Author Archives: Barbara Harper

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About Barbara Harper

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Review: Wildwood Creek

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Wildwood Creek

Wildwood Creek is the fourth and final book in Lisa Wingate’s Shores of Moses Lake series. Unlike the others, this is a dual-timeline story.

In the 1850s, Bonnie Rose O’Brien and her family were captured by the Comanche. Her parents were killed, and Bonnie Rose and her younger sister, Maggie May, were held captive for years. Upon their deliverance, Bonnie feels soiled and shameful, even though nothing that happened to her was her fault. When the missionaries she’s staying with recommend her for a teaching position in the wilderness, she sees it as a chance to start over.

In 1861, a man named Harland Delavan is starting a new community called Wildwood to search for gold in Texas. He hires Bonnie as well as others to fill the town’s needs. But he rules with an iron hand. Soon individuals and then whole families disappear without explanation. Rumors and myths spread like wildfire, creating legends that linger through the centuries.

In 2014, Allie Kirkland is following in her father’s footsteps. He was a film director, and her earliest memories involve being with him on set. When he died, Allie’s life was never the same. Her mother remarried a lawyer, and they both urged Allie to work in his firm and major in law. Allie feels she doesn’t fit in with her step-siblings and half-siblings.

When Allie learns of a summer internship for a reality TV show, she jumps at the opportunity and is hired. A famous filmmaker wants to recreate the town of Wildwood near Moses Lake Texas, and have actors represent the townspeople and live as they did while exploring the mysteries of what could have happened to them.

Before long, mysterious things begin to happen in this Wildwood, too. Allie feels a kinship with the young teacher, Bonnie Rose. Can she find out what happened before it’s too late?

It was fun to see some of the characters from the previous books again. That’s one nice thing about reading a series one right after the other–I recognized people I might not have otherwise. I think there’s enough explanation in each book that they could be read alone, but they do build on each other.

Each of the Moses Lake books involves someone whose plans are upended in some way, causing them to reconnect with a faith they’ve neglected. Each story also contains some level of mystery and the importance of community.

Reading four books of one author in succession also brings to light an author’s quirks. I think in every book, someone is said to “flash an eye tooth” at someone. I’d never heard that phrase before–I suppose it’s an idiom for a wide grin.

I listened to the audiobook, which had two different women reading Bonnie Rose’s and Allie’s sections: Morgan Hallett and Heather O’Neill. Then I checked the ebook out via Libby to look at some passages there.

I think this book is the best of the four. My only disappointment is that I was looking forward to the author’s notes about her inspiration for this series and whether any of the details or characters were based in fact, yet there were none. At the end of the third book, the author says her husband, like one of the main characters there, got an unexpected job offer in a small Texas town. So I imagine many of the details of the Moses Lake community came from that experience. I did find a guest blog post from Lisa about the book here and an interview here.

What I Learned from a Traumatic Illness

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What I learned from a traumatic illness

September 1 will mark thirty years since I contracted transverse myelitis. TM is an auto-immune disorder in which a virus attacks the spine, triggering the body to attack not only the virus, but the myelin sheath around the nerves of the spine. An attack low on the spine might bring just a little numbness and tingling. But an attack high on the spine can result in quadriplegia, ventilator-dependency, and even death.

I was affected in the middle, in the thoracic region. My symptoms began with a vague feeling of numbness in my left hand, like I had slept on it wrong. Within three hours, my left arm was numb up to my shoulder as were both legs up to my lower torso. I couldn’t walk on my own. I was having trouble going to the bathroom.

I thought I was having a stroke. That’s the only thing I knew of that would cause parts of the body to suddenly go numb.

As it turns out, a number of ailments can cause sudden numbness. There was no one test to diagnose TM. Instead, tests were performed to rule out any other possible related illness. That took eight days in the hospital.

I was sent home with a few prescriptions and a plan for physical therapy.

Thankfully, I progressed from a wheelchair to a walker to a cane to walking unsteadily on my own over the course of a few months. My ability to walk has improved, but I still can’t run, jump, hop, or walk very well on uneven ground. Oddly, my balance is often affected the most when I am standing still with no support. This is due to TM’s effect on my proprioception. I’m usually fine if I can hold on to or lean against something stationery.

I am not as numb as I was, but I still don’t have full feeling in my left hand or lower legs. I have odd little nerve sensations–feeling like something is touching me when it isn’t, feeling a sudden hot sensation where there is no heat, etc. I can’t wear my wedding ring because it causes a pinging, funny-bone sensation in my hand.

But overall, I am thankful that I recovered to the point of being able to function as I needed to, to take care of my family, and to lead a relatively normal life.

I’ve been jotting down several things I have learned through this experience, and I thought I’d share them with you. I know many of you are going through physical trials or have in the past. Though our details might vary, I hope you’ll find camaraderie and encouragement here.

