movie. In fact, you weren't really waiting on it. It was all serendipity....a happy surprise....when a movie you really love came on TV. So, I distinctly remember happily stumbling onto Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen. It was wonderful! "Snow, snow, snow, snow, snow!" being sang in what my dad called "modern harmony" while the quartet sat at a booth in the dining car of a fast-moving passenger train. I think it was that movie (and maybe "Holdiay Inn" and "Christmas in Connecticut") which made a New England Christmas seem so idyllic. Years later, when we went to the Christmas tree farm to cut down a tree in Portsmouth, RI, it was with that in view.

I remember when my sister and I talked our Dad into buying "White Christmas" on VHS when it first came out. Then you could always count on TBS to broadcast it. For years, my girls and I watched a taped copy with all the Atlanta local mid-80's commercials. Now we have a DVD which includes a commentary by Rosemary Clooney!

Even though I know that Christmas (even in New England) isn't that blissful; even though I know that Rosemary Clooney later had emotional problems and that Vera Ellen was anorexic; even though, as I mentioned earlier, I've never really experienced a White Christmas; even though (and perhaps in spite of) the anxiety I feel about this war in Iraq; I still love to watch Phil dance with Judy ("The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing") and Betty wistfully sing "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me" (how 'bout those turtlenecked male dancers!); I still get misty when General Waverly is saluted as he walks into the theater in uniform; and most of all, I love to hear Bob tell Betty to "count Your blessings instead of sheep".

For a person like me, who is troubled by many things I see and hear, it is nice to allow myself to get sentimental at least once a year.

And So It Begins...

2006-12-22T09:58:00.000-05:00

Last night the festivities began (not Festivus, Christmas!). Our immediate family (Corky, Hope and Josh, Emma, Leslie and this year....Lex!) were joined by Emma's friend Justin for the first Christmas gathering. We will continue the festivities this week-end in Virginia and South Carolina.

Hope and I decided that we would have a light dinner so that everyone could actually enjoy dessert! We had a Greek salad and bruschetta. Being the Domestic Goddesses that we are, we baked all day. She made yummy cranberry bread with cream cheese and biscotti. I bit the bullet and made the Buche de Noel! I have to say, it was beautiful. And delicious. Chocolate, of course. I love to try new things, but I'm not a very good baker. I blame it on the fact that I've lived so many places and had too many different ovens so I've never been able to perfect the art! It's a good excuse, anyway.

But the highlight is always gift-giving. Of course this year, giving to Lex was the "main event." He didn't quite understand it all but I think he looks sweet on his horsey from Marmie and Pop Pop!

Family

2006-12-28T12:27:00.000-05:00

Family is more to me than a cliche or political position. Family is about identity. Never, until I was a wife, then mother of 3, did I realize how much those affective relationships would change my sense of self. While I do not see myself, by any stretch of my imagination, as the quintessential mother, "mother" is who I am. What I do, what I say, what I plan has an effect on my husband, my daughters and now the husband and child of one of those daughters. As a wife and mother, I understand integration. We exist in synergy, in participation with one another. Despite what Simon and Garfunkle sang, I am not a rock nor an island. The poet was right, "No [wo]man is an island" but we are part of a whole, part of "the main". Western culture, once again, has not helped us in this regard and it is quite ironic that a "Family Values" agenda is identified with a capitalist political platform. My immediate family relationships are simply a part of the whole family of humanity. We are all created in the image of God, and therefore we all have instrinsic value; we are brothers and sisters. My children, and now my grandson have taught me that it is not all about me, but we.

Places I Love 1: Nottingham

2006-12-30T17:10:00.000-05:00

It was such a privilege for me to be able to study in England for six years. Sometimes I still can't believe that I was so blessed! What made the six weeks per year even more wonderful was that the place I stayed was beautiful, as much of England is. But there are the "industrial North" cities, where industry has overwhelmed architecture. Nottingham is not one of those. Located in the East Midlands it is perhaps best known for Robin Hood and his archrival, the Sheriff (yes...there actually is a Sherwood Forest and I've been there). There are other notable tourist attractions. Lord Byron's ancestral home is also there as well as the oldest pub in England (so they say). There's a castle of sorts (not a very old one) and some very interesting man-made caves which were used as bomb shelters during WW2. There is a lace manufacturing museum. Nottingham is special to the locals because of its football team, Nottingham Forest. About halfway into my years of study, Starbucks arrived....on every block! By the way, Starbucks in England feels very European; something about it there is different.

