Happy New Year!

I hope you too are contemplating positive changes you wish to make in the New Year, although I am not much of one for New Year's resolutions. Apart from wishing to be more productive in general, I have a fond hope of seeing clutter drastically reduced yet again in our house. I think we are slowly making progress in the right direction--at least things are being given permanent homes and we are making some habits of tidying up paperwork right away. I just hope we are able to simplify things further in the coming year, since we are going to be super busy.

I hope you had a good Christmas, as did we. My parents had a great time with the kids and the kids are already asking when Grandma and Grandpa are coming to visit again. As it happens, that will probably occur in mid-August or so, which will be a welcome summer visit. And my in-laws are planning a trek over as well, so I am hopeful of sharing the bountiful produce from our garden with them all.

I am certainly not sorry to say goodbye to the plagues and troubles of the past year. To put them in perspective, we have really had a soft year for troubles considering what so many others are facing. Still, I would be glad of a respite for a while from home repairs and necessary projects, and would like to see us put forth our efforts toward some worthwhile but 'optional' projects instead. It would be really fun to see the kids enjoying their free playset, for example, complete with sandbox and swings. I know they would get a lot of use of it, so hopefully we can get that up by mid-spring for full summer enjoyment.

I hope you all have a wonderful 2009. Let us hope that we greet the New Year with hope and contentment with our multitude of blessings, and consider too how we can all share them a bit more in the New Year. Happy New Year!

All I Want for Christmas

I want my linen closet back. Seriously. Its shelves are covered with construction materials and tools, while my linens are strewn all over the house in vacuum space bags. Our children are ripping them one by one by playing on them like their own version of the preformed foam play structures at the mall. I trip over two bags when I go into the laundry room to do laundry, I skirt around five in our bedroom, and have to move two more from in front of my sewing machine when I need to sew, or in front of the hall closet when I need to get something or put something away. I am really tired of it, almost more so than the whole lack of a tiled tub surround thing. It's just the last straw at this point, as I contemplate our cluttered surfaces and what needs to be done before my parents arrive on Sunday. I just don't need that "one more thing", know what I mean?

I know that I am going to continue to divest us of extraneous "stuff" in the coming year. In fact, if I can get my parents to be accommodating enough with the kids, I am going to clean out a few things while they are here. Maybe by setting a good example they will do the same in their house when they get home. I have no illusions about where I get my clutterbug tendencies from. What I am realizing, however, is that if you don't use something on a regular basis, it's really not necessary to have it in your house. There are a lot of things that can be multi-taskers, and the uni-taskers are getting the boot around here. I don't have the energy to put it all away and the kids certainly don't do us any favors in that respect.

I still don't have all the Christmas decorations up. Frankly there are 2 more things that I want to see up, and the rest I can happily see packed away in the attic until next year, when hopefully I will have more energy.

If you haven't checked it out, read Luke 16. Talk about a convicting chapter on money and how to be a wise steward of it! I am humbled by our abysmal money management, in particular my abysmal money management. That, too, needs to change in the New Year. I can't do it alone, though. I am going to have to stick to a plan and be accountable. It is hard to change bad habits, because they are so very comfortable to us here. Ugh. Ever noticed how what is the most comfortable is often the worst thing for you in the long term? Luke 16--it's all there. I'm telling you, we need to be accountable. I'm thinking it's time to call our friends who have successfully completed their debt snowball and get some serious monthly accountability going. Big sigh. Yeah, it's going to suck, but it's so completely necessary it's not even funny. We need to kiss our credit card debt goodbye yesterday with this economy. Wish us luck!