The unsteady trajectory of healing. It seems that often healing is a one step forward–two steps back process, feeling better one day and worse another. Often in the first couple of years after TM, I felt my symptoms were increasing to the same point they were in the beginning. Though TM is usually a one-time event, some people do have more than one attack. But repeated attacks are also signs of multiple sclerosis. So that specter was in view whenever I felt worse.

The hidden work of healing. Sometimes assessing healing is like watching paint dry. There doesn’t seem to be any progress day by day. But over time, healing gradually takes place unawares, until finally one day we can see definite progress from the previous week or month.

Riding the waves. When my husband and I were taking childbirth classes, our teacher invited a couple from her previous class to come in and share their childbirth experience. The new mom said something like this: during labor, when she wondered how many hours she was going to have to do this, she felt weary and defeated. But if she only concentrated on one contraction at a time, she was able to get through them better. She likened it to riding each wave of a surf as it came in.

That illustration has stayed with me all these years through many applications. When symptoms flared up or I had a bad day, I thought, I only have to deal with this day, this moment.

The value of rest. The first few months after TM, if I wanted to go anywhere, I would have to rest up the day of the event. Afterward, it wasn’t a matter of making myself rest: my body crashed and I couldn’t have done anything else anyway.

But I noticed I hardly ever had a cold or any other sickness during that time. I realized that maybe rest was nipping any other colds or viruses in the bud. When I began having heart rhythm issues, I couldn’t take decongestants any more. So rest and Tylenol and cough drops at the first sign of a cold became my go-to treatment. Most of the time, I got over them much faster than usual.

The need to strive. This sounds like a contradiction to the need for rest. It’s hard to balance sometimes. Usually we don’t know we’ve overdone it until it’s too late. But we don’t generally make much progress unless we stretch ourselves beyond what’s comfortable.

The value of an ordinary day. When I was in the hospital and recovering at home, one of the things I most wanted and missed was just an ordinary day like I’d had and hadn’t appreciated before.

The value of my work. As a homemaker, I can sometimes feel my work is not as important as other people’s. But when I couldn’t do my work and saw the extra pressure it put on everyone else to do what I always did, it helped me realize that I did have a helpful contribution to making family life go smoothly.

The value of help. People from church brought meals, cleaned bathrooms, babysat, prayed, sent cards, and let us know they cared. A group of men installed a handrail on the stairs and safety bars in the bathroom.

People often wonder what to do to help in a crisis. It varies according to the person and the situation. But I’d encourage praying about it and then doing what the Lord lays on your heart. For instance, one lady brought over a puzzle, and she and my oldest son sat and worked it at the kitchen table while we talked. We’d had to go back and forth to so many doctor’s visits, either taking the kids with us or to babysitters, and that quiet activity was a balm. Yet if someone had asked me what I needed, I never would have thought of a puzzle and quiet conversation.

The mental cost. This is something I didn’t realize until a few years ago. I was reading of a woman who had been in a horrific accident where she was hit by a bus, flying through the air until she landed on the street with multiple broken bones. On the one year anniversary of her accident, she wrote that she had healed physically, but still suffered triggers that affected her mentally and emotionally.

That statement was like a light bulb coming on in my mind.

For maybe a year or two after TM, I suffered from panic attacks. I didn’t tell anyone. This was in an era when many Christians were adamantly against psychiatry. We had seen a documentary about the dangers of Xanax. I was afraid of being shipped off to a psychiatrist and being put on psychotic drugs.

In fact, I was given Xanax while in the hospital, but no one ever explained why. I don’t remember that it had much of an effect. But I didn’t want to continue it.

So even as I healed physically and enjoyed time with my family and getting back to church, I didn’t realize that I was still shaken up mentally and emotionally. I think part of it is that the world no longer felt secure. We know that anything can happen any time–but when it does, life doesn’t seem safe any more.

In truth, this world was never meant to be our safe place. Our shelter and security comes from God. But it takes a while to remember that, or to apply it in new ways, when our lives are severely shaken.

Mental and emotional healing may take just as much of an up-and-down trajectory as physical healing and may leave us with limps, scars, or tender places.

Things evened out over time, but I wish I had talked to my neurologist or primary care doctor.about all this while it was going on. Thankfully, we understand mental issues better now than we did then.

Lessons from limitations. I’ve written about this before, but one of the biggest lessons was that even though I couldn’t do everything I had done before, that didn’t mean I couldn’t do anything. We all face limitations of some kind–physical, financial, relational, season of life, etc. Our limits don’t hinder our ministry: they just define it.

Happy stress is still stress. A nurse shared this with Mittu when Timothy was in the NICU for 10 1/2 weeks. It rang a bell with me, too. Even with events I am dearly looking forward to, I have to pace myself.

Faith during uncertainty. For the first couple of years after TM, I never knew what my symptoms and capabilities would be any given day. I felt bad when plans with the family had to be canceled, though they were understanding. I didn’t know how long symptoms would go on or what level of recovery I would eventually reach. I was used to getting medical problems fixed, either with medication or a procedure. Living with the unknown for so long was wearing, but it caused us to rely on God moment by moment and trust Him for the future.