What I love about Nottingham is that it is visually pleasing with lots of the color of a European city, but it is manageable. The City Centre feels large, and is almost always crowded with lots of young people, but it is easily navigated. I've been to London, of course, which is vastly different and has its own decided advantages. I've also been to Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds, comparable in size (some larger than Nottingham) but without the artsy character of Nottingham. (Leeds has its own distinction; my favorite things about it are the Victorian shopping arcades).

I savored Saturdays in Nottingham, my reward for accomplishing a lot during the week. I took the bus into the City Centre, disembarking on Friar Tuck Way, walked and walked, enjoying coffee, buying gifts for Corky and the girls (CD stores, Past Times, Laura Ashley) . The Council House is at the center, complete with lots of pigeons. There are two malls, large department stores (Debenham's features foods and linens designed by Jane Asher), lots of interesting food places, churches and small shops. Food vendors on the street sell "jacket potatoes" with prawns, etc.and flower vendors sell absolutey beautiful bouquets. I always ended up at Waterstone's Books, of course, W. H. Smith (books and stationery), Boots [pharmacy headquartered in Nottingham), and the Denbey Pottery outlet.

So, I'm posting some photos I found which make me "homesick".

My Girls: Hope

2007-01-05T21:31:00.000-05:00

My most rewarding, but most difficult job is parenting. In six years, when the last daughter is no longer a teen-ager, I believe that I may be decorated by the Queen (no doubt she will still be on the throne!). Mothering, even with all the instincts which come with the job, is still the most demanding of all that I do. A mother knows that she must add to instinct, medical knowledge, psychology and the wisdom of all the mothers who've come before (and believe me, they are glad to share it with you!). But at least once a day, a mother (and a father) have to "make it up" on the spot. My first experience with being a mother was one of those situations.

Hope was born in an unexpected way, with serious health issues which threatened her life. None of the books or childbirth education classes had prepared me for the words from the doctors and nurses. I had to make it up on the spot. My instinct was to nurture and fix things for her. But I couldn't. Hope taught me to trust God for her healing.

Hope has continued to teach me, especially about God. I've learned about His great love for us, because of my great love for her. I've learned about His pride in His creation. I've learned about His continued nurture and care (Deists must not be parents!).

My firstborn, Hope, is a lovely young woman, a wonderful wife and an amazingly caring and nurturing mother. She is creative and talented, a wonderful conversationalist and writer. She is a woman of great conviction (she has to be, given her genetics)and passion. And to add to her complexity, she has a great sense of humor! Oh! and did I mention, a fabulous sense of style?!

I'm proud to be Hope's mom.

Just Read

2007-01-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

I've just finished Anita Shreve's "Light On Snow", a short novel about a father, a daughter, snowstorms, an abandoned baby and a remorseful mother. Shreve is the author of many books; I've read "The Pilot's Wife", an Oprah choice. She has the amazing ability to captivate the reader from the first pages of her books. I like the way this story is told from the 12 year old girl's perspective. One reviewer describes the plot as the whole lot of them being "thawed", a pretty good description.

I like this paragraph: "My father sits at the head of the table, Charlotte and I across from each other. For a few seconds the three of us look at one another and at the stack of pancakes, as if we are a family pondering whether or not to say grace. Sitting at a table in our kitchen feels both strange and familiar. It is a simple thing, but my father and I have gone a long time without it." (p. 251)

I love reading fiction, but don't do it a lot BECAUSE I am so captivated by it. It's very hard for me to stop reading a novel, once I begin. Normally, I reserve fiction reading for vacations (summer and Christmas). What I should do, is read one fiction book and one non-fiction (theology related) per week. Then I could feel good about the fiction. But somehow, fiction and discipline don't go together well.

My Girls: Emma

2007-01-11T23:11:00.000-05:00

Let's see. When she was younger we called her Emma the Dilemma (that name was even painted on her bright yellow soapbox derby car....in which she placed 3rd!). Lots of her friends call her Mema. Quite a few old people have called her Emmer. Other people mistakenly call her Emily. But to us, she is our lovely middle child, Emma Catherine.

What's in a name? Her first name, Emma, means "nurse". And Emma has proven to be a loving, sweet, caring person. She was named Catherine for co-founder of the Salvation Army and Preacher Catherine Booth. Though Emma is not as outgoing and bold as her namesake, she is a firmly committed and determined woman.

She's a beauty. An Audrey Hepburn look-alike. She has style, poise and exotic dark features. She's fun (and funny). Everyone loves being with Emma. As a young chiild, an extremely young child, she played practical jokes: pretending to be asleep when she was about 18 months old; hiding and jumping out and scaring her father when she was in kindergarten; and the most incredible, notorious joke: when she was about 3 she pushed straight pens down into my stick deodarant!

