Assorted Stray Thoughts

Posted on by
Stray Thoughts

Occasionally I have several thoughts I want to share, but each is not enough for a blog post. Some are lighthearted, others are more serious.

First of all, I want to apologize if you see a pop-up box when you comment asking you to subscribe. I *hate* when a pop-up comes up in the middle of the screen and you can’t read any further without dealing with it. I have not seen this on my own blog, but I have on other WordPress blogs, so I assume it happens on mine as well. I just spent some time scouting around to see if there was a way to turn this off, and I couldn’t find it (if you know of a way, please let me know).

I also dislike when I follow someone’s link to a blog or article where I am asked first thing to create an account (even a free account) in order to read further. Honestly, if the first thing I encounter on any blog is a pop-up, whether it’s for subscribing, creating an account, buying a book, getting a free download, or turning off ads, I’m likely to just close the site and move on. How do I know if I want to subscribe or create an account when I have not even had a chance to read anything there yet?

For sites that want you to pay to subscribe, I think those site owners are wise who allow a certain number of free reads per month. I might be more likely to subscribe if I read there and find a lot I like. But not if I can never get past the first pop-up.
____

From the time I first learned what an introvert was, I knew I was one. Reading about introversion, like Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, helped me understand myself a great deal.

I’ve run across some Instagram accounts for introverts, but I find I can’t read them regularly. Reading them occasionally, I’ll nod my head and appreciate that someone else knows how I think and feel. Some have comics that are funny and apt. But if I read them all the time, I find myself resenting the demands of life that draw me out of my introversion. I think the point of learning about introversion (or extroversion, if that’s you) is not to make the people who know us or the world around us conform to our preferences. Every source I’ve read on introversion says we need to step out of our comfort zone sometimes. Understanding my bent and needs helps me do that. But if I was constantly filling my head with cute memes about wanting alone time, that would be my focus.
_____

Sometimes I’ll read that blogging is considered dead (often, ironically, in a blog post). I have not found that to be the case. There are scores of good blogs out there that I would like to keep up with but can’t.
_____

Sometimes I see a writer attribute our tendency to be over-busy as pride–as if that’s how we “keep up with the Joneses” these days, or as if it’s the trendy thing to talk about how busy we are. But I don’t know anyone who truly feels that way. Most super-busy people that I know would desperately like not to be that way, but they don’t know what to cut out. As we’ve developed labor- and time-saving devices, we’ve added more and more things to be done.
_____

I have not seen any Christmas items in stores yet (though I have seen Halloween things), but they seem to be displayed earlier each year. Early last fall I stopped by Cracker Barrel because I had seen something in the beachy section that I decided I wanted to get. But when I went back, the whole beachy section was gone and Christmas items were out. I wonder if retailers ever consider that they might lose sales because their Christmas decor edges out other things a shopper would be more likely to buy in the late summer or early fall.

I also wonder if anyone really buys Christmas stuff in August? I admit, if I needed something, I might look early in order to benefit from a greater selection. I like to buy Christmas cards early, but otherwise I try to avoid the temptation of the Christmas aisles. I have more Christmas decorations than I have room for–I don’t need to add any more.

One exception was when our church used to send presents to our overseas missionaries by way of surface mail. We’d have to send packages to some countries in October in order for them to arrive by Christmas. So it was nice to get wrapping paper and such then. After the Post Office did away with that rate, it was too expensive to send packages, so we just sent cash offerings to the missionaries’ accounts. That was more efficient, but I missed the personalized packages.
_____

Do you ever do this? A while back, I was intrigued with the word “adorn” in Titus 2:10, which speaks of adorning the doctrine of God our Savior. I pondered how we do that. Isn’t God’s doctrine