Mid-December Madness

Well as seems to be warranted with our house, there is always a perpetual problem popping up requiring prompt attention. (Boy would my English teacher Mrs. Wilson be proud of that alliteration...) Now we have an open neutral somewhere on the circuit that powers most of our bedroom and our son's bedroom. Oh joy. After checking all the non-working outlets and the working outlets adjacent to the non-working ones, my DH thinks he has pinpointed the trouble spot to be a poor splice that is probably in the attic. We spotted this little bit of wire and electrical tape over by the far wall once when we were up there, and said to ourselves that this was something that required further investigation. Apparently that time has come, because from what we can figure out, that is where some prior owner spliced in the electrical line for the exterior lights on the cottage/garage. It's sort of a good thing that they left it sort of poking up there from the wall, because if that had done it correctly with a junction box we would have no idea that it was there. DH suspects that the pigtail going back to the outlet on my side of the bed has come loose, which gives us an open neutral on the rest of the circuit. So we are going to buy a junction box and properly install it in the attic, and DH is going to ensure that splice is correct so we don't need to worry about fire hazards and such. In the meantime, we are on day two of the circuit remaining off for safety, and I am using a floor lamp with an extension cord for our bedroom.



Additionally, I have finally solved the MIL present dilemma and hastily shipped off a cute old-style photograph of the kiddos to her, with enough time that it should arrive before Christmas and be safely tucked under the tree. MIL was a bit sad that there was no present for her under the tree in the box I shipped earlier, and that left DH & I scrambling to find something appropriate. I mean, the reason there was nothing in there for her, was that we didn't find anything she'd like or would use! So given the exorbitant cost of shipping things to Ireland, it didn't seem wise to ship something that we knew was just useless crap. We fall on the old standbys of gift cards when nothing appropriate presents itself on this side of the water, and thus was my MIL left with no personally wrapped and addressed present. *sigh* As an aside, how is it that wives get stuck with the Christmas shopping for their husband's family?? Anyway, I feel confident she will love the photo and we can send along an accessory for her new mobile phone from an Irish website, and we're done. *Phew* Fortunately DH's brother-in-law and younger sister will be just as happy with gift cards, so we just have to order those and call it good.



I also have not bought anything for my mother, or my grandparents or great aunt. I should be able to get Wal Mart gift cards or some such for my grandparents and great aunt, as they are too old for useless stuff and I know they would actually use and appreciate the money toward their Wal Mart purchases. My mom is a bit more puzzling, because despite her Amazon wishlist there is nothing that really screams, "I would love this!" We got a pass this year on my dad because my siblings and I chipped in on a really expensive Shun knife that he wanted, so I know he will use it and love it. It's harder to convince myself that my mom will love getting the new Enya Christmas CD on Christmas Day (if she hasn't bought it for herself already), or a new pair of Lee Women's pants in chocolate twill. Just not feeling the love there. She buys her favorite author's books as soon as they come out, and again, pre-ordering a book that is not out for four months is just a little weeny for my taste.



We are still working through the massive pile of Christmas cards that need to be addressed and mailed off. It's great on the one hand to have so many friends and family, but on the other hand it is a lot of work too. I am just hoping that more of our friends reciprocate, because I really love getting Christmas cards. It's the right thing to do to send the cards, but it's hard to justify sending out 200+ cards if you only get about 50-60 in return.



And I still don't have all the Christmas decorations up. Both trees are in the house, and upright...but only one is fully decorated. I was working on the other one today, but discovered that the new lights we just bought at Wal Mart do not work. Grrrrr...*eye tic* So now I get to return them to Wal Mart, and go to another store to buy more lights (because really, if the first box didn't work, who in their right mind would buy the same brand again?).



Did I mention that the bathroom isn't done yet? Yeah. No tub surround. Not even the tile backerboard up. Does this annoy me? Oh yeah, you bet it does. My parents arrive in a little over a WEEK. I would like to have tile up, thanks. You know, the whole progress thing that indicates that our children will SOMEDAY be able to have baths again in their new $400 tub. Little things like that. And my drywall seaming is still too imperfect for my liking, so I have to smooth over some of the rough spots and re-texture the walls, then re-paint those areas. I don't think we'll ever be done.