The joy of finding others. We got our first family personal computer about six weeks after my diagnosis, and transverse myelitis was the first thing I looked up. I found an email subscriber list of TM patients and caregivers. No one else I knew outside of the medical community had ever heard of TM. To find people who knew what I was talking about, who could answer questions and compare notes, was a godsend.

Dealing with “what ifs.” We lived in a split-level house, and I couldn’t use the stairs at first. Would we need to move? I had three sons, the youngest just two years old. Would I be able to take care of them? We had just started our second year of home schooling. Would I be able to continue? About a third of TM patients don’t regain anything they lost at onset. What if I didn’t? Or what if it got worse? What if I developed MS? What if the doctors missed something? Living with uncertainty isn’t comfortable, but God’s Word assured me He was with me and cared for me. I didn’t know what the future held, but I could trust Him to meet my needs and lead us day by day.

It’s okay to have bad days, to cry, to lament. I used to think that in order to be a good testimony, I had to project “victory” and positivity all the time. That’s not only inauthentic, it’s unrelateable. In the psalms, we see people pouring out their confusion, questions, anguish, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual pains. Eventually they remind themselves of what they know to be true about God’s character and ways, and they rest in Him even though the circumstances may not have changed.

The comfort of Scripture. Finding help and hope in the Bible was not new to me, but God’s Word helped me in special ways during this time. For example, the night before I was scheduled for an MRI, nearly every medical person who came into my hospital room asked me if I was claustrophobic. I didn’t know–I had never been in a position to feel claustrophobic before. I wanted to tell them that their questions were making me feel claustrophobic! I was told that they could give me something to calm my nerves, but it needed to be done a certain amount of time before the MRI. I opted not to take anything.

They stressed to me the importance of being still in the MRI machine. Before the MRI, the verses from my Daily Light on the Daily Path devotional were all about being still: “Sit still, my daughter” (Ruth 3:18); “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10); “Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still” (Psalm 4:4), and others. Those words kept running through my mind while I was in the MRI machine, and I remained calm. I even dozed off.

In the following months, other verses stood out to me. “The Lord strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness” (Psalm 41:3); “In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old” (Isaiah 63:9); “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9), “Though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men” (Lamentations 3:32-33), and so many others.

How about you? What has God taught you and how has He helped you in illness?

1 Peter 5:10

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Laudable Linkage

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Laudable Linkage

Here are some thought-provoking reads found this week:

The Change Along the Way, HT to Challies. “Ever since mankind was in the Garden, and that fatal first sin was committed, we have tried to shortcut the goals set before us. As with our first mother, we are fickle creatures, seeking always the final product without the process in between. . . .Even our Saviour was tempted in the wilderness to escape the way of the cross for the kingdoms of the world, for the devil knew this inherent weakness in mankind. We long for the glory, and if we can avoid the cross, all the better.”

Can Faith and Fear Coexist in the Life of a Believer? “What separates a person of faith from the crowd? It’s not a lack of fear. The faithful choose to listen to their faith instead of their fears. Faith assures us that God’s invisible presence and power accompanies us as we obey His voice.”

How to Have a Soft Heart. “You can probably think of women who have been cut by life and now wear their pain as sharp edges. But you probably also know women who have walked through as much difficulty and somehow emerged softer. Gentler. More gracious. More trusting. Have you ever wondered how to end up like them?”

Do You Talk Too Much, or not Enough? “The danger in too much talking arises when the entertainment value lies in the drama. And when we enjoy talking, it’s easy for the conversation to drift there. Here are some danger zones where many words can lead to sin.”

Does God Really Care What You Wear This Summer? “Perhaps you’ve wondered it too: does God really care what I wear this summer? Before diving in to answer that question, it may be helpful to consider another: do I really want to know the heart of God on this topic, or am I merely looking for affirmation of my already-formed opinions? In other words, what do I want more? An answer to the question ‘Does God really care what I wear?’ Or am I more concerned with how close I can get to a perceived line of immodesty without going over? “

Dear Weary Caregiver, HT to the Story Warren. “But for those (like me) who need regular reminding, here are three lessons God is teaching me about himself and his ways as I care for my boy. I hope they encourage you as you continue to lay down your life in the service of another.”

Ten Reasons Why I Love Verse by Verse Exposition, HT to Challies. “What is verse by verse exposition? This is when a pastor preaches a book of the Bible, reading and teaching each verse in order to expose it’s meaning. Sure, this can be done poorly, but I think that this approach is super helpful for the church and really beneficial for the preacher. I want to outline ten reasons why I love verse by verse exposition.”

How to Guide Your Children Through the Digital Age, HT to Challies. “Technology is everywhere. There’s no escaping its influence—not only in our own lives but also in the lives of our children. Here are three powerful ways technology is shaping your children and how you can help them respond with wisdom and discernment.”