Emma is talented. She has a beautiful voice (a great ear for alto, a family characteristic!), and she's a great dancer (a talent she did NOT inherit from me).

Some of my fondest memories of times with Emma are of us snuggled up together in the chair, eating Doritos and watching old movies (especially Doris Day-Rock Hudson, or anything with Cary Grant!).

It seems amazing to me that my tiny, loving, dear little girl (with perfect hair!) is all grown up! But she is quite a young woman; studying nursing, working with developmentally challenged adults, managing her academic, family and social life and still managing to look like a movie star!

Emma is a gift of God to me!

Good To Be Home

2007-01-20T22:24:00.000-05:00

Just returned from a two week teaching stint in New York City. I was privileged to be able to teach a Winterim course on healing for New York Theological Seminary. The course met nightly at the historic Riverside Church. I spent a good bit of the time during the day at the Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary. New York is a great city, of course, but I find that I enjoy traveling much more when I'm with my family. Having two weeks to see New York as New Yorkers see it was a great experience, however: riding the subway to work everyday, braving the winter elements, drinking coffee at Starbucks. I enjoyed a Sunday morning service at Times Square Church and a MLK Memorial at Riverside (with MLK III, James Forbes and John Edwards) But I did do some tourist stuff, some new, some a repeat of what I've done before. And I enjoyed some great food: Chinese in Chinatown, Italian in Little Italy, and thanks to the hospitality of one of my students, a pastor from Harlem, Soul Food at Sylvia's in Harlem! The tourist highlight was visiting an exhibit on Spanish art at the Guggenheim: El Greco to Picasso. I found myself quite attracted to El Greco's moody, dark work, especially the religious art.

But, it's true, there's no place like home. And for me, home is not a state, as I've lived in quite a few of those. Home is where my family is. It was wonderful to be hugged, kissed and greeted by Corky, Leslie and Little Missy!

My Girls: Leslie

2007-01-22T19:05:00.000-05:00

Baby Leslie is all grown up! It's hard to believe that my baby is in high school! Like her older sisters, Leslie is beautiful and witty. When she was a toddler, she looked identical to pictures of Hope at the same age. But as she has matured, she has developed her own beauty and style.(Here with PBR champion Mike Lee) As a very small child, Leslie was a great mimic and actress. That ability is a clue to another unique thing about Leslie: she is very observant. This ability to learn through observation has been a plus in the development of her passion and talent: barrel racing. From the first time she went to a "horse camp" she was able to quickly grasp the fundamentals of grooming, handling, saddling and riding. Over the last few years she's had her own trainer who's helping her to become a champion! The picture is of Leslie on her faithful champion quarterhorse, "Hugs and Kisses", a.k.a. Sweetie. In addition to being skilled in barrels, she has also won ribbons in poles and a silver buckle in goat-tying! Who would have thought it?

As proud as I am of Leslie's horsemanship, I am most proud of her deep commitment to Jesus. She is deeply spiritual and already exhibits a special anointing for ministry.

Corky and I are so blessed to have three beautiful daughters, each with their own gifts and talents. Being a mother of daughters may be a challenge (and it is!) but it is a joy!

Devotional Reading

2007-01-24T13:43:00.000-05:00

God is Enough: Selections From Published and Unpublished Devotional Writings by Hannah Whitall Smith" Melvin E. and Hallie A. Dieter, ed.

A Year With Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Daily Meditations from His Letters, Writings, and Sermons Foreward by Jim Wallis

Contentment

2007-01-27T00:40:00.000-05:00

It's good to be home. Have I said that? Corky's feeling better. I've taken Leslie to the farm to ride Sweetie twice. Hope, Josh and Lex are back in Tennessee. Emma is home for the week-end. It feels very right.

Tonight, Corky, Leslie and I got together with dear friends and ate real Louisiana gumbo and lemon pie. We laughed and cried a little and rejoiced in where we all are in life and ministry right now.

The temperature is dropping and there may be snow on Sunday.

At my age, I've sense enough to know that it all could change in a moment. So, I've learned, or I'm continuing to learn, to savor the simple things like home, family and friends.

I love change and new adventures, but for now, I'm content.