And we have other good stuff and bad stuff going on too. DH stepped on a nail on Sunday and had to get a tetanus shot. We had a coyote in our yard yesterday morning, which I had to scare off (I don't want them feeling at home in our yard, TYVM). At least the small birds seem to have rediscovered the suet feeder, which I finally re-hung after being certain that large mammals of the genus Ursus would be hibernating by now. And DH is actually getting a Christmas bonus, which is a big praise in this day and age! Of course it is all going to our debt snowball, but YAY REDUCTION OF DEBT!



Nothing to do but press on, I'm afraid. I still have apples to can. Someday, I will be done...someday...

Day 9, Luke 9

Sorry for the silence on this end. As you know it is a busy time of year, and we've had a lot on our plates this past week. Still I think it's best to pick up on the right day and move right along, so here we are at Luke 9.

There is a lot packed into this chapter (as usual!), but I'm going to focus on something that Jesus comes back to twice in the chapter: the selflessness required of his followers (that is to say, Christians). Verses 23-27:
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

This strikes at the very essence of who we are. We are created beings, not some random assortment of proteins and cellular organelles that functions at an amazingly high level. If you ever learn a bit of microbiology, it becomes incredibly apparent that the functions of a "simple" cell could never arise by chance. Yet we live in a world where the common wisdom dictates that we are a law unto ourselves, and we delude ourselves that we control what goes on around us and that we are the ultimate arbiters of good and evil, justice and injustice, etc. Yet I think that there is a core to all of us, a soul, where we know that this is not the case, and in fact we are the created beings, who were created for a purpose. We can't even claim the privilege of knowing that purpose, which for such unceasingly arrogant creatures drives us a bit batty sometimes. And yet here we have Jesus, the Son of God, saying that in order for us to really save ourselves, to really distill out that essence of who were created to be, we must submit ourselves to Him so completely that we essentially give up our lives to Him. This is the core of Christian belief, and one that probably sounds like gobbledy-gook to those who don't know Jesus personally. Yet I challenge you to think of Christians who so selflessly gave of themselves and not see how they were refined with time to become beacons of humanity, of goodness and justice and mercy. Mother Teresa? Billy Graham? Peter Marshall? They were all luminous, and you would be hard pressed to find anyone who knew them or knew of them, who would not say there was something amazingly different about them.

I wonder how much of a difference we Christians would really make if we took that command to give up our lives for Christ more seriously. I think we often fall into the trap of the three would-be followers who sought to follow Jesus in the last part of the chapter (v. 57-62). These three men displayed a love of their worldly possessions and status, a desire to put the world's concerns before the Lord's concerns, and a wrong ordering of priorities. Especially in this country, we have been given many good and powerful blessings. But seeking to secure those blessings, or puting them ahead of the God who gave them to us, is sinful and wrong. What number of errors would we avoid, if we (and especially I) put Jesus in his rightful place, first on the list, all of the time instead of occasionally? I think we would be so happy to fully pour ourselves out at his feet, in his service, instead of dripping ourselves out a meager dropperful at a time.

A Christmas Study-Day 3

Today I am reading Luke 3. The main focus of the chapter is John the Baptist, who is Jesus' cousin and the "voice in the wilderness" before the coming of the Lord. There was a lot here, but what I want to focus on are two things: that the One who was to come would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire; and Jesus' genealogy.

John continually focused his followers on Jesus, who was to come after him, and tailored his message to prepare the hearts of the Jews and Gentiles for repentance. The passage talks about John being asked a question by some soldiers, and we don't know if these were Roman soldiers (Gentiles) or Jewish soldiers, possibly of Herod. In any case, John is clearly emphasizing that his role is only that of a messenger, and he points to the coming Messiah as the One who can work real change and clean up everything.

Of course when Jesus is baptized, it is very clear that he is anointed by God. I would think that the sight of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descending from heaven and alighting on Jesus would have been pretty spectacular for those watching, and that's not even mentioning the voice from heaven saying Jesus was His Son in whom He was well pleased!