A Plea to Biblical Counselors Regarding Autism, HT to Challies. “Recently, I’ve heard biblical counselors make unhelpful comments about autism, namely that it’s just a “Big Pharma” money-making scheme. They insist that diagnostic criteria are too vague, making an autism diagnosis too subjective. They even say that biblical counselors have better answers, as if they are better suited to “treat” autism. Biblical counselors, I beg you, do not go down this road, as it will lead to irreparable damage to individuals and families impacted by autism. This road represents a profound misunderstanding of what autism is, how it is diagnosed, and the medical side effects with which these families suffer.”

Corrie ten Boom quote

God sees trouble and grief, which we can lay in His hands where it is safe,
and where we are safe. Corrie ten Boom

Friday’s Fave Five

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Friday's Fave Five

I’m sharing this week’s blessings with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.

1. Cardioversion. Last week I shared that I had been in atrial flutter since July 16, but the cardioversion to correct it wasn’t until Aug. 22. I woke up in atrial fibrillation Saturday, which continued to Tuesday. I called the cardiologist’s office Monday, but they said there was nothing else they could do medicinally, and I could go to the ER if I wanted to. So I did on Tuesday. They did the cardioversion there. It feels very good to have a heart rate in the 50-60 beats per minute range rather than the 90-140 range. My heart is still a little erratic, but hopefully will settle down soon.

2. Good ER staff. The main ER doctor was very helpful and gave clear yet succinct details of what was going on, what the cardioversion involved, etc. Our nurse was really sweet.

3. Texts from Timothy. He texted Wednesday to ask how my heart was and then to ask if he could come over Thursday and make me lunch.

4. Lunch and flowers. Jason, Mittu, and Timothy did come Thursday. Timothy (and Mittu) made lunch. They brought some lovely pink roses, and we visited for a couple of hours.

5. Phone calls done. I had a whole list of phone calls to make to schedule and reschedule various things. I tend to put that kind of thing off until I can’t any more. I got them all done one afternoon. All but one of them involved leaving a message for the other person to call me back. So they’re not totally taken care of yet–but at least the ball is in someone else’s court for the moment.

Bonus: Free produce. A neighbor gave us some of their yellow squash abundance.

That was my week–how was yours?

Do You Need a Fresh Word from the Lord?

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Do you need a frsh word from the Lord?

Have you ever heard anyone say they needed a “fresh word” from the Lord?

I pondered recently what would prompt someone to say that.

Perhaps they’re bogged down in Leviticus.

Perhaps the old truths just seem . . . old.

Perhaps they haven’t felt the fervency they used to when reading the Bible.

Perhaps they have questions they can’t find the answer to in the Bible.

Perhaps they haven’t seen God move in life like He did in His Word.

It’s good to ask ourselves these questions and try to figure out where the problem is. I want to encourage us that the Bible is living, active, sharp, piercing, discerning (Hebrews 4:12).

The Bible is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

God has granted to us all things–all things–that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises (2 Peter 1:3-4).

All of these and other passages show that we don’t need something new and fresh from God. What He has given us is more than sufficient for our spiritual needs.

Why doesn’t it always feel that way?

Well it could be something as simple as not getting enough sleep. I know what it is to battle drowsiness all through my Bible reading and not get anything out of it. Going to bed earlier or moving devotions to later in the day might help. Doing something active before reading can help wake us up.

Distractions are a problem. I don’t know how many times I have started to pray or read and had to keep bringing my mind back from other thoughts. Sometimes I treat my thoughts like my phone and mentally swipe away all the open tabs. I pray for God’s help and then perhaps read out loud or change my position or location. I keep a notepad nearby to jot down thoughts about things I need to take care of.

Something might be blocking our communication. In any relationship, when something is wrong, our communication isn’t what it should be. If we ask God to search us and show us what is wrong, He will. We can then confess any sin and put away anything that is displeasing to Him.

What about Leviticus–what a friend referred to as the place where Bible reading plans go to die? Someone said all of the Bible is inspired but it’s not all inspiring. It helps to remind ourselves of the verses above, that this is part of God’s Word, too, and He has a purpose for it in our Bibles.

Studying some of these difficult passages with others, or using a good study aid or commentary, helps as well. They can open our eyes to things we missed in our own study.

When our ladies’ Bible study went through Hebrews, someone remarked that it would be good to study Leviticus and Hebrews together. Hebrews explains a lot of the symbolism in the Old Testament systems of worship.

Also, after reading from Leviticus or Chronicles, it might help to spend time in the psalms or in passages that have been especially meaningful to us in the past.

What about those unanswered questions? Sometimes the answers are there, but we haven’t found them yet. Asking a friend who is further along in their Christian walk or a pastor or Bible study leader can shed light.

But sometimes the answers just aren’t there. Deuteronomy 29:29 says “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” God wants us to know Him well enough through the Word He has given us we can trust Him for what He hasn’t shared.

