. . . . Just thoughts

Christmas Day! - Jesus

2011-12-25T17:54:00.000-08:00

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning!
Jesus, to thee be all glory given.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.
O, come, let us adore him.
Christ, the Lord.

Is there such a thing as the 29th day of Advent? I don't think so. I think Christmas Day is a season in and of itself? Anyway, today is Christmas, and the last day of my attempt at being a regularly scheduled blogger :) Here's a nice verse to give us closure:

Matthew 1:21 - "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus ["the LORD saves"], for he will save his people from their sins.”

Advent Day 28 - Manifested

2011-12-24T17:48:00.000-08:00

So, I know you'll be reading through Luke 2 today :) Read these passages in addition:

Hebrews1

1 Long ago, at many timesand in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these lastdays he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heirof all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the gloryof God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe bythe word of his power. After making purification for sins, he satdown at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior toangels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Romans3

21 But now the righteousnessof God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law andthe Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all whobelieve. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory ofGod, 24 and arejustified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is inChrist Jesus, 25 whomGod put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be receivedby faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divineforbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the presenttime, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith inJesus.

John 1: 14 - And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Advent Day 26 - Come and Worship

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 60

1 Arise, shine, for your lighthas come,

and theglory of the LORD has risen upon you.

2 For behold, darkness shall coverthe earth,

andthick darkness the peoples;

but the LORD willarise upon you,

andhis glory will be seen upon you.

3 And nations shall come toyour light,

andkings to the brightness of your rising.

Matthew 2

1 Now after Jesus was bornin Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wisemen from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, "Where is he who has beenborn king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and havecome to worship him."

Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar,
Seek the great Desire of Nations;
Ye have seen his natal star;
Come and worship,

Worship Christ the new-born King.

(from "Angels from the Realms of Glory")

Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope -- the weary soul rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, hear the angel voices!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming, with glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming, here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our Friend!
He knows our need—to our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!

(from "O Holy Night")

Advent Day 25 - Recognition

2011-12-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

Luke 2

25 Now there was a man inJerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous anddevout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spiritwas upon him. 26 And ithad been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see deathbefore he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, andwhen the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according tothe custom of the Law, 28 hetook him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29 "Lord, now you are lettingyour servant depart in peace,

accordingto your word;

30 for my eyes have seenyour salvation

31 that you have prepared inthe presence of all peoples,

32 a light for revelation tothe Gentiles,

and forglory to your people Israel."

33 And his father and his mother marveledat what was said about him. 34 AndSimeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child isappointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for asign that is opposed 35 (and a swordwill pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts maybe revealed."

36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, thedaughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, havinglived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she waseighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshipingwith fasting and prayer night and day. 38And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and tospeak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord descending
In His temple shall appear;
Come and worship,
Worship Christ the new-born King.

Sinners, wrung with true repentance,
Doom'd for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now revokes the sentence,
Mercy calls you--break your chains;
Come and worship,
Worship Christ the new-born King.
(from "Angels From the Realms of Glory," 1854)

Advent Day 24 - Proclamation

2011-12-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

Luke 2

8 And in the same region there wereshepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of theLord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them,and they were filled with fear. 10And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you goodnews of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born thisday in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ theLord. 12 And thiswill be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothsand lying in a manger." 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenlyhost praising God and saying,

14 "Glory to God inthe highest,

andon earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

15 When the angels went away from them intoheaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehemand see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known tous." 16 And they went withhaste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known thesaying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what theshepherds told them. 19 But Marytreasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifyingand praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

21 And at the end of eight days, when hewas circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel beforehe was conceived in the womb.

It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth,
to touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, good will to all,
from heaven's all-gracious King!"
The world in solemn stillness lay
to hear the angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
the world has suffered long;
beneath the angel strain have rolled
two thousand years of wrong;
and warring humankind hears not
the love song which they bring.
O hush the noise and cease your strife,
and hear the angels sing.

For, lo! the days are hastening on,
by prophets seen of old,
when with the ever-circling years
shall come the time foretold,
When the new heav'n and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace their King,
and the whole world send back the song
which now the angels sing.

Advent Day 23 - Manger

2011-12-19T20:02:00.000-08:00

Luke 2

1 In those days a decree wentout from Caesar Augustus that all the world shouldbe registered. 2 Thiswas the first registration when Quirinius was governor ofSyria. 3 And all went tobe registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the townof Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which iscalled Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, hisbetrothed, who was with child. 6And while they were there, the time came for her to givebirth. 7 And she gavebirth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothsand laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in theinn.

Micah 5

2 But you, O BethlehemEphrathah,

whoare too little to be among the clans of Judah,

from you shall comeforth for me

onewho is to be ruler in Israel,

whose coming forthis from of old,

fromancient days.

"Do you want to seethe humility of God? Look in the manger and see him lying there. Surely this isour God. Seeing an infant, I wonder how this could be the one who says,'Do not I fill heaven and earth?' I see a baby wrapped in swaddlingclothes. Is this the one who is clothed in the beautiful glory ofunapproachable light?

"Listen! He iscrying. Is this the one who thunders in the heaven making the angels lowertheir wings? Yes, but he has emptied himself in order to fill us."

-Guerric of Igny

Advent Day 22 - In the fullness of time

2011-12-18T13:05:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 9

6 For to us a child is born,

tous a son is given;

and the governmentshall be upon hisshoulder,

andhis name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, MightyGod,

Everlasting Father,Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his governmentand of peace

therewill be no end,

on the throne ofDavid and over his kingdom,

toestablish it and to uphold it

with justice andwith righteousness

fromthis time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORDof hosts will do this.

Galatians 4

4 But when the fullness oftime had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born underthe law, 5 toredeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

"Hark, the Herald Angels Sing"

Hark! theherald-angels sing

Glory to thenew-born King;

Peace on earth, andmercy mild,

God and sinnersreconciled!

Joyful, all yenations, rise,

Join the triumph ofthe skies;

With the angelichost proclaim

Christ is born inBethlehem.

Hark! theherald-angels sing

Glory to thenew-born King.

Christ, by highestheaven adored,

Christ, theEverlasting Lord,

Late in time beholdHim come,

Offspring of theVirgin's womb:

Veiled in flesh theGodhead see;

Hail the IncarnateDeity,

Pleased as Man withmen to dwell,

Jesus our Immanuel.

Hark! theherald-angels sing

Glory to thenew-born King.

Hail, theheaven-born Prince of Peace!

Hail, the Sun ofRighteousness!

Light and life toall He brings.

Risen with healingin His wings,

Mild he layshis glory by,

born that man nomore may die

born to raise usfrom the earth,

born to give ussecond birth.

Hark! theherald-angels sing

Glory to thenew-born King.

Advent Day 20 - Jesus, Our Intercessor

2011-12-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 59

16 He saw that there was noman,

andwondered that there was no one to intercede;

then his own armbrought him salvation,

andhis righteousness upheld him.

Isaiah 53

12 Therefore I will divide hima portion with the many,

andhe shall divide the spoil with the strong,

because he pouredout his soul to death

andwas numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sinof many,

andmakes intercession for the transgressors.

John 17:9, 16-17,20-21

9 I am praying for them. I am not prayingfor the world but for those whom you have given me, for they areyours. . . They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; yourword is truth. . . 20 "I donot ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in methrough their word, 21 thatthey may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you,that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe thatyou have sent me.

Hebrews 7

25 Consequently, he is able to saveto the uttermost those whodraw near to God through him, since he always lives to makeintercession for them.

Romans 8

34 Christ Jesus is the one whodied—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand ofGod, who indeed is interceding for us.

Advent Day 19 - A Joyful Response

2011-12-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

Joyful, all ye nations, rise; join the triumph of the skies!

Isaiah 9

2 The people who walkedin darkness

haveseen a great light;

those who dwelt in aland of deep darkness,

onthem has light shined.

3 You have multiplied thenation;

youhave increased its joy;

they rejoice beforeyou

aswith joy at the harvest,

asthey are glad when they divide the spoil.

Matt 2:10 - When [the wise men] saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with greatjoy.

John1

4 In him was life,and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darknesshas not overcome it.

1Peter 2

9But you are a chosenrace, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for hisown possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who calledyou out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Romans5

2 Through him we havealso obtained access by faith intothis grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of theglory of God.

Psalm 71

23 My lips will shout for joy,

whenI sing praises to you;

mysoul also, which you have redeemed.

24 And my tongue will talk ofyour righteous help all the day long

Psalm97

11 Light is sown for the righteous,

andjoy for the upright in heart.

12 Rejoice in the LORD, O yourighteous,

and givethanks to his holy name!

Advent Day 18 - Jesus, Son of David

2011-12-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 11

1There shall come forth a shootfrom the stump of Jesse,

anda branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

2And the Spirit of the LORDshall rest upon him,

theSpirit of wisdom and understanding,

theSpirit of counsel and might,

theSpirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

John Piper says this about it:

"Jesse was KingDavid’s father. And David was the greatest king of Israel, so that the Messiahthat Israel hoped for was often called “the son of David”—he would be one likeDavid, only greater than David."

. . . .