I'm sure you're wondering why I am interested in Jesus' genealogy. Well, it's important because there are so many prophecies concerning the Messiah in the Old Testament, and they were very specific as to whose line he would be descended from. The text makes a point of saying that Jesus was supposed (i.e. assumed) to be Joseph's son, when in fact we know that he was not Joseph's biological son. However, as the firstborn, Jesus held all the rights of inheritance and such from Joseph, and also was legally viewed to be his offspring. Thus, legally, he was descended from Joseph's line. Therefore it was very important that Luke verified Jesus' lineage, to show that he did rightfully lay claim to being the "Lion of Judah" and "from the line of David".

We're coming up on Jesus' start to his ministry--stay tuned!

You Didn't Lead Me Wrong, Mario

Today was my last day of class for this quarter. I had a pretty intensive set of exams set for my students, but I think they pulled through. To celebrate, DH & the kids and myself went to a local Mexican restaurant for lunch beforehand. I have been craving Mexican food of late...perhaps because I know that all of our friends in Arizona are enjoying gorgeous weather now while we shiver here in the Pacific NW. In any case, I had my fill of salsa and fajitas before supervising the exams, and in the mellow mood that pervaded the house when I got home, DH & I played on the Wii while our kids alternately cheered us on and devised clever new games like "camp out" in DS' room, which as far as I can tell consisted of moving objects around to form a "camp" and then turning the lights off. *shrug* No one was hurt and no bones broken, so I consider that a good game.

Anyhow, the subject of dinner came up, and we really didn't want anything heavy. DH suggested French toast, and I was struck with the serendipitous remembrance of a Mario Batali cooking program I saw once, where he made French toast with pannetone. For those of you who have never tried this ambrosia-like, soft, sweet, heavenly really nice bread, it's a soft, eggy yeast bread filled with soft raisins and candied citrus peel, and occasionally pistachios. Really nice, and although as my foggy memory suggested Mario had made a French toast bake with it, I suggested to DH we use some of the pannetone I purchased at Costco for the purpose.

Ahhhhhhhh!!! Words fail to describe how lovely this dinner was. Topped with some of our maple syrup, it was light and delicious. The fruit & citrus gave it a really nice flavor, and I devoured three pieces before I stopped myself. SO GOOD!! Of course, DH was miffed that I planned to give Mario all the credit in my blog. He said, "I didn't follow a Mario Batali recipe you know! I just used the pannetone to make the french toast!" So consider yourself credited, DH. I think this will become a regular Christmas staple in our house, yes-sirree.

It's a dangerous time of year for indulgences. You want to be able to say, "what the heck, it's Christmas, I can eat (a pint of ice cream) (a huge slice of TWO pies) (three appetizers)!" Um, no. I'm afraid the scale is not kind to that way of thinking come January. In fat, (Haha) I am pretty sure I am still sporting 10 extra pounds from last Christmas. So I really ought to make an effort to avoid saying yes to myself all the time. *ahem* Right after I mop up this last piece of pannetone french toast...

A Christmas Study-Day 2

Today I'm in Luke 2. As is usual with anything associated with government, Joseph & Mary had the vast inconvenience of traveling a good distance away from their home in Nazareth, a total of nearly 90 miles and over increasing elevation, to reach Bethlehem for the census decreed by Caesar. I found it interesting that Luke notes that Mary was only pledged to be married to Joseph--so they were in fact not married at this time. I have thought that Joseph must have had a hard row to hoe, as it was abundantly clear to all their friends and family that Mary was pregnant. The fact that he did not break their engagement would have bespoke in their minds that he had slept with her before their marriage, and surely he must have endured a great deal of shame and censure for his presumed behavior. Furthermore it is made clear that he did not sleep with her at all until after Jesus was born, another hard thing. After all, he was bearing the blame for her pregnancy, and he had none of the enjoyment of a wife! I think he must have been a very patient and faithful man to be so obedient to the Lord.