In New Testament times, people called Gnostics taught that there was a secret, special knowledge that only a few people knew. Though Gnostics are not named in the Bible, the epistles warn against their teachings. Mark Howell writes “The proclivity of many Christians is to be constantly on the lookout for some new thing to breathe life into the church. But according to Paul, the answer will not come by finding something new; it will come when the church renews its focus on something old—the Scriptures.” (Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Thessalonians [Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary], p. 238)

If we’re feeling bored, maybe we need to change our routine. Or we may need to pray for God to wake us again to the wonders in His Word. I love the King James word “quicken,” often translated “revive” in other versions. Many verses talk about God’s Word itself quickening us (Psalm 119:25, 50, 93; John 6:63).

We need to remember, too, that feelings aren’t always the mark of spirituality. Nothing beats those times in the Bible when God speaks to our hearts in a special way and we’re encouraged, our hearts are warmed, and we’re ready to face the day with hope and love. But just like any relationship, those warm, close times will come and go. Many of our conversations with loved ones are filled with necessary but mundane everyday details.

Every meal won’t be a Thanksgiving feast. But even the tuna casseroles and peanut butter sandwiches nourish us. Similarly, every time in the Bible won’t bring 4th of July sparks, but every reading benefits us. It’s that faithful everyday adding to and building upon what we know that strengthens us. And that in turn lays the foundation for those special, eye-opening, heart-warming moments.

We’ll always find new insights as we keep reading the Bible. But often what we need is the reminders of what we’ve learned before.

The hymn “How Firm a Foundation” begins with this stanza:

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

Dan Forrest’s arrangement of this hymn weaves that phrase from the first stanza–“What more can He say?”–between each of the other stanzas that focus on specific passages from the Bible. . 

He’s already given us “all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” What more can He say?

2 Peter 1:3-4

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Laudable Linkage

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Laudable Linkage

Some of the noteworthy posts found this week:

Your Fig Leaves Are Showing! Why Your Christian Home Is not as Close as it Should Be. Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together to cover the shame they felt after they sinned. “That ancient impulse hasn’t changed. Sin still causes shame. Shame still creates barriers. And we still reach for fig leaves. Today, our fig leaves are more sophisticated.”

Transhumanism, Christian Productivity, and Why I Don’t Use the Term “Second Brain.” I’ve been concerned about the transcendence of AI affecting our ability to think and process. But I didn’t realize those behind it have a larger plan. “Forte’s ultimate vision for personal knowledge management is a digital Tower of Babel. This is the philosophy of transhumanism. And it might sound a little kooky at first until you realize he is far from the only one who thinks this way about technology and personal improvement.”

Everything Matters. “Just mark it down right now: the devil is a liar. He says our sin is so small that it won’t affect us, and our good works are so insignificant that they won’t impact anyone else. But there is no such thing as an action without a reaction. In God’s kingdom, everything matters. Here’s how…”

Did Abraham Get Away with Lying? I had never realized all these ramifications of Abraham’s lies.

Ansel Adams, AI, and the Essence of Creation, HT to Challies. “It seems to me that part of the essence of true creation is labor, striving, wrestling, and overcoming. It calls forth the virtue of courage to beat back the doubts and insecurities and fears, and surge up something fresh and true. It demands a presence in the world, a willingness to interact with creation and people, to touch things and be affected viscerally. This is true whether your creation is painting or photography or film or poetry or fiction or nonfiction. The human element matters.”

Singing Anyway, HT to Challies. “I do not doubt that each of the kids singing on stage had reasons not to sing. There were likely moms who forgot to make Easter baskets, dresses that felt too tight, shirt tags that itched, parents who were fighting in the kitchen that morning, and siblings who were annoying during the ride to the service. But they showed up anyway. They sang anyway. And because they decided to show up and sing, countless people were moved toward a posture of praise.”

Christian Cultural Bias in Missions is a Real Challenge. “Missionaries are tempted to recreate the church culture they admire back home. One reason this happens is that they have not taken the time to understand the differences between their cultural Christian experiences back home and what the Bible actually teaches. They don’t realize how much their idea of what a local church should look like comes from cultural expectations or simple habits (often unconscious).”

What’s Going On In Your Pastor’s Mind? “It is one of the strengths, or perhaps one of the weaknesses, of the human mind that it can have different “tracks” playing at the same time. Even as one series of words is emerging from a person’s mouth, an entirely different series of words may be flitting through his brain. He can have an entire monologue playing internally, even as another is playing externally.”

J. C. Ryle quote

What if God ruined your plans
so your plans wouldn’t ruin you?
J. C. Ryle

Friday’s Fave Five

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Friday's Fave Five

Here we are in August already! I’m joining with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story to share our blessings of the week.

1. A helpful neighbor. This happened last week, but I forgot to mention it. While we were celebrating Jason’s birthday, a neighbor noticed that Jesse’s brake lights were on and called us. Jesse went out to turn them off–but they remained on. Jim went out to look, and there was some problem with the fuse box. They removed the fuse–which meant having no brake lights for the drive home. But God kept him safe. We were so thankful for the neighbor, because at least we were able to keep Jesse’s battery from running down.