"Jesus is theMessiah, the son of David, the root of Jesse, but oh, so much more than themere Son of David! Do you recall how the book of Romans begins? 'Paul, aservant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel ofGod, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holyScriptures, 3 concerning his Son [that is, the Son of God], who was descendedfrom David according to the flesh.'"

It continues, "and wasdeclared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holinessby his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 throughwhom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about theobedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations."

Jeremiah 23

5 "Behold, the days arecoming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David arighteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, andshall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved,and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he willbe called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.'

Revelation 22

16 "I,Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for thechurches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the brightmorning star."

Romans15

8 For I tell you thatChrist became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, inorder to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that theGentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore Iwill praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name."

10 And again it is said, "Rejoice, OGentiles, with his people."

11 And again, "Praise the Lord, allyou Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him."

12 And again Isaiah says, "Theroot of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;

in him will the Gentiles hope."

13 May the God of hope fill you withall joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirityou may abound in hope.

Piper, again:

"'Hope inwhat?' - hope in Jesus Christ. The emphasis falls on Christ as the ground ofall our hope. Bank your hope on him. Not yourself, not your intelligence, notyour health, not your money, not your job, not your reputation. None of thesecan sustain your hope. They can collapse in a moment. God means for our hope tobe firm and unshakable and so he put underneath it his own Son. In him will theGentiles hope. At every turn in your life say, 'Jesus, you are my hope.' Youare my hope for my salvation, you are my hope for my marriage, you are my hopefor my children, you are my hope for my ministry, you are my hope that I willlive and die well. 'In him will the Gentiles hope.'"

Jesus is our perfect king. He is extraordinarily wise, he is able and mighty, and he is absolutely loyal to the LORD God. He is our righteousness, and that should give us hope.

(John Piper quotations came from his sermon from Dec. 11, 2005 posted on his website, desiringgod.org)

Advent Day 17 - Jesus, A Prophet Like Moses

2011-12-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prophecy:

Deuteronomy18:17-18

And the LORD said to[Moses],"They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up forthem a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my wordsin his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. "

--Moses spoke God's word to the people of Israel.

Exodus24:3 - Moses came and told the people all the Lord’s wordsand all the decisions. All the people answered together,“We are willing to do all thewords that the Lord hassaid,”

--Moses administered the blood of the Covenant.

Exodus 24:8 - So Moses took the blood and splashed it onthe people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

--Moses interceded for God's people.

Exodus 32:30-32 - The next dayMoses said to the people, “You have committed a veryserious sin, but now I will go up tothe Lord – perhaps I can make atonement on behalf ofyour sin.” So Moses returned to the Lord andsaid, “Alas, this people has committed a veryserious sin, and they have made for themselves gods ofgold. But now, if you will forgive their sin…, butif not, wipe me out from your book that you havewritten."

Exodus 33:11,13-15

Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as aman speaks to his friend.

Mosessaid to the LORD . . . . If I have found favor in your sight, please show me nowyour ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Considertoo that this nation is your people." And hesaid, "My presence will go with you, and I will give yourest." And he said to him, "If your presence will not gowith me, do not bring us up from here.

Fulfillment:

--Jesus spoke God's word to the people of Israel.

John 7:16- "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me."

John 8:28- "When you have lifted up the son of Man, then you will know that I amhe, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Fathertaught me."

John 12:49- "For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent mehas himself given me a commandment -- what to say and what to speak."

--Jesus administered the blood of the New Covenant.

Luke 22:19-20 - Then he took bread, and after givingthanks he broke it and gave it tothem, saying, “This is my body which isgiven for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And in the same way he took thecup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that ispoured out for you is the new covenantin my blood."

--Jesus interceded for God's people.

John 17:9,11,15-17 - "I am praying for them. I amnot praying for the world but for those whom you have given me,for they are yours. . . . Holy Father, keep them in yourname, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as weare one. . . . I do not ask that you takethem out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They arenot of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth."

Hebrews3:1-6

Therefore, holybrothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, theapostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one whoappointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus hasbeen found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a househas greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built bysomeone, but God is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful as aservant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in thefuture. But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are hishouse, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

Advent Day 16 - Jesus, the Shepherd

2011-12-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prophecy:
Isaiah 40

10 Behold,the Lord GOD comes with might,

andhis arm rules for him;

behold, his rewardis with him,

andhis recompense before him.

11 Hewill tend his flock like a shepherd;

hewill gather the lambs in his arms;

he will carry themin his bosom,

andgently lead those that are with young.

Ezekiel 34

23 And Iwill set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feedthem: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.

Micah 5

4And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD,

in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.

And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great

to the ends of the earth.

5And he shall be their peace.

Fulfillment:

John10

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down hislife for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not ashepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves thesheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He fleesbecause he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 Iam the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 justas the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life forthe sheep.

Hebrews 13

20 Now may the God of peace who by the blood ofthe eternal covenant brought back from the dead thegreat shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 equip you with every goodthing to do his will, working in us what ispleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom beglory forever. Amen.

Advent Day 12 - Zechariah's Prophecy

2011-12-06T20:44:00.001-08:00

Luke 1

57 Now thetime came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that theLord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise thechild. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, "No; he shall becalled John." 61 And they said to her,"None of your relatives is called by this name." 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring whathe wanted him to be called. 63 And heasked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John."And they all wondered. 64 Andimmediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and hespoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came onall their neighbors. And all these things were talked about throughall the hill country of Judea, 66 and allwho heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then willthis child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him.

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the HolySpirit and prophesied, saying,

68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

forhe has visited and redeemed his people

69 and hasraised up a horn of salvation for us

inthe house of his servant David,

70 as hespoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies

andfrom the hand of all who hate us;

72 toshow the mercy promised to our fathers

and toremember his holy covenant,

73 theoath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

might servehim without fear,

75 in holiness and righteousness beforehim all our days.

76 And you,child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

for youwill go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

77 to giveknowledge of salvation to his people

inthe forgiveness of their sins,

78 becauseof the tender mercy of our God,

whereby thesunrise shall visit us from on high

79 to givelight to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

toguide our feet into the way of peace."

Isaiah 40

1 Comfort, comfort my people,

says your God.

2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

andcall out to her

that herwarfare is ended,

thather iniquity is pardoned,

that she hasreceived from the LORD’s hand

doublefor all her sins.

3 A voice cries: "In thewilderness prepare the way of the LORD;

makestraight in the desert a highway for our God.

4 Every valley shall be lifted up,

andevery mountain and hill be made low;

theuneven ground shall become level,

andthe rough places a plain.

5 And the glory of the LORD shall berevealed,

andall flesh shall see it together,

forthe mouth of the LORD has spoken."

John1

4 In him was life,and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darknesshas not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whosename was John. 7 He came asa witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believethrough him. 8 He was not thelight, but came to bear witness about the light.

Isaiah42

16 I will turn thedarkness before them into light,

therough places into level ground.

These are the thingsI do,

andI do not forsake them.

Advent Day 11 - Mary's Prophecy

2011-12-06T19:36:00.001-08:00

Luke 1

39 In thosedays Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town inJudah, 40and she entered the house of Zechariahand greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabethheard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth wasfilled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and sheexclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessedis the fruit of your womb! 43 And whyis this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to myears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessedis she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spokento her from the Lord."

46 And Mary said,

"My soul magnifiesthe Lord,

47 and my spirit rejoices in God mySavior,

48 for hehas looked on the humble estate of his servant.

Forbehold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

49 for hewho is mighty has done great things for me,

and holyis his name.

50 And hismercy is for those who fear him

fromgeneration to generation.

51 Hehas shown strength with his arm;

hehas scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

52 hehas brought down the mighty from their thrones

andexalted those of humble estate;

53 he hasfilled the hungry with good things,

andthe rich he has sent away empty.

54 Hehas helped his servant Israel,

inremembrance of his mercy,

55 ashe spoke to our fathers,

toAbraham and to his offspring forever."

56 And Mary remained with her about three months andreturned to her home.

Check out all the attributes Mary used to describe God in her song. I think it's neat to think about where she learned all those attributes of God. You know she had to be familiar with Scripture, and it makes me wonder if any particular scriptures came to her mind as she was praising God.

Savior ("God my Savior")
Isaiah 43:2,3 - When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Mighty ("he who is mighty has done great things for me")
Psalm 77:14 - You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples.

Holy ("holy is his name")
Leviticus 19:2 - You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

Merciful ("his mercy is for those who fear him")
Exodus34:6 - The LORD passed before him andproclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious,slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness . . .

Exodus 3:7 - Then the LORD said, "Ihave surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heardtheir cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down todeliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out ofthat land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk andhoney

Judge ("he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty." )

Psalm 75:4,7 - Say to the boastful, 'Do not boast,' and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horn . . . for it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another

Also, this is cool to think about: Mary says, "He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever." What was the mercy that he spoke to their fathers? It was his covenant with them. And what was his covenant? Genesis 12:3 - "In you all thefamilies of the earth shall be blessed." That was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Messiah, the son-to-be that had just been announced to Mary! :)

My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

Advent Day 10 - Covenant Keeper

2011-12-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Luke 1

26In thesixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galileenamed Nazareth, 27 to a virginbetrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. Andthe virgin’s name was Mary. 28And hecame to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord iswith you!" 29But she was greatlytroubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this mightbe. 30And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid,Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you will conceive in your womb andbear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.32He will be great and will be called the Sonof the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throneof his father David, 33and he will reignover the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be noend."