If you remember how Mary & Zechariah were shocked and afraid by the appearance of one angel, imagine how the shepherds must have felt at the appearance of a whole host of angels announcing the birth of Christ! It says they were afraid, but once the angels had disappeared they immediately set off to find the child and see him for themselves. Once they had found him, they told everyone what they had seen and heard, and many were amazed. Importantly, they praised God for all they had been told. Clearly they regarded it as a high blessing and honor to be told of the birth of the Messiah, and by an angel no less, who was then accompanied by a "host" of angels praising God! What a fantastic sight they must have had, to see the heavens illuminated with the glory of God and hear his angels praise Him!

When Mary & Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem to sacrifice for him, there are two people in the Temple who were told specifically by God that they would see the Messiah before they died. One, Simeon, is called specifically to the Temple by the Holy Spirit at that specific time to see Jesus. First we must remember that there were likely many people going to and fro in the Temple, so the fact that Simeon picked Jesus out of the crowd and then praised God openly for him was extraordinary. And he prophesied to Mary about him, saying, "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." It says that Mary & Joseph marveled over what was said about Jesus, and even as Simeon was done another came up, Anna, and gave thanks to God for him. What a moment for these two parents, to have two complete strangers single out their new son and identify him as the light of salvation for Israel!

We are told that Jesus grew strong and wise, and full of the grace of God. When he is 12, they go to Jerusalem for the Passover, and Jesus remains behind while Joseph & Mary travel back home. It is worth noting that 12 is the customary age of a Jewish boy's bar mitzvah, and at this time he would be considered a man. Mary & Joseph return to Jerusalem to find him when they discover he is not part of their family party, and it takes them three days to find him. At last they find him at the Temple, and he is discussing theology with the best teachers in the Temple, who were "amazed at his understanding and his answers". His parents ask why he has treated them this way, and Jesus replies, "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" Clearly Jesus has already identified himself with his Father God. (This is very complicated theology, the full divinity and at the same time full humanity of Jesus Christ, so I'm not going to go into more detail here!)

Lastly, it is mentioned several times that Mary "stores up and ponders" the things that others say of her son in her heart. He must have been a great mystery to Mary, this son of hers. She was told he would save Israel, but the how was a complete mystery to the Jews. Most assumed the Messiah would be a warrior king, riding in with a large army and routing all their enemies, bringing them all peace and prosperity. The concept of a Messiah who would sacrifice himself for them all (and even Gentiles) was probably ludicrous to most. That Mary was contemplating all quietly in her heart suggests to me a woman who was trying to figure out this puzzle and exactly what role God had for her son. I simply cannot imagine what it must have been like to raise Jesus Christ from babyhood. What great stories she must have to tell! Good stuff.

A Christmas Study: Day 1

Today being the first day of December, I decided to start a 24 day Bible study which was suggested by one of my friends. The book of Luke has 24 chapters, so if I read one per day, I will finish up right at Christmas Day. To help myself be accountable, I am going to blog about my reading each day. I am just going to discuss things I find interesting in the passage, and may we all be blessed by it. I will still write some regular blogs too, but hopefully I will stay on track and get the right perspective for Christmas.

Of course, Jesus wasn't born in December, or whatever month it was before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar. In all likelihood, most Bible scholars agree that he was most likely born during Sukkot, a.k.a. the Feast of Tabernacles. The shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks by night? They were most likely watching over the Passover lambs. Rather fitting, then, that the angel of the LORD should call them to view the final Passover Lamb!

So, in Luke 1, we see that the whole book of Luke is a letter written by Luke to a fellow Christian, Theophilus; and that Luke was not in fact a firsthand witness of all the events he describes, but relates them from firsthand witness accounts, which he says he "carefully investigated everything from the beginning". Given that he starts with an account of the conception and birth of John the Baptist, followed by Mary's visitation by Gabriel and visit to Elizabeth while pregnant with Jesus, it's nice to note that the author was being scrupulous to lay out his perspective and limitations. Indeed it makes sense that Jesus' disciples would have had to investigate the circumstances of his birth, seeing as none of them were present at the time!