2. Car fixed. Jesse made arrangements to have his car worked on at a place near us. We loaned him one of our cars while his was being worked on. While it was in the shop, he asked them to change the oil and investigate a weird noise upon starting (a frayed fan belt) as well as replace the fuse switch. They got all that done in a day, so he came back the next day to get his car and return ours. It helps to know his car is in a safer condition than it was. Bonus: getting to visit a little with him both mornings. He lives farther away than Jason and Mittu and has a weird work schedule, so we don’t see him quite as often.

3. An impromptu visit. Jason, Mittu, and Timothy came over one afternoon.

4. The last boxes from the shed have been cleaned out! Out of three boxes, I only saved about a 7-inch stack of papers. Some of those will likely be tossed out as well, but I wanted to look at them a little further. There are some cabinets I need to go through out in the shed when we have a cool day. And we have a big trunk that one or the other of us used in college that Jim’s going to bring in to go through one day. Then he wants to finish the walls, put in shelving, and make it a more workable space.

5. Cardioversion scheduled. Atrial flutter began July 14. It took almost two weeks for the scheduler to call me about setting a date for a cardioversion. And then earliest time available is Aug. 22. :-/ That’s when Jeremy will be here from RI. I almost rescheduled it for after he leaves but figured I’d better go ahead and get it done. Atrial flutter can resolve on its own, and I am praying it will soon.

Thanks so much for your prayers and kind words about this the last two weeks.

July Reflections

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July Reflections

July has been a hot and relatively quiet month. Regular readers know I was diagnosed with atrial flutter a couple of weeks ago. We’ve tried different medications without success. Then I was advised to have a cardioversion. But they don’t have any openings for that until late August. :-/

We’re trying to keep things low-stress to keep my heart rate down, so we’ve mostly stayed home.

But one productive quiet activity has been going through boxes from the shed. Jim has brought in about three at a time. It’s been fun to discover old notes and drawings from the kids, letters from our moms and my grandmother, high school and college notebooks. We’ve thrown a lot away. Part of me wanted to go through some of the notebooks in more detail, but that would take up so much time. And many of them were yucky with age and moisture and who knows what else. So I have to figure they accomplished their purposes. I’m sure most of the information in them is readily online now.

I’m at the age where I am trying to look at things as “Would I want my kids to have to deal with this when I am gone? Would they have any interest in it?” In most cases, the answer is no, except for personal things.

I’m kind of embarrassed and dismayed that we’ve dragged some of these boxes around for so many years! But at least we’re dealing with them now.

When the weather is cooler, we want to do the same thing with boxes in the attic. Cleaning out the whole attic sound overwhelming, but a few pieces at a time is doable.

I mentioned on a Friday’s Fave Five finding an old sock monkey I had as a child. It had been patched up even then but was in sad shape now. I soaked it in the washer a few times, but I think he, as well, has served his purpose and should go to his rest. 🙂

When I get sentimental about such things, I remember this old commercial from IKEA:

🙂

A couple of months ago, while culling some of Timothy’s old preschool toys, I rediscovered a couple of smaller sock monkeys. I thought at first that we had given them to him, but they have our names on them. So they must have given them to us in memory of my old one. It was neat to have some of his distant relatives. 🙂

sock monkeys

Also this month, we enjoyed burgers on July 4 and Jason’s birthday later in the month. One of my dearest friends from early married days stopped in for an overnight visit while traveling.

Creating

I made just one card this month, for Jason’s birthday, using the Cricut.

son birthday card

Watching

The Princess Bride is an old favorite of mine and was on regular TV one night this month. It’s not Jim’s cup of tea, but he watched it with me, remarking that this was the first time he stayed awake through the whole film. 🙂 A few days later I saw a “things you didn’t know about The Princess Bride” video on YouTube and enjoyed that.

We also saw a movie titled The Love Letter, about a man who buys an antique desk, discovers an old letter in it, and answers it–only to have the woman who owned the desk in Civil War times answer him back. The plot was implausible, and I can’t say this will go down as a favorite, but it was clean and not a bad way to spend an hour and a half.

We’ve been working our way through Heartland, a series set on a ranch in Canada. In the first episode, a teenage girl and her mom rescue an abused horse in a storm. On the way back to their ranch, the horse panics and kicks, causing their truck and trailer to go off the road and crash. The mom is killed. The girl has a long recovery. The older sister comes home from the city to help, but her take-charge ways offend the others. The grumpy but kindly grandpa tries to care for everyone. None of them knew that the mom had arranged for a troubled teenage boy to work on the ranch during his probation, so he’s in the mix. Throughout the first season, they all get used to their new situation and each other. The teen girl, Amy, finds healing and solace in working with the abused horse.