34And Mary said to the angel, "How willthis be, since I am a virgin?"

35And the angel answered her, "TheHoly Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High willovershadow you; therefore the child to be born will becalled holy— the Son of God. 36Andbehold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, andthis is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37For nothing will be impossible withGod." 38And Mary said,"Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according toyour word." And the angel departed from her.

Isaiah 7

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold,the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his nameImmanuel.

2Samuel 7

12 When your days are complete and you lie down withyour fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will comeforth from you, and I will establish his kingdom.13 He shall build a house forMy name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to himand he will be a son to Me; . . . 16 Your house and your kingdomshall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.

Yesterday, one of the blogs I read (called The Feast of Booths) had a post that talked about God's covenant faithfulness and how Advent is an especially good season to celebrate this, and it even referenced one of the very same scripture verses I did today. Way to steal my thunder, Booth! (Btw- It was good. You should read it.) Granted, this is not a very original connection to be made :) We have such a perfect picture of God's covenant faithfulness in the coming of Jesus Christ, the Promised One who came, the newer and better Covenant. I especially like the idea of God's faithfulness through the generations. Think about how long it was before Jesus was born that God told David his throne would be established forever! And think about all the terrible (or, at least, terribly disobedient) kings that came later on in the line of David. And yet God was still faithful to his promise. I love King Solomon's prayer as he was dedicating the temple:

1 Kings 8

23 "O LORD, God ofIsrael, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earthbeneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants whowalk before you with all their heart, 24 who have kept with your servant David my father what youdeclared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand havefulfilled it this day. . . 56 Blessed be the LORD who has given rest tohis people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failedof all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. 57 The LORD our God be with us, ashe was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us, 58 that he may incline ourhearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, hisstatutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. . . . 60that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD isGod; there is no other.

I praise you O Lord, my God because you fulfill what you promise. Lord, incline my heart to you to walk in your ways and keep your commandments, that all people may know that you are God; there is no other!

Advent Day 9 - Preparing the Way

2011-12-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Luke 1

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priestnamed Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from thedaughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6And they were both righteousbefore God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of theLord. 7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren,and both were advanced in years.

8Now while he was serving as priest before Godwhen his division was on duty, 9according to the custom of thepriesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord andburn incense. 10And the whole multitude of the people werepraying outside at the hour of incense. 11And there appeared to him an angelof the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12And Zechariah was troubled when hesaw him, and fear fell upon him. 13But the angel said to him,"Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, andyour wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his nameJohn. 14And you will have joy and gladness, and manywill rejoice at his birth, 15for he will be great beforethe Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and hewill be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16And he will turn many of thechildren of Israel to the Lord their God, 17and he will go beforehim in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of thefathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of thejust, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared."

18And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I knowthis? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."19And the angel answered him,"I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent tospeak to you and to bring you this good news. 20And behold, you will besilent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, becauseyou did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in theirtime." 21And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they werewondering at his delay in the temple. 22And when he came out, he wasunable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a visionin the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remainedmute. 23And when his time of service was ended, he went tohis home.

Malachi 4

5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah theprophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 6And he will turn the heartsof fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers."

Turning the disobedient to the wisdom of the just:

Luke 3

3And he went into all the region around the Jordan,proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. . . . 7He said therefore to the crowds that came outto be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you toflee from the wrath to come? 8Bearfruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say toyourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is ablefrom these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9Even now the axe is laid to the root of thetrees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down andthrown into the fire."

Advent Day 8 - Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming

2011-12-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Lo!How a Rose E'er Blooming

1 Lo, how a rose e'erblooming

from tender stem hathsprung;

of Jesse's lineagecoming,

as saints of old havesung.

It came, a floweretbright,

amid the cold ofwinter

when half spent wasthe night.

2 Isaiah 'twasforetold it,

the rose I have inmind;

with Mary we beholdit,

the virgin motherkind.

To show God's lovearight

she bore to us aSavior

when half spent wasthe night.

3 This flower, sosmall and tender,

with fragrance fillsthe air;

his brightness endsthe darkness

that kept the earthin fear.

True God and yet trueman,

he came to save hispeople

from earth's darknight of sin.

Here's a version of it for you to listen to, if you so desire :) Courtesy of Sufjan Stevens.

<p>&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://music.sufjan.com/track/lo-how-a-rose-eer-blooming"&amp;amp;gt;Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming by Sufjan Stevens&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;</p>

The scripture references in this hymn are pretty obvious because they are so straightforward. Plus, because of all these Advent readings, the verses are fresh in my mind!

"of Jesse's lineage coming" - Isaiah 11:1

"Isaiah 'twas foretold it" - umm, pretty much every other chapter in Isaiah

"his brightness ends the darkness that kept the earth in fear" - Isaiah 42

However, until I was typing this up, I hadn't really thought about what the title means. Christ is "ever blooming." He has always been in existence and he will endure forever. And I assume referring to him as a rose symbolizes his beauty. Or it can, anyway. (Let's not get started on the subject of analyzing poems for the author's original intent. Gag. (Anna, I know you're disappointed.)) Whether or not that's what he or she meant, that's what it makes me think of. And Christ is beautiful; he is loving; he is all things good. Love that. What a gift he is!

Oh give thanks tothe LORD, for he is good; forhis steadfast love endures forever!

Advent Day 7 - Messiah, the Light

2011-12-03T00:00:00.001-08:00

Isaiah 59

9Therefore justice is far from us,

andrighteousness does not overtake us;

we hope for light,and behold, darkness,

andfor brightness, but we walk in gloom.

10 We grope for the wall like the blind;

wegrope like those who have no eyes;

we stumble at noonas in the twilight

Isaiah 42

1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my Spirit upon him;

he will bring forth justice to the nations.

2He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,

or make it heard in the street;

3 a bruised reed he will not break,

and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;

he will faithfully bring forth justice.

4He will not grow faint or be discouraged[a]

till he has established justice in the earth;

and the coastlands wait for his law.

5Thus says God, the LORD,

who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people on it

and spirit to those who walk in it:

6"I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness;

I will take you by the hand and keep you;

I will give you as a covenant for the people,

a light for the nations,

7 to open the eyes that are blind,

to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,

from the prison those who sit in darkness.

8I am the LORD; that is my name;

my glory I give to no other,

nor my praise to carved idols.

9Behold, the former things have come to pass,

and new things I now declare;

before they spring forth

I tell you of them."

16 And I will lead the blind

in a way that they do not know,

in paths that they have not known

I will guide them.

I will turn the darkness before them into light,

the rough places into level ground.

These are the things I do,

and I do not forsake them.

Isaiah 49

6he says:"It is too light a thing that you should be my servant

to raise up the tribes of Jacob

and to bring back the preserved of Israel;

I will make you as a light for the nations,

that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."

The Messiah wouldn't come to bring light and salvation only to the nation of Israel. No, that was too small a mission. His coming was for the whole earth. His coming would bring the light of the knowledge of God to all nations.

Christ was the perfect representation of what God's chosen servant should look like. God had chosen Israel to be his servant, but they had rejected God's direction. So Christ came to be all that God had wanted Israel to be. ("I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.") And he came to be the substitution for them in all that they deserved because of their failure.

We, likewise, have been chosen to be God's servants, and we have Christ as an example to follow. Not only is the light for us, to help us and guide us and comfort us, but it is for the world. We are to share the light of the knowledge of God that we have been given so that we can bring glory to God and participate in the fulfillment of his plan, "for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea."

2 Corinthians 4:6 " For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give us the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."

Advent Day 6 - Messiah, the Righteous Branch

2011-12-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 11

1There shall come forth a shoot from the stumpof Jesse,

anda branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

2 And theSpirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,

theSpirit of wisdom and understanding,

theSpirit of counsel and might,

theSpirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

Jeremiah 23

5 "Behold, the days are coming, declares theLORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shallreign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness inthe land. 6 In his days Judah will besaved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by whichhe will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.'

Jeremiah 33

14 "Behold,the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise Imade to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause arighteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice andrighteousness in the land. 16 In thosedays Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this isthe name by which it will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.'

Who were they waiting for? The Righteous Branch. He would be adescendant of David. He would have the Spirit of the LORD, wisdom andunderstanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of the LORD. He wouldbring about justice, righteousness, and salvation. Those things do not existwithout him. ("TheLORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. .. then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousnessupheld him." Isa 59:15,16).

And he wouldbe the righteousness of God's people.

Advent Day 5 - Still Waiting

2011-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Habakkuk

1:2 OLORD, how long shall I cry for help,

andyou will not hear?

Or cryto you "Violence!"

andyou will not save?

3 Why do youmake me see iniquity,

andwhy do you idly look at wrong?

Destruction andviolence are before me;

strifeand contention arise.

4 So the lawis paralyzed,

andjustice never goes forth.

For thewicked surround the righteous;

sojustice goes forth perverted.

13 You whoare of purer eyes than to see evil

andcannot look at wrong,

why do you idly lookat traitors

and remainsilent when the wicked swallows up

theman more righteous than he?

2:1 Iwill take my stand at my watchpost

andstation myself on the tower,

and lookout to see what he will say to me,

andwhat I will answer concerning my complaint.