There is an interesting contrast presented by the responses of Zechariah and Mary to the appearance of the angel Gabriel and his messages to each of them. Remember that at this time, the Jewish people had been without a true prophet for nearly 400 years. (The word "prophet" means one who speaks the message of God by God's authority, not necessarily including the prediction of future events, as we commonly associate the term 'prophecy' today.) Thus Zechariah as a Levite and priest of God, was intimately familiar with the words of the prophets of old, and also with the Jewish historical texts which had been written in the intervening 400 years (including the Book of the Maccabees and others).

However, no one had spoken with authority from God for 20 generations, and I believe this had resulted in a similiar state for Zechariah as we experience today--that of skepticism and 'practical mindedness'. When Gabriel told him that he was to have a son, his response is one of incredulity and disbelief: "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years". As a Jew who had not seen or heard the Word of God spoken with authority by a prophet, or seen any miraculous interventions from God, nor heard of such from any firsthand witnesses, he was lulled into a state of complacency and apathy about the God he served. Oh sure, Jehovah was to be feared, but He didn't actually cause anything to happen these days. Nope, they were just waiting on the Messiah to come and bring them all a new and better life.

Zechariah is rightly called out by Gabriel for his unbelieving response. "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time." Ouch! Talk about a zinger of a reproof for Zechariah for his unbelief and faithlessness! A priest who knew full well all the accounts of God's miracles and signs to Israel, and as had happened so many times in Israel's history, he had slipped into a lull of apathy about the mighty God he served.

Contrast this to Mary's response when Gabriel appears to her and tells her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." Mary had been scared at the appearance of the angel, just as Zechariah had been. And her response is not very different:
"'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?'"

It doesn't seem so very different from Zechariah's response, does it? Let's look closer. Zechariah's answer seems to indicate unbelief, as he said, "How can I be sure of this?" Instead of asking how it will happen, Zechariah looks for some form of substantive proof or evidence in contrast to what he knows of he & his wife and their physical state. He looks for something to assure him that what the angel has said is true, other than the very miracle of the angel appearing to him at all, let alone speaking to him and promising him an answer to his prayer for a son!

Mary, on the other hand, asks how such a thing could be possible, since she is a virgin. So Gabriel tells her that the Holy Spirit will overshadow her, and tells her that nothing is impossible with God. Mary's response to this is very telling. She says, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." Clearly, Mary does not need evidential proof of her upcoming pregnancy. She accepts the angel at his word and humbly affirms her faith and service to God.

We live in an age of skepticism, where people have a very hard time believing in anything that they cannot touch or see or explain in a way that makes sense to them. I once heard a Christian posit that the reason we do not 'see' as many miracles today is because our hearts are so hard, we would not recognize them as such even when they did occur. I do wonder if we are not surrounded by miracles, continuing evidence of God's presence and activity in our lives, but dismiss them often as something else. In an age of David Blaines and David Copperfields, are we not jaded and incapable of seeing the hand of the Almighty?

I find myself wondering if I am more of a Zechariah, asking God to prove what He has said will happen, or a Mary, humbly accepting and trusting in faith that He will do what He said He would. I fear it is more of the former than the latter, and how tiresome that must be to the One who walked on water, healed the blind, sick, and the lame, and rose from the dead. How often I confine myself to the 'logical', despite knowing that "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight." (1 Cor. 3:19a), and "...the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14-15 I pray that God will make me more focused on the spiritually discerned truths and less focused on the foolish wisdom of this world. For what comfort was offered to my sister-in-law by the concept that her lost baby was just a blob of tissue? What succor is granted to someone who has lost their child to the caprice of an unjust criminal? To where can we ultimately go for the justice that our hearts cry out for, if there is no God who has placed that desire in our breasts? How then would we be different than the animals? I am honored to serve a God who is sovereign in all things; and though I cannot see the picture he is weaving from my thread of a life, or how he uses the shortest fragments of lives like that of my lost nephew, I trust that He is working out a grand and beautiful picture. Yes, I have chosen to lie flat and be woven by the Master, and I am gratified that He has chosen me as part of His design.