The show has eighteen seasons, so it will take us a while. Overall, it’s pretty good and emphasizes family values. I have a few issues with it. The characters could be a little more modest. There haven’t been any explicit scenes so far, but there are hints of things like the older sister going away for the weekend with her boyfriend. Native American spiritualism comes into a few episodes. In one, a young girl is trying to tell everyone’s futures with tarot cards–thankfully, those have not made a reappearance.

Reading

Since last time, I have completed (titles link to my reviews):

I’m currently reading:

  • Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) by Mark Howell
  • A Face Illumined by Edward Payson Roe
  • North! or Be Eaten, the second in the Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson
  • Wildwood Creek by Lisa Wingate

Blogging

Besides the weekly Friday Fave Fives, Saturday Laudable Linkage, and book reviews, I’ve posted these since last time:

WordPress reminded me that June 27 was my 19th blogging anniversary. I had thought about doing something special for it ahead of time but then forgot about it when the time came. I’ll definitely have to come up with something for the 20th anniversary next year!

Thank YOU all so much for being here, for reading, and for your kind comments. I didn’t know when I started that I would make such good friends across the miles.

Review: Firefly Island

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Firefly Island

Firefly Island is the third of four novels in Lisa Wingate’s Shores of Moses Lake series. This story doesn’t start there, however.

Mallory Hale is a congressional staffer in Washington, D. C. following in the footsteps of her lobbyist father, when she unexpectedly meets Daniel Webster Everson, a biochemist working for the USDA. After a whirlwind romance, Daniel is offered a job in tiny Moses Lake, Texas. He asks Mallory to marry him and move to Moses Lake with him and his four-year-old son, Nick.

Mallory agrees. She’s not sure kind of job a congressional staffer can find there, but she can’t live without Daniel and Nick.

A series of mishaps begins their married life in less than fairy-tale happily ever afters. The house provided with Daniel’s job has not been lived in and is infested with vermin. Daniel’s new boss, Jack, is taciturn and erratic. The small community seems to eye Jack warily.

Suddenly thrust into a new marriage, motherhood, and setting, Mallory struggles. She finds friendship with her cowgirl neighbor, Al, and a young teacher, Keren.

Mallory is suspicious of Jack. Rumors circulate about his possible involvement in the disappearance of his wife and son. He’s secretive to the point of paranoia about his business. When his politician older son, with whom he has not been involved with in years, comes to visit, more details don’t add up. Jacks’ old cabin on Firefly Island is supposedly deserted, yet there are strange boats moored there. Mallory’s search for information leads to tie-ins with her old job. Can Mallory find out what’s going on and bring it to light before a disaster happens?

If I had read this book first in the series, I probably would not have continued. It starts out like a romance novel with what seems to me a lot of silliness (does anyone say hubba hubba any more?) Though there are no explicit scenes, there are more references to the couple’s physical relationship than I care for. Then the plot seems to drag in the middle.

But the latter half of the novel comes together nicely with mystery and intrigue. I enjoyed the interactions with characters from the first two books.

Besides the adjustments with a new marriage and the mystery behind her husband’s boss, Mallory deals with interactions with the more disadvantaged section of Moses Lake. Mallory has been raised the sheltered youngest daughter of a comfortable family. When she takes Nick to a children’s activity and sees a lot of unkempt kids, she worries about lice and bad attitudes. But over time she gets to know the kids and their needs, sees them differently, and looks for ways to help. “Was I really so entrenched in the world I’d been raised in, so set in my ways that I couldn’t look beyond the surface of another person and see a human being? Was I that shallow?” (p. 214).

I also thought this was a sweet line after an encounter with Nick: “Watching him skitter away, I felt the process of loving and parting and holding on and letting go that would be our future together, his and mine” (p. 203).

So, while this wasn’t my favorite of Lisa’s books, I gained from it.

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Review: Rembrandt Is in the Wind

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Rembrandt Is In the Wind

I don’t remember being exposed to classical art or even going to a museum until I got to college. My alma mater had its own art museum at the time. I remember going on a guided tour and being fascinated as the guide brought out details I would never have noticed myself. I took Art Appreciation my senior year. But that was the limit of my art education.

I’ve visited a few museums with my family since then. But I haven’t gotten much beyond wandering around the gallery and noting what I liked and didn’t.

Russ Ramsey is an excellent guide in Rembrandt Is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith. Not only does he bring out unnoticed details, but he draws spiritual lessons from the lives of the artists as well.

Ramsey says we learn to understand God through truth, goodness, and beauty.

In my experience, many Christians in the West tend to pursue truth and goodness with the strongest intentionality, while beauty remains a distant third. Yet when we neglect beauty, we neglect one of the primary qualities of God. Why do we do that?

The pursuit of beauty requires the application of goodness and truth for the benefit of others. Beauty is what we make of goodness and truth. Beauty takes the pursuit of goodness past mere personal ethical conduct to the work of intentionally doing good to and for others (p. 8, Kindle version).