A Victorious Saturday

2007-01-27T23:04:00.000-05:00

Woo-hoo! I'm thrilled. Hope, Emma and I went to a Health Expo today (it was not a chick thing but it was kind of a girls' day out, though we were accompanied by a very sweet and cute Lex and joined later by Justin). Anyway...I am proud to announce that all my screenings were in the normal range: blood pressure, heart rate, body mass index (that's a biggie!!!), bone density and blood oxygenation. In fact, my bone density was better than Hope's, though hers was good. They told me that even if I live to be 100, I shouldn't have any problem with osteoporosis!! My blood oxygen level was 100%, a couple percentage points better than both Hope's and Emma's. My BMI was the same as theirs!! That is a major accomplishment on my part. I've worked hard for about a year and a half on diet and exercise, something I haven't been successful at for years and years. And, notably, Hope's BMI was in the normal range, only 4.5 months after having a very large and healthy little baby! I'm quite proud of her! Of course, Emma is in great shape; she walks all over campus and danced 3 days a week last semester. I'm not trying to compete with them [I can't at my age] and I'm not trying to go back to my high school days but...I want to be a good steward of my health. So, I'm pretty happy!

Chick Flicks

2007-01-27T23:33:00.000-05:00

Okay. So, I've been thinking about this as a great blog discussion for chicks: What's the best chick flick ever? [A major problem for this post is that many of my fellow-bloggers are guys...they can feel free to weigh in on the discussion...it doesn't threaten me!]

I'll begin with what I believe to be the greatest chick flick ever: "An Affair to Remember" starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Why is it the greatest (and by the way it is acknowledged as such in "Sleepless in Seattle")? Because it has everything a good chick flick needs: a gorgeous leading man (and he's the classiest-ever), a beautiful, believable leading lady, sexy and humorous banter between them, a near tragedy, and a romantic happy ending. Oh, and also transformation of the leading man from "bad boy" to responsible, sensitive but still sexy knight in shining armor.

And who can get through that last scene in her apartment, with the painting and the shawl without sobbing? And after all the great banter, Kerr delivers the greatest line in the movie, "Oh it was nobody's fault but my own. I was looking up. It was the nearest thing to heaven. You were there!" Can anything top that?? I invite your comments.

Nostalgia

2007-02-01T22:05:00.000-05:00

For some reason I waxed nostalgiac tonight and began to think about my childhood, which was very happy and "tvland" like: mom, dad, me, my sister, ranch house in a subdivision. My sister and I played outside a lot, going barefoot as soon as it was acceptable (sometime in May?), rode bikes through the neighborhood, made mud pies, tried to sell lemonade/kool-aid to the neighbors. When it was too cool outside, we played indoors with baby dolls or Barbies. As soon as the Sears Wish Book arrived in the Fall, we began picking out the toys we wanted for Christmas. We were always prepared for the reference work, of course, because we had faithfully watched Saturday morning cartoons and had seen all the ads.

One of the things I was reflecting on today was how dangerous some of the toys were. For instance, my sister had a Viewmaster Projector that became incredibly hot when in use. The most dangerous toy that we owned would have to be the Mattel Thingmaker, used for making both Creepy Crawlers and Creeple People. The Thingmaker was basically a hotplate, in which you placed metal casts of insects or lizards, filled with Plastigoop. The Thingmaker would cook the cast until the Creepy Crawlers were dry and rubbery. The metal cast was lifted out with a metal tong. You see the danger here: hotplate, hot cast, hot plastic. Creeple People were made the same way but you were actually forming body parts (arms, feet, heads) for troll-like beings. The body parts fit onto a no. 2 pencil. How bizarre! Bugs, earthworms, trolls, spiders all being cooked-up in a hotplate on the kitchen table.

Another toy which I remembered was the "Give-a-Show Projector" which promised hours of movie enjoyment but delivered maybe moments of mild amusement. The "movie" or "film" was actually a rectangular frame which was pushed slowly through the projector. I remember having to gather the family in the bathroom (the only room with no window) in order to have enough darkness so that we could have a night at the movies. The lens of the projector had to be moved in and out frequently for focusing purposes. This toy was made by Kenner. In my opinion, and I invite your response, Kenner, Hasbro, and even Ideal could never hold a candle to Mattel.

Wilberforce 2007

2007-02-03T00:05:00.000-05:00

There are more slaves in the world today than were seized from Africa in four decades of trans-atlantic slave trade. Sign the petition in honor of William Wilberforce and the abolition of slavery (February 23, 1807) in England.

At The Movies

2007-02-09T11:29:00.000-05:00

Amazing Grace is the story of William Wilburforce's fight to have the British slave-trade abolished. The film also depicts the influence of John Newton and his hymn "Amazing Grace". Newton was a slave trader who had a dramatic conversion during a storm at sea and became a pastor and hymn writer. The song "Amazing Grace" is perhaps the most well known hymn in the world and has been recorded by the likes of Pete Seeger, Aretha Franklin and Judy Collins and was sung by Arlo Guthrie at Woodstock. While on the "trail of tears", the Cherokee were not always able to give their dead a full burial. Instead, the singing of "Amazing Grace" had to suffice. Since then, "Amazing Grace" is often considered the Cherokee National Anthem.