2 And the LORD answered me:

"Writethe vision;

makeit plain on tablets,

sohe may run who reads it.

3 Forstill the vision awaits its appointed time;

ithastens to the end—it will not lie.

If it seemsslow, wait for it;

itwill surely come; it will not delay. "

3:16 I will quietly wait for the day of trouble

tocome upon people who invade us.

17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,

norfruit be on the vines,

the produce of theolive fail

andthe fields yield no food,

the flock be cut offfrom the fold

andthere be no herd in the stalls,

18 yetI will rejoice in the LORD;

Iwill take joy in the God of my salvation.

19 GOD, theLord, is my strength;

hemakes my feet like the deer’s;

hemakes me tread on my high places.

Whether we are waiting for God to intervene or to fulfill his promise or to return again to establish his perfect kingdom, we can be confident of his faithfulness.

I Thessalonians 5:24- "He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. "

I love how Hebrews describes the faithful people of the Old Testament who had confidence in God's faithfulness to fulfill his covenant promise. It says, " They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance." I want to learn to be content in God's timing even when it seems a great deal slower than my own.

Advent Day 4 - Longing

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

Psalm 79

8 Do not remember against us our former iniquities;

letyour compassion come speedily to meet us,

for we are brought very low.

9 Help us, O God of our salvation,

for the glory ofyour name;

deliver us, and atone for our sins,

for your name's sake!

Psalm 80

1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,

you who lead Josephlike a flock.

You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.

2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,

stir up your might

and come to save us!

3 Restore us, O God;

let your face shine, that we maybe saved!

17 But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,

the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!

18 Then we shall not turn back from you;

give us life,and we will call upon your name!

19 Restoreus, O LORD God of hosts!

Letyour face shine, that we may be saved!

Job9

19 Ifit is a matter of strength, he is mighty!

Andif it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him?

20 Evenif I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;

ifI were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.

29 Since I amalready found guilty,

whyshould I struggle in vain?

30 Even if I washed myself with soap

and my hands with cleansing powder,

31 you wouldplunge me into a slime pit

sothat even my clothes would detest me.

32 “He is nota mere mortal like me that I might answer him,

that we might confront each other in court.

33 If onlythere were someone to mediate between us,

someoneto bring us together,

34 someone toremove God’s rod from me,

sothat his terror would frighten me no more.

35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,

butas it now stands with me, I cannot.

What I see in these Old Testament passages is that the reason they were so longing for something or someone to make them right with God is because they were able to recognize their true condition. They had sin. They needed atonement. They needed to be restored. And they were completely incapable of doing it themselves.

I can't help but smile when I read Job saying, "If only there were someone to mediate between us. . ." Ahhh! Just wait! He's coming! You'll see :) I'm like so ready for Christmas Day, right now!

Advent 2011 - Day 3 - Faithless People, Faithful God

2011-11-29T00:00:00.000-08:00

Psalm 78

13He divided the sea and let them pass through it,

andmade the waters stand like a heap.

14 In the daytime he led them with a cloud,

andall the night with a fiery light.

15He split rocks in the wilderness

andgave them drink abundantly as from the deep.

16He made streams come out of the rock

andcaused waters to flow down like rivers.

25Man ate of the bread of the angels;

hesent them food in abundance.

26He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,

andby his power he led out the south wind;

27he rained meat on them like dust,

wingedbirds like the sand of the seas;

28he let them fall in the midst of their camp,

allaround their dwellings.

29And they ate and were well filled,

forhe gave them what they craved.

32In spite of all this, they still sinned;

despitehis wonders, they did not believe.

33So he made their days vanish like a breath,

andtheir years in terror.

34When he killed them, they sought him;

theyrepented and sought God earnestly.

35They remembered that God was their rock,

theMost High God their redeemer.

36But they flattered him with their mouths;

they liedto him with their tongues.

37Their heart was not steadfast toward him;

theywere not faithful to his covenant.

38Yet he, being compassionate,

atonedfor their iniquity

anddid not destroy them;

he restrained hisanger often

anddid not stir up all his wrath.

39He remembered that they were but flesh,

awind that passes and comes not again.

40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness

and grievedhim in the desert!

68but he chose the tribe of Judah,

MountZion, which he loves.

70He chose David his servant

andtook him from the sheepfolds;

71from following the nursing ewes he brought him

to shepherdJacob his people,

Israelhis inheritance.

72With upright heart he shepherded them

and guidedthem with his skillful hand.

God provides what his people need. He is faithful when we are faithless. We have from him not only undeserved favor but ill-deserved favor. Not only did we do nothing to deserve it, but we what we did do deserves the exact opposite.

Why does he do this? Because he is "the LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness."

So what do we do with that?

Psalm107

1 Oh give thanks to theLORD for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever!

2 Let the redeemed ofthe LORD say so,

whom he has redeemedfrom trouble

14 He brought them outof darkness and the shadow of death,

and burst theirbonds apart.

15 Let them thank theLORD for his steadfast love,

for his wondrousworks to the children of man!

Advent 2011 - Day 2 - Why do we need a Messiah?

2011-11-28T07:26:00.001-08:00

Isaiah 59

11We all growl like bears;

wemoan and moan like doves;

we hopefor justice, but there is none;

forsalvation, but it is far from us.

12For our transgressions are multiplied beforeyou,

andour sins testify against us;

for ourtransgressions are with us,

andwe know our iniquities:

13transgressing, and denying the LORD,

andturning back from following our God,

speakingoppression and revolt,

conceivingand uttering from the heart lying words.

14 Justice is turned back,

andrighteousness stands far away;

fortruth has stumbled in the public squares,

anduprightness cannot enter.

15Truth is lacking,

andhe who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

TheLORD saw it, and it displeased him

thatthere was no justice.

16 He saw that there was noman,

andwondered that there was no one to intercede;

then his own armbrought him salvation,

andhis righteousness upheld him.

20 "And a Redeemer will come toZion,

tothose in Jacob who turn from transgression," declares the LORD.

21"And as for me, this is my covenantwith them," says the LORD: "My Spirit that is upon you, and mywords that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or outof the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’soffspring," says the LORD, "from this time forth andforevermore."

Advent 2011 - Day 1 - O Come Emmanuel

2011-11-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 1:2-4

² Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
   for the LORD has spoken:
"Children have I reared and brought up,
   but they have rebelled against me.
³The ox knows itsowner,
   and the donkey its master’s manger,
but Israel does not know,
   my people do not understand."

⁴Alas,sinful nation,
   a people laden with iniquity,
offspring of evildoers,
   children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the LORD,
   they have despised the Holy One of Israel,
   they are utterly estranged.

Why do we celebrate Advent and the anticipation of Christ's arrival? Because Israel needed a Messiah. Badly. They recognized this on their better days. And in his promises to send one, God revealed himself. He promised to send One who would be Emmanuel, "God with us." Even though Israel had chosen to abandon God, God graciously chose to seek them out.

I can't wait for the Christmas season to come just so I can sing this hymn! Okay, maybe not "just" so I can sing this hymn, but it's probably in my top five reasons to look forward to Christmas :) Love. It. So, of course, I'm not going to wait any longer than I have to to bring it into my advent preparation :)

O Come O Come Emmanuel

" 'Behold,the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel' (which means, God with us)."

This hymn comes from a poem that dates back tothe 8th century. Ametrical version of five of the verses appeared in the 13th century.

Eachof the five verses expounds upon one of the names for the Messiah:

v.1:"Emmanuel" (Isaiah 7:14, Mt 1:23) means "God with us"

v.2: "Branch of Jesse" (Isaiah 11:1) refers to Jesus' lineage

v.3: "Oriens" (Malachi 4:2, Luke 1:78-79) is the morning star ordaystar

v.4: "Key of David" (Isaiah 22:22) again refers to Jesus' lineage

v.5: "Adonai" (Exodus 19:16) is a name for God as Lord, giver of thelaw

O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captiveIsrael,
That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son ofGod appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free thine own fromSatan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save, and givethem victory over the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer ourspirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’sdark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Ocome, Thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home;
Makesafe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to Thee,O Israel!

Ocome, O come, Thou Lord of might! Who to thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
Inancient times didst give the law, in cloud, and majesty, and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to Thee,O Israel!

Time Travel

2011-05-25T18:56:00.000-07:00

I think I like old things because it's the closest I can come to time travel. And time traveling is something I would absolutely LOVE to be able to do. It would probably be my first wish, were I ever to be aproached by a genie offering me three such opportunities. But because I don't really expect that ever to happen, I make do with collecting old things and using my imagination. Like putting on the blue and white polka-dotted drop-waist dress from the '20s that we found at Grandma's and imagining myself in a time when that outfit was normal. Or like those wheat pennies I've told y'all about! Thinking about how many times they've been used since they were created - love it. And, I've recently discovered a new kind of old thing I love: old recipes!

I came across a blog post on Nourished Kitchen with an old recipe for Cream of Chicken soup, and it was so well-written and so charmingly photographed that I couldn't not make it. I just happened to have enough homemade chicken broth in my feezer to make this super fast and easy to do. And just happened to have visited a local dairy last week and picked up some raw milk, so I had fresh raw cream! (What?! I know. It sounds way more Suzie Homemaker than I actually am, but it really did work out like that.)