This is the gift of beauty from an artist to their community—to awaken our senses to the world as God made it and to awaken our senses to God himself (p. 14).

Ramsey focuses on an artist and/or a specific work of art in his remaining nine chapters, which he describes as “part art history, part biblical study, part philosophy, and part analysis of the human experience. But they are all story” (p. 15).

Ramsey includes a black and white image of the paintings he discusses at the beginning of each chapter, and then a small color print at the end of the book. But I found that if a painting had a Wikipedia entry, I could click once on the painting’s image and make it full-screen, then click on it again to zoom in further. 

One of the chapters features Rembrandt, especially his Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee (pictured on the cover) one of my al-time favorite paintings. I didn’t know before that Rembrandt painted “himself into several biblical scenes. He did this not for vanity but for the sake of the story. He wanted to draw us in, capture our imaginations, instruct us on how we should relate to what was happening on the canvas, and bear witness to what he believed to be true about the world he painted and his place in it” (p. 73). He’s the one looking straight at the viewer, with one hand on the rope, the other on his hat. “By painting himself into the boat in The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt wants us to know that he believes his life will either be lost in a sea of chaos or preserved by the Son of God. Those are his only two options. And by peering through the storm and out of the frame to us, he asks if we are not in the same boat” (p. 75).

This painting was also part of one of the most infamous art heists in history–and it has never been recovered. Ramsey shares the details of the theft.

Some of the artists, like Caravaggio, perceived beauty, and their hearts were touched and drawn to Christ, yet still didn’t submit to Him.

This is the paradox of Caravaggio—he brought so much suffering on himself, with such bravado and acrimony, yet when he picked up his brush, the Christ he rendered was the Redeemer of the vulnerable. . . He knew what it was to have the ability to render beauty that could bring a person to tears and yet remain unable to live free from his own destructive behavior (pp. 60, 64).

The chapter on Vermeer was wonderfully layered with references to light: the light God created which would make visible His creation, art’s use of light, the “borrowed light” from one source to another and from others who “illuminate the places where we’re doing our own work, and then our work lights the way for others” (p. 96).

This chapter also led to quite an interesting lunchtime discussion with my husband. Rembrandt was thought to use some kind of optical lens as he painted, not to “[pull a trick] on his viewers, He was learning to see” (p. 106). “His use of a lens was not a shortcut, but rather an innovation–the kind that gave his work a mysterious quality” (p. 104).

Rembrandt’s neighbor, and the executor of his estate, was Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, the “father of microbiology” and inventor of a “single-lens microscope that intensified light and enhanced magnification through the use of a concave mirror” (p. 100) (another facet of the theme of light). I asked my husband if he knew of van Leeuwenhoek, and of course, he did. Being interested in microscopes himself, he has a replica of one of van Leeuwenhoek’s devices.  

This chapter also discusses the influence of technology on art–not only this lens, but the tin paint tube. Artists usually painted indoors because they often mixed their own paints and had everything at hand in their studios. But with the invention of the paint tube, they could paint anywhere. “Painting is not just an art, but a science. It is an achievement not only in beauty or emotion or color, but in math and geometry and light” (p. 104).

An artist I never heard of before, but enjoyed learning about, was Henry O. Tanner, whose The Banjo Lesson was the “first recognized genre painting of blacks by an African American artist” (p. 152). He often painted an older person teaching a younger person something. But, “Though race would always play an important role in Tanner’s art, in order to expand people’s view of race, he didn’t want to become a niche artist focused only on race. . . As a man of faith, Henry believed persuading one race to regard another with equity and love was a theological endeavor, one which required a biblical view of personhood—that all people are made in the image of God and therefore share an inherent dignity and worth that transcends any human construct” (p. 156).

The last chapter tells of Lilias Trotter, who lived during the time of van Gogh, was pursued by John Ruskin as a pupil, but put aside her artistic career to become a missionary to Algiers. I had read her inspiring story before, but it was good to be reminded of it again.

A few other favorite quotes:

On the other side of the veil is the tangible glory of unfailing perfection, but it is just out of our reach. So we have given ourselves to the pursuit of making copies from the dust of the earth, compressed by time, crafted by pressure, but conceived by something more than mere imagination. Our best attempts at achieving perfection this side of glory come from an innate awareness that it not only exists, but that we were made for it (p. 38).

Ruskin believed “the greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something and tell what it saw in a plain way . . . To see clearly is poetry, prophecy, and religion—all in one” (p. 197).

A like independence is the characteristic of the new flood of resurrection life that comes to our souls as we learn this fresh lesson of dying . . . the liberty of those who have nothing to lose, because they have nothing to keep. We can do without anything while we have God (Lilias Trotter( (p. 199).

Ramsey includes a few appendices: How to Visit an Art Museum, How to Look at a Work of Art, and an Overview of Western Art: Renaissance to Modern Selected Works.

This book will be one of my top ten of this year. I enjoyed it immensely.  

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