The film is premiering at theaters throughout the US on February 23, the 200th anniversary of the date slavery was abolished in England. The Amazing Change Campaign to end the slave trade in the world today is being launched to coincide with the release of the film.

Week-end

2007-02-18T23:20:00.000-05:00

I love week-ends. Always have. Basically, my body clock operates on an academic schedule; I mean, an elementary school schedule. I'm ready for week-ends at about 3 on Fridays; I'm ready for a break in mid-Fall and mid-Spring; I think everyone has a 2 week break at Christmas and everyone should have the summer off! That's just how I think and order my life.

So, week-ends rarely disappoint. This one was no exception. Nice Friday night at home; great day out on Saturday with Corky (dinner, movie, bookstores!); and Sunday was great: good service at church with an added surprise of getting to spend the afternoon with Hope, Josh, LEX and my "theology son", Nic. Lex feels bad with his little stuffy nose so I got to hold him and comfort him a lot. A perfect day for a grandmother!

By the way...I've been having lots of thought lately about getting to make cupcakes for Lex! (So, I gave him a little bite of cake icing today....grandmothers can do that!)

And Bless Us All With Peace

2007-02-25T20:01:00.000-05:00

We now of fleets and armies vaunt,
And ships and men prepare;
But men like Moses most we want,
To save the state by prayer.

Yet, Lord, we hope thou hast prepared
A hidden few today;
(The nation’s secret strength and guard)
To weep, and mourn, and pray.

O hear their prayers and grant us aid,
Bid war and discord cease;
Heal the sad breach which sin has made,
And bless us all with peace.

John Newton
Feb. 12, 1778

A Consuming Passion

2007-03-04T08:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we went to see the movie "Amazing Grace". It was Corky's birthday and my parents were in for the week-end. Hope, Josh, and Lex came as well. And Leslie, of course. Emma was working. I had been eagerly anticipating seeing the movie, having read a lot about it and Wilberforce of late. It did not disappoint. Wilberforce struggles between activism and working for the Lord and is advised that he can do both. As Steve Land would say, "It's a false choice."

What most impressed me, or provoked me, was how all-consuming his long fight became, eventually making him ill. To be consumed with a cause of justice, haunted by it is a "gift" which is not to be envied. But it is these people who change the world. And Wilberforce did. I was also stirred by the parallels between the politicizing of issues then and recent events, the challenges that those who engaged in the fight for abolition faced with regard to their loyalty to their country.

I won't spoil it one but the most moving portions involve John Newton (possibly my uncle...my Mom was a Newton!) and his recollection of being a slave-trader.

It is rare that a movie which has historical value, a wonderful story, and important values but is also so timely makes it to the bigscreen.

Society for Pentecostal Studies Meeting

2007-03-11T17:11:00.000-05:00

It's Sunday following the annual meeting of the
Society for Pentecostal Studies. This meeting is always exhausting but this year, because we met at Lee University in Cleveland, I commuted back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth! Breakfast at 7 am with the Wesleyan-Pentecostal Consultation group, sessions beginning at 8:30 and ending at 9 pm, "breaks" which are really mini-meetings with scholars from around the world!! All wonderful and enriching but tiring. And it was a time-change week-end! This is appropriate, however, because it meant Corky and I were spending the Saturday night of a Spring "losing one hour" time-change with Chris Thomas, something that has happened numerous times in the past! This year, I began my term as History Interest Group Chair, which increased the workload for me but also widened my circle of acquaintances. Professor Allan Anderson, my external examiner for my PhD attended the meeting (he usually does) and presented a plenary on early Pentecostal missions. It was great to see and hear from him again. I also enjoy visiting with the veterans who've done so much to pave the way for my work: Cecil "Mel" Robeck, Frank Macchia, Bill Faupel, to name a few. So...lots of input, lots of people, lots of new insights. But very tired feet!

Writing For the Academy

2007-03-15T05:54:00.001-05:00

ORU-Jetson's Campus

2007-03-18T15:52:00.000-05:00

Corky's picture of the spaceship house on Signal Mtn. reminded me of the ORU campus. Thought I'd share a few pictures so those of you who've never been there can see what I mean by the Jetson's reference on the 'Pop Pop Culture' blog.