It turned out so well. I mean, so well! I'm pretty proud of myself for that :) Anyway, it got me to thinking that I had access to a ton of old recipes from my great-grandmother's recipe notebook.

Grandmommy kept a three-ring notebook of the weekly publication that the Home Economics Department of Lone Star Gas Company sent out in the 30's and 40's. How fun is that!? Yes, so fun! All of the foods illustrated have faces, so there are little smiling apples and laughing pigs and singing strawberries everywhere :) Seriously. Above the recipe for Strawberry Jam, there's an illustration of a strawberry playing a guitar and singing, surrounded by little strawberries dancing. (Get it? Jam?!) And above the Lime Punch recipe, there's a lime hitting a punching bag :) What about the Pecan Dumpling recipe, you wonder? A pecan riding piggy-back on a dumpling, both smiling at a chicken :) Yes, it's that great :)

I haven't made anything from these amusing pieces of history yet, but I love thinking about Grandmommy getting these each week out in rural Texas :) Reading through them and deciding what to fix for her farmer husband and brood of little ones in between feeding the chickens and hanging out the laundry. I know she made one of the punch recipes because out to the side, she wrote out the measurements for quartering the ingredients of "Golden Punch." Sarah and I decided we might like to try the "Southern Chicken Roll," a sort of chicken pot pie biscuit roll-up. And when we do, we'll be following the same method that hundreds of housewives followed half a century ago. I love that :)

Prayer of Gratitude

2010-11-27T06:50:00.000-08:00

"Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. . . . Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people . . . whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing great and awesome things . . . And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever." (from 2 Samuel 7)

I have been dwelling on this passage a lot recently, and I thought it was quite appropriate to share in honor of Thanksgiving. I am overwhelmed when I consciously think about how much I have been given by God: how firm a foundation, how loving a family, how supportive a community, how many opportunities.

Of course, there is one thing I am thankful for that King David couldn't quite spell out:

"Long ago, at many times, and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high . . . We see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." (from Hebrews 1 & 2)

Thank you, Jesus - my lord, my God, my redeemer!

End of October Favorites

2010-10-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Recent faves:

The shawl my lovely sister embroidered for me that has come in oh-so-handy during the cold snap this weekend
My David Simpson Campaign mail-out. 9" x 12"!! Bam! Go big or go home! :) (and a not-so-recent fave: the Texas and Liberty pin I got at his fundraiser banquet!)
Baylor Homecoming! A bonfire, a parade, wearing green and gold all weekend - What's not to love!? (Icing on the cake: winning the football game!)

Recent not-my-faves:

A cardboard package with perforations that is still impossible to open without ripping it to shreads
A bathtub that smells like mildew (Thankfully, this prompted me to take the time to thoroughly clean my tub!)
A health insurance rate increase "due to a recent birthday." Worst birthday present ever! Thanks a lot, BCBS!

Hey, how nicely balanced of me! Three and three! Let's leave it at that.

Hello, World.

2010-10-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have officially climbed back onto the face of the earth. We'll see how long I stay here. I seem to wait so long to write these things that I have so much to say, I can't get started. And then when I do, I write a book and no one wants to wade through it! Alas, I continue:

About two months ago, I thought about writing a blog about the warning I got while driving on the interstate. I was driving a lonely stretch of nothing between the desert of west Texas and the Piney Woods of east Texas, and I was pulled over for doing 73.4 miles per hour in a 70 zone. I wasn't even sure he was pulling me over because my speedometer said 71mph. (I have since discovered that my speedometer is off by 2mph - checked it with my Garmin.) Anyway, he was totally nice, and I was totally nervous, as always. He asked where I was going, asked if there was an emergency and then reminded me that the speed limit was 70. I saw 7 cop cars within 30 minutes of that incident, and I saw 2 other people being pulled over. Evidently they were making a concerted effort to crack down on all those speeders in the desert! Personally, I was glad he had pulled me over. And I hope I still would have been glad had I gotten a ticket. It is reassuring to know that laws mean something. Don't you ever feel like so many of our laws are pointless because they are never enforced?? I am happy to report that I have been driving the speed limit (two under, according to my speedometer) ever since then. This may not be a big deal for you, but it is a total mindset shift for me.

About a month ago, I thought about blogging about my visit to my great-grandmother's grave on her 109th birthday. I know that she is not there and that she is in heaven and not some spirit inhabiting the cemetery in which her body is buried, but I still think there is something very special about visiting the graves of people you love. And not only special, but important. It's important to recognize the people who have had an impact on your life and to take time to honor them. Grandmommy was a godly, loving, determined woman. She raised my grandmother to love Jesus, who raised my mother to love Jesus who helped raise me to love Jesus - what a heritage! So Grandmother and I took advantage of the free day we had to drive over to her grave and put some flowers there. And I took supplies to clean hers and Granddaddy's headstones while we were there. It was lovely. And I love that I got to do it with Grandmother.

About two weeks ago I thought about blogging about my trip to Austin (are we sensing a trend here?). Went there to meet up with some friends who were visiting from New York. Love, love, love the Texas Capitol Building! Love the star in the middle of the dome, love the crazy echo you can hear when you stand in the middle of the rotunda, love the State Troopers wearing their cowboy hats while doing security checks. (Speaking of security checks, I also love that you can still take your concealed gun into the building if you have a license for it. Thank you for treating us like sane, responsible adults, State of Texas.)

Not sure if anything blog-book worthy has happened since then. Oh, my great-aunt, Grandmother's sister, came to visit for a few days. It was wonderful to hear them talking together. And while she was here, we went to a fundraiser dinner for David Simpson, the guy running for representation of our district on the state level. I like him so much! He is a family man and business guy who felt God calling him to go into politics to make a difference. Check out his website so you can fall in love with him, too! :)

Oh, one more thing! I watched the movies "Babies" a couple of days ago.

Delightfully wonderful! It's a documentary about four babies from four different countries, and it follows them from birth to when they take their first steps. Ahhhh! I loved it! Watching babies learn is so interesting! And seeing the different parenting styles was also really interesting. I think they must have asked the parents to let them film the babies for 30-minute uninterrupted spans of time or something because there is a whole lot of baby and not a lot of parents (not any narration or commentary, either). But that makes it really neat because you get to know the personalities of these babies. It is really well done - you will come out of it with a favorite of the four, I promise! :) (I don't mean there's one that will be everyone's favorite; I'm just saying, the babies are so different, and characterized so well, that you will just naturally identify with one of them.)

Okay, that is all for now. If you stuck through to the end, well done! I will try not to write a book next time.

Recent Musings

2010-06-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

Wheat Pennies are pretty cool. I got a Wheat Penny back in change at Walmart the other day and got a little unnecessarily excited :) If an image of said coin doesn't spring immediately to mind, no worries! I just happen to have a picture of the one I got most recently, which I have included for your benefit :) Granted, it's supposed to have more detail - the detail on mine's been rubbed off. Just look for an image on Google. I'm not a serious coin-collector, but I have to admit, I think wheat pennies are pretty cool-looking, so I've started taking them out of circulation when they pass my way :) This most recent one was more exciting than the others I have because it's the oldest one I've found so far: 1917. They started minting the wheat penny in 1909 and then changed the wheat design to the Lincoln Memorial image in 1959. The 1950's don't seem that long ago, but 1917! That's the year we entered World War I! That's before Prohibition and The Roaring Twenties. Before the Great Depression! That penny has been around for a lot of stuff! Okay, enough from the history geek.
Laptop keyboards are incomprehensibly difficult to type on. This observation comes on the heels of the purchase of my new computer a couple of days ago. A laptop, to be exact. My old computer crashed during a scan last week and then continued to crash about every thirty minutes after that. That could be a slight exaggeration (I am my father's daughter :) ), but whatever it was, it was extremely inconvenient. So I am now happily tapping away on a small, shallow laptop keyboard and loving every minute. Correcting a lot of typos in the process, but loving every minute!
I am strangely amused by the fact that during the summer, hot water comes out of the cold-water tap (coming from the warm pipes in the ground outside) and cold water comes out of the hot-water tap (coming from the cool pipes between the faucet and the water heater)? Maybe this comes from hanging out with fourth-graders all week. I've been doing VBS and we have been entertaining them with cheesy illustrations like making raisins float in Sprite. They thought it was cool. (A related thought: Despite the fact that our curriculum is really good, there have been times when I have stopped reading in amazement and thought, "Really???" Like when they said that the bubbles that make the raisins float "are like convicions," making you "rise to the top" of a situation. Really??? Sounds like the stuff that got added into my English papers when I tried to write them after 2am!)
Does anyone else feel like there's always either nothing happening or everything happening? My computer gives up the ghost right as I start working VBS which runs into the family reunion which falls over Fathers' Day...

Farmers' Market

2010-06-12T08:48:00.001-07:00

I went to the Historic Longview Farmers' Market this morning! They just started holding it this year, and I've been wanting to go ever since it opened in May. Actually, before then, even. Chef David from The Cook's Nook helped organize it and get it going, so he has been talking it up for a while. (There were a couple of months in which we got a lot of fun calls from farmers with great East Texas accents at the store :) ).

Wait, it's "historic" but it just opened this year?, you ask? I know, it confused me, too, at first. Notice the position of the adjective "historic." It's describing Longview. Because it's in the old downtown ("historic") area of Longview. Aha!

Anyway. I was finally in town on a Saturday, so I took the opportunity to get some fresh produce.

Loved it! I bought some sort of Italian green beans (which I'm not sure how to cook at the moment), tomatoes, onions, blackberries, and a huge, fragrant bunch of basil. I loved the farmer who was selling the basil. When I asked for a bunch, he pulled one out of the bucket and held it up to his face, took a deep breath into the leaves, and said, "I love it!" :) It did smell so good.

In case you're interested in finding a farmers' market near you, check out this great website I found, localharvet.org! Obviously, it isn't an exhaustive list, but it's pretty thorough.

Lagniappe

2010-05-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday while I was looking for clothes-pins in Grandmother's closet, I came across some love letters from World War II. Um, I know. It's like when you read those news stories about people finding a letter from President Lincoln just lying around. You think, Who does that actually happen to?! (Or even, To whom does that actually happen?! :) ) Well, evidently it can happen in a Crowson house.

When I told Grandmother about my discovery, she was so excited and had no idea there had been such a thing in her house. I read them out loud, and when we got through them all, she said, "Well, that's lagniappe!" ("Lagniappe" means an unexpected benefit, or a bonus. She did spend a significant time of her life in Louisiana :) )

So the letters! They are from my great-great-uncle Dow to his wife Lourie (called Ree). He was in the Army and was eventually sent to the Pacific. He left for service in October of 1943 and was shipped out in September of 1944. I found letters from Ree to Dow from January and February of 1944, while he was still in Virginia and letters from Dow to Ree from September 1944 (from on-board ship) into October '44.

They wrote to each other every day. Her letters are funny because she "bawls him out" (her words) for missing a day whenever she doesn't get a letter a particular day. (Evidently, he chose to visit his sister one day (this is while he is still in Virginia) and didn't leave himself enough time to write her. The nerve! :) ) And because she took over his job at the boot-making factory when he left, she talks a lot about the particulars of what she is doing at work and how the machines are always breaking down. His letters are full of talk about how hot it is and how he wishes he could tell her more about what he is doing and where he is. He does mention coconuts and "natives" and leaving New Guinea (once they have been re-stationed), though.

I have to say, however, that my favorite part of the letters is the closings. She signed her letters with some variation of:

Love, your wife.
Ree
(Ree & Dow)

And he always signed his:

From the one who loves you.
Your husband.
Love, Dow.
(Dow & Ree)
I love you.

Seriously. Every time! So cute!

Oil Change

2010-04-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

I got the oil changed in my car today, and I must say, it was a wonderful experience. I usually hate having to take care of car-maintenance issues because I feel so clueless. Is it normal to have one area of knowledge so totally off your radar? It probably shouldn't be, at any rate. Nonetheless, I know almost nothing about cars. The one exception to this is changing a tire. Thanks to Daddy, I have been able to change a tire by myself since I got my license. And unfortunately, I have done it enough times since then that I'm pretty confident in my tire-changing abilities. However, if anything else starts to go wrong, I get this sinking feeling in my stomach and immediately start to think of who I can call who might possibly take pity on me and help me out. And when it comes to taking my car into a shop, I'm a nervous wreck. I just know that the mechanic will take one look at me and know how totally ignorant I am. I hate the feeling that either A) You're being taken advantage of and sold unnecessary services or B) The guy just has no patience for you.

This is why I appreciate so much the place where I get my oil changed (called Time-It Lube, if you're curious). They have their female-customer-protocol down to an art. The guy who comes out to the car always opens the car door and the waiting-room door for me. Um, yes, please! The mechanic always goes over everything with me before I pay the bill. Example: "We checked your oil filter and it's good for another few oil changes, we checked the fluid levels in thus-and-so, and cleaned off the battery whatchamacallits. Your whatsit cap is on good and tight, and such-and-such and so-and-so." (It all makes so much sense to me :) ) Then after I have paid, they start the car, usher me in, and close the door for me. I come away feeling so feminine! On top of all this, they have a "Ladies' Day" on Wednesdays and give 15% off to any lady that comes in. I'll take that.

I've never paid attention to how they interact with guys that bring their cars in. I wonder how different it is. Probably just the opening doors part. I guess they can afford to give a ladies discount because so few ladies bring cars in. I sure wouldn't want to if I had a husband who would do it for me! But these guys are definitely a close second!

Welcome, Spring!

2010-04-02T07:09:00.000-07:00

Say hello to our newest addition: The first bud on the Bluebonnets in my back yard. Love it!

I can't get over how the change from winter to spring is so substantial. It seems to affect everything! Not just the temperature outside, but people's activities and even their moods. At least mine anyway. When the sun started shining and we had our near-Easter cold snap, the one that usually signals the last of the cold weather, it was like a weight was lifted, and everything seemed to be okay. I can't explain it, and I don't have time because I'm off to work in a few, but I was just so excited to see one more evidence of spring this morning, I wanted to share :)

Ginger Pudding

2010-03-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

I made a Ginger Pudding this evening from a recipe found in a little cook booklet from 1910 called "Home Helps: A Pure Food Cook Book." It was published by the makers of Cottolene, a brand of shortening produced from 1868 to the mid 20th century, so it has advertisements throughout (or rather, testimonials), as well as a majority of recipes that require some sort of shortening. Grandmother bought the booklet at an antique fair because while she was looking at it there, she opened it to the page with Ginger Pudding and thought it sounded good :) Incidentally, this recipe doesn't require shortening.

So here we go:

Ginger Pudding (by Mrs. Armstrong)

Mix together thoroughly one and one-half cups of flour, one teaspoon each of ginger and soda, one cup molasses, two-thirds cup of boiling water and one beaten egg. Steam one hour in a tube pan, and serve with either hard of liquid pudding sauce.

I mixed the dry ingredients together before I added the rest. Just seemed like good form. And I set my oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and put a jelly-roll pan of boiling water underneath my tube pan for the "steam" part. Not sure if that was what they were going for, but it worked out. I also used mini tube pans instead of one big one, and my pudding only needed to cook for 10 minutes!

I found a recipe later on in the pudding section that I think corresponds with the "pudding sauce" mentioned, though maybe Mrs. Armstrong didn't have a particular sauce in mind. At any rate, this is what I used:

Creamy Sauce and Hard Sauce (by Mrs. Lincoln)

Cream one-fourth cup of butter, add slowly one-half to one cup powdered sugar, beat in gradually two tablespoons rich fruit syrup, or wine, or any fresh fruit juice, and two to four tablespoons thick cream (whipped or not, as you have time). Serve hot by standing bowl over boiling water just before serving, and stirring only till melted and creamy. Or, serve cold; or, if for hard sauce, omit cream and pack it into dish for serving and chill till firm.

I added orange juice to mine and not as much powdered sugar as she suggests. It seems to be more of a spread than a sauce, but I suppose if you served it hot, the butter would melt, making it more of a liquid.

It was so good! The pudding and the sauce! I'm still wierded out that this cake-like thing is called a pudding, but it's not really a cake, either. It's a little more dense, and sponge-y, I guess. My only critique is that I think it needs more ginger. But it was so fun to make a recipe for the first time, from an iffy source, and have it turn out so well!

All Hail the Mighty State!

2010-03-02T12:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Texas Independence Day!!

On this day in 1836, the Convention adopted the Texas Declaration of Independence and asserted their status as The Republic Of Texas. Yeehaw for Texas! I wanted to make Texas-shaped cookies to celebrate the holiday, but I have, most unfortunately, begun a low-carb kick-start plan this week. Boo for low carbs. More on that in a second. However, I found a fun close-second option instead of cookies: Texas-shaped cheese! :) Laugh if you must, but cheese conveniently has no carbs, and what was I to do with a Texas cookie cutter that needed some love, today of all days!? So here's the result:

Now, about this low-carb kick-start thing. If you haven't ever stopped to think about it, let me first inform you that all comfort food is super-high in carbohydrates. Milk, bread, pasta, flour, anything with creamy goodness or warm fluffiness - all out of the picture right now (I think the reason people lose weight on low-carb diets is because there is nothing good left to eat, so you just don't eat as much! :)). The kick-start part of the plan means you take low carbs to an extreme and keep your intake at a minimum with the understanding that later on, you will add more carbs back into your diet. So I am trying to stay under 20 grams of carbs a day. To put this in perspective, a slice of bread has about 15 - 18 carbs in it. Yeah. So, as I am eating lettuce wraps (in lieu of sandwiches) and celery sticks without peanut butter and roast beef without gravy or potatoes or carrots, I am consoling myself with the fact that this is a one-week experiment. I read online in different places that the first week is the hardest, so maybe I will loosen the restrictions a tad and stick with it the second week. We'll see.

In other, probably more useful news, Grandmother started reading Desiring God, by John Piper and shared a phrase with me that she liked enough to underline it in a library book! (in pencil, of course :)). He said, "I learned how to dig for gold rather than rake for leaves when I take up the Scriptures." It took a little thinking over for me to fully appreciate it. But don't you love it!?

Also in the preface (which is where the previous sentence came from) is a beautiful quotation from a Matthew Henry book.

" 'The joy of the Lord will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks.' This is the great business of life--to "put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks."

Love it. I'm next in line to read it when she finishes :)

A week's worth of musings

2010-02-17T16:04:00.000-08:00

Haven't written in a while, and this when I've had so many thoughts running through my head. I shall share a sampling:

Procrastination is inexcusable. And I am the queen of it. But really, can you think of a legitimate excuse for procrastination? It's basically just laziness. It's deciding not to do something you should do/need to do/want to do simply because you can't muster up enough gumption to do it now. My pronouncement does not apply to scheduling things for a later date. There are very often good reasons to plan to do something in the future that you possibly could do now. The key is the plan. And, of course, the following of the plan. Saying, "I'll do it tomorrow/next week/later" is not a plan. My recognition of all this was brought on by the death of my great uncle last week. My first thought was, "I was going to visit him sometime soon..." I had been planning on visiting him "soon" since our family reunion last June! When we were all gathered for the funeral, I heard my Grandmother and one of her other brothers talking about how they both had been meaning to call him to catch up. We all do it. Some more than others. Maybe it's just a part of the way one's brain works. But I want so badly to avoid it!

In-and-out trips to the grocery store are very satisfying! I love it when I have a short, manageable list (preferably, short enough that you don't actually need it written down) and can walk straight to what I need, put it in my basket, check out, and move on to the next errand. I made a trip to the bank and the grocery store in under 30 minutes today. It was a beautiful thing.

I am a sucker for good advertising. A recent example: My grandmother has a cookbook from 1950 (Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook, to be exact) that she got as a wedding present and that I have used on occasion (mostly for the recipes for biscuits or cornbread, once for a cake recipe submitted by Irene Dunne herself!). Most of the time, though, I use something newer. Well, last week in the mail we got a little booklet advertising the re-publication of the original 1950 Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook. After looking through it, I was completely convinced it was the cookbook I needed to use for every meal from now on! I mean, it said it was "the cookbook that started America cooking!" "It's been cherished by three generations of American home cooks!" "It's packed with useful tips and heartwarming 1950-style 'wit and wisdom' you just won't find in today's cookbooks!" How could I live without it? I should probably even buy a new one just in case the old one wears out. I mean, it has tears and loose pages already. That's when I realized what was happening. No excuse. They had me eating out of their (collective) hand! It was then that I remembered the entire section dedicated to molded salads (what?), the suggestion to go to your local hardware store and order aluminum foil, and the way all of the given methods of making coffee involved using the stove top. I suppose it's not the only cookbook I'll ever need. Fun to use? Yes! A useful source of recipes? Yes! A miracle from heaven for the kitchen? Probably not. Ah, advertising.

Last but not least, my new favorite thing: Christmas Jelly! It tastes like a British Christmas. It's labeled as "Spiced Mixed Fruit Christmas Preserve," and it's got plums, red currants, and sultanas in it, among other things. So good. It's like mince pie for your toast.

Thoughts on an old movie

2010-01-18T17:24:00.000-08:00

I watched "Dragonwyck" (1946), with Gene Tierney and Vincent Price for the first time yesterday. I am surprised sometimes watching old movies when they address the existence of God so directly, as it seems to be avoided at all costs in Hollywood now-days. Especially as it is handled in this movie, with the protagonist taking the intolerant viewpoint that there is right and wrong and a God who is the ultimate judge. The main character Miranda (played by Gene Tierney) - a likable, steady, relatable middle-class girl - was ever referring to how everything happened by God's will and how people were made to know right from wrong. Her husband Nicolas (played by Vincent Price, the typecast villain) - wealthy, pompous, and dark - was a law unto himself and declared that he wouldn't live by a list of rules.

In the scene that caught my attention, Miranda is feeling guilty for marrying Nicholas so soon after his first wife died, and she is trying to talk about it with him, but he doesn't share her scruples. Here's part of the dialogue:

Miranda: Well, I believe that God has put a sense of right and wrong within all of us. And that when we are doing wrong, no matter if no one else knows, we do.

Nicolas: And you've remembered that ever since your Sunday school days, haven't you? That's a good girl.
Now, let us enjoy our lunch.

Miranda: Nicolas, you do believe in God...?

Nicolas: I believe in myself and I am answerable to myself. I will not live according to printed mottos like the directions on a medicine bottle.

(Watch it on YouTube. Starts at about 3:40.)

Later on, there is a conversation between the two where he talks about how he wants to live, to really live, and not merely follow the routine of normal life (this explanation with which he justifies his drug usage, but that aside). Here's what he says:

"...By ordinary standards, you're quite intelligent. But I will not live by ordinary standards. I will not run with the pack. I will not be chained into a routine of living which is the same for others. I will not look to the ground and move on the ground with the rest."

(Again, on YouTube. Beginning at about 2:13.)

And I thought how often we fall into the routine of "Christian life," missing out on truly living. It is much easier to be religious, to have a set list of duties to perform and services to attend, than to live a full, challenging, day-to-day-changing, not-in-our-control life. And all this made me think of an article my mom shared with me (The Demographics of Irrelevance) about the dire need for churches to preach and teach a comprehensive Christian worldview, how there are fewer men in church because it doesn't offer a full, challenging, inspiring view of life as a Christian.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

Why would a young man stay in the church? Is there a “male” message in our churches today? Is there a message that gives a young man a worthy cause to work for and to fight for? Why would he stay, to listen all his life to the same sermon over and over again, in many different versions of it? Come back every Sunday to learn—for the n-th time, over and over again—that God loves us? Shed tears over the same emotional stuff every week?
...

This hasn’t always been the case. Two or three centuries ago . . . the American church had a message of victory, a message that this country was a City on a Hill, and by its example God would change the world for Christ. Whether they were rafters and cowboys in the wilderness, or store clerks and builders in the cities of the East, Christian boys heard the same message from their preachers: “We are a nation created by God to be Christian and to exhibit God’s glory. We have a Manifest Destiny to create a godly society that will be admired and imitated by the nations of the world. Christ has established His Kingdom on this earth centuries ago, and everything you do—your job, your family, your entertainment even—is expanding the Kingdom of Christ on this earth.” Pastors preached the civil liberties of the Law of God and then donned the uniform to lead the boys in battle for those liberties. . . . The churches did not wait for their boys to go out and find worthy causes. The churches led the boys in those worthy causes in their crusade to redeem the world for Christ.

I love that phrase, "to redeem the world for Christ." That is indeed a worthy challenge and something that cannot be accomplished merely by attending church every Sunday.

Granted, there is no gospel presented in "Dragonwyck," no mention that it is not the rules that make up true belief in God, but the relationship with and response to our Creator God. But I appreciated Miranda's firm stance, at any rate. And, if you like old movies, I would highly recommend this one! Very dramatic and suspenseful! :) And, of course, there's Gene Tierney!

Questioning the "Easy as Pie" phrase

2010-01-12T10:30:00.000-08:00

I began my pie crust trials yesterday. Having discovered recently that January 23rd is National Pie Day, I decided I would like to perfect a homemade pie crust by then. I didn't realize this would be such a large undertaking. There are pretty close to a gazillion pie crust recipes out there (give or take :) ). So not only do I have to get good at making them, but I have to decide which recipe I want to use, too! And then, Grandmother was telling me this morning that some pie crusts work better with custard fillings (when you have to pre-cook the crust) and some work better for fruit-type fillings (when the filling and the crust cook together). Gracious! I am overwhelmed!

Anyway, I started off by comparing a Barbara Richardson (East Texas cooking legend) recipe, Easy Pie Crust, and one out of a new recipe book I have (Reader's Digest's "Taste of Home") called, Classic Pie Pastry. Not until I had already begun did I realize that these two would not make a good comparison. Barbara Richardson's is one you just press into the pie plate, while the other is one you roll out. I mean, if one is skilled at making pie crusts, sure! It would be useful to compare which one you like better. But, having never rolled out a crust in my life, I pretty much wasted my time with this one. With the exception that I learned I need to master rolling out pie pastry before I master any particular recipe and certainly before I have the gall to judge one over the other! (Oh, and with the added exception that now I have two really good coconut cream pies in my refrigerator, tough crust or not :) ) Basically, what happened was that I overworked the dough I was supposed to be rolling out, so it turned out really tough. The press-and-go one had better texture (because it hadn't been manhandled!) but it was pretty ugly, as crusts go. See for yourself:

(^ Pressed into the pan)

(^Rolled out flat and placed in pan)

Conclusion: I need to choose a basic, simple, plain-o pie crust recipe and practice my rolling skills.

State Highways

2009-07-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

I've decided I really like state highways. I prefer them to Interstates, US highways, and probably any other kind of long-distance road. Please note that this is no mere passing observation. I have chalked up a great deal of road time this summer, and I have driven on a great many roads. And I must say that state highways are by far the most pleasant. Now, I do have, right now in the back of my mind, a nagging urge to add a qualifier, so I will. State highways are not a pleasant affair if one is in a hurry to get somewhere. But I would venture to say that driving in general is not as pleasant when one is in a hurry. And it is also probably safe to say that when one is in a hurry, one doesn't care about the pleasantness of the drive. Hurrying, I suppose, is a part of life and cannot really be avoided completely. So hurry when you must. However, there is no sense in hurrying through a two or three day road trip. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be continuously in a hurry for two days straight. Conclusion: when you are taking a road trip, opt for the state highways.

In June, while traveling to a reunion, my family and I took "the back way" from Vandalia, Ohio to Logansport, Indiana, avoiding the interstate and using, instead, a number of winding, two-lane highways. It was wonderful! The wheat fields had turned golden already, and the corn was starting to grow, and there were old, old farm houses, red brick and really narrow, and fields of cows, too. Man, I loved it.

Also this summer, I drove from Midland to Austin, which is a long stretch of Texas with pretty much no cities in between. Towns, yes. Cities, no. I think I drove the whole way on Texas highways. And it was great! Who knew west Texas could be so green! Fields covered with a carpet of those cute, scrubby little trees. I also saw signs for some pretty great towns, like Knickerbocker, Salt Gap, Melvin, Hedwigs Hill and Oatmeal. Seriously.

In closing, you are missing out if you always take the interstate. Support your local state highways! :)

Good thoughts from good ol' Gilbert Keith

2009-03-29T14:31:00.000-07:00

"In the matter of reforming things, as distinct from deforming them, there is one plain and simple principle; a principle which will probably be called a paradox. There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, 'I don't see the use of this; let us clear it away.' To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: 'If you don't see the use of it, I certainly won't let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.'

This paradox rests on the most elementary common sense. The gate or fence did not grow there. It was not set up by somnambulists who built it in their sleep. It is highly improbable that it was put there by escaped lunatics who were for some reason loose in the street. Some person had some reason for thinking it would be a good thing for somebody. And until we know what the reason was, we really cannot judge whether the reason was reasonable. It is extremely probable that we have overlooked some whole aspect of the question, if something set up by human beings like ourselves seems to be entirely meaningless and mysterious. There are reformers who get over this difficulty by assuming that all their fathers were fools; but if that be so, we can only say that folly appears to be a hereditary disease."

from the essay "The Drift from Domesticity" by G.K. Chesterton

I don't have anything worthy to add beneath these eloquently-put thoughts. Only that I like them. And I hope I remember them as I explore new ideas.

One is shocked! One raises the eyebrows!

2009-02-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

I watched the first season of Jeeves and Wooster this week. I love it so much! The characters are well-played and likable, even though the plot sometimes borders on everything-goes-wrong-in-an-I-Love-Lucy(translate, "annoying!")-type-way. But it doesn't get to that annoying level. It achieves a precarious balance. It says a lot that I don't come away from the show hating Wooster like I do Lucy. Actually, I love Wooster! It doesn't hurt that he is played by a very young Hugh Laurie. It might also have something to do with his amazing vocabulary and enviable sentence structure :)

The stories are so entertaining, but I think I love the show so much because of the way they talk. Very English, very proper, and very like the way people talk in novels. Not new novels but old ones. I mean, it makes sense because the show is based on written short stories. I'm just saying that's what I like about it. Who says stuff like, "I shall go purchase the comestibles" in real life? No one. But I wish I did! Not all the time, of course :) But I wish I could pull out words like that when I wanted to. Words like, "remonstrate," "assiduity," and "imbroglio."

Check out these new words I've added to my vocabulary:

sobriquet (n) - an affectionate or humorous nickname.
opprobrious (adj) - Expressing contemptuous reproach; scornful or abusive.
propinquity (n) - Proximity; nearness.
concatenation (n) - A series or order of things depending on each other, as if linked together; a chain, a succession.

The Generally Ridiculous Exam

2009-01-15T14:44:00.000-08:00

I took a practice GRE this morning.

I would like to rename a few of the sections to better inform the test-taker of the types of questions to be expected. I found the title "Reading Comprehension" not quite descriptive enough. I suggest the title "Are you smart enough to interpret an inane, halting, and poorly-written passage?". Maybe this really is a more accurate portrayal of one's intelligence. I mean, anyone can get the gist of a well-written paragraph, right? Maybe not-so-smart people can't extract any sense from poor writing, whereas smart people can come up with something. I hate to admit that they stumped me more often than not. But could there be a more painful way to test one's comprehension ability?!?

(As a side note, my vocab ego got bumped down a few notches when I couldn't identify whether or not "tonsorial" and "hair" shared the same relationship as "sartorial" and "apparel." They do.)

I also have an improvement for the section entitled "Problem Solving." I suggest the title "How many steps can we add to a problem before you give up and guess?" An example of what would follow:

Question1- Find the percent difference of Section X and Section Y in Graph A. Now multiply the percent by the total to get the actual number. Now find the ratio of this number to the number given in Graph B. But numbers aren't given in graph B, only percents, so you have to work out the numbers, given the percent difference between the two graphs.You have a minute and a half. Go!

Lovely! So have I told you how not-excited I am to take this thing tomorrow? But at least I won't ever have to do it again. No, not even if I bomb it tomorrow. I've decided that if I make a bad grade tomorrow, I'm going to move to Italy, become a tour guide, and make books in my spare time.

Immediacy: no delay

2009-01-09T23:42:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Grandmother asked me if I appreciated immediacy. I didn't understand what she was asking (is that a common way to use the word "immediacy" anyway?). But then she held up a scrap of paper, maybe it was even a napkin, not sure, and said, "This is what I wrote when your mother called to tell me about your birth." The paper had my name written on it, how many pounds I weighed, and the time I was born. I don't know if she had saved it purposefully or on accident, but she still had the paper she had written all my details on when I was born!

I'm not sure if I'd ever consciously labeled my appreciation of certain old things as an appreciation of immediacy (I'm also not sure if anyone but my grandmother uses that word that way), but I realized that is what I love about so many old things. Dressing up in the dress my mom wore to her rehearsal dinner. Walking down the street where Dante lived in Florence. Going to Civil War battlefields. Somehow, just being near something that was around when something historic happened makes one feel a little connected. Or at least it makes me feel that way. It's like it takes away the huge time delay that separates you from it.

Something cool I learned recently concerns this idea, as well. The hymn "Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel" is an original Byzantine hymn. The words and music and all! That's why it sounds like an old monastic chant. Because it is. How amazing is that! We are singing the same hymn people sang 1200 years ago! What!? I love that!
(Just fyi, this information comes from Byron, who often shares random and little-known facts, so I can't tell you exactly where you could find this info in print :) But I believe him.)

Just gimme that milk! Moo moo moo moo!

2008-12-10T11:24:00.000-08:00

I went to a dairy farm last week. It was a last-minute thing, right before I left Georgetown to go home, but I'm so glad I didn't miss it! Byron had heard that there was a dairy farm somewhere nearby where you could buy raw milk, that is, fresh milk that hasn't been processed. We followed street addresses that skipped around unhelpfully but finally saw a sign for the place in front of a cute, pale-yellow farmhouse on the edge of some open land. We pulled into the driveway, thought better of dropping by unannounced on a Sunday afternoon, then called the number on the sign and were enthusiastically encouraged to come on by. We didn't mention that we were in the driveway; we just said we were "near" :) We followed the drive up and pulled in next to a small building to the left of the house.

As we got out of the car, the farmer opened the door and waved us in. It was just one room, with a concrete floor and a few stainless steel cooler-display-cases, like the ones they have at someplace like Baskin Robbins, which were almost all empty. We explained that we had just heard tell of this place and wanted to come check it out and get some fresh milk. The guy explained that it sells really fast and that there were only six gallons of milk left, five of which were being save for a lady who has just called. So Byron could only buy the last one. Turns out the milk was just something like three hours old! Just hours ago it was still inside the cow! How cool is that!? Byron asked if he also sold eggs or beef. He does sell eggs, he told us, but his preacher had just stopped by and cleaned him out :) And he keeps a herd of Angus cattle nearby, but the beef always needs to be pre-ordered.

With apologies that we were new to all this, we asked how long fresh milk will keep, and with only a few prompting questions, he unfolded to us the whole explanation of the greatness that is fresh milk. You see, even though it has more fat than whole milk, the fat is easier to digest. It's not so processed. It also speeds up your metabolism. "My wife's as skinny as a rail, and she drinks about a half a gallon of this a day!" He didn't use himself as an example, he explained, because he's fat from beer :) He reminded us to shake it before drinking it in the morning because it will have separated. Byron asked if you could use the separated cream to make butter. "Sure!," he said. Then he flashed a conspiratorial smile and said, "If you pour a glass of milk and let it sit out for about three or four, or five or six hours, let it get warm, mmm!, and it's like buttermilk!" Another big smile. "But it's different from buttermilk because buttermilk is rotten, and raw milk doesn't rot. It just grows. And gets thick."

I was intrigued with all of this! Who knew that all that processing and pasteurizing wasn't always necessary?! I had been drinking processed milk all my life! Okay, sure, processing is an easy way to make sure it's not germ-ridden or disease-harboring. But how cool that this new option was available, that I could buy better-tasting, and some argue, better for you, milk from someone local!

I still haven't found a dairy farm near me, but I haven't given it my best effort yet. I have, however, found some good sites on the internet about it all. Raw-Milk-Facts.com has a lot of information and an easy layout, and RealMilk.com provides a list of local dairy farms in the US (though not exhaustive). The guy from Raw-Milk-Facts suggests that if you can't find a local dairy near you, you should consider keeping your own milk cow. It sounds pretty extreme at first, but there's this book on Amazon I've been looking at called "Keeping a Family Cow"...

We'll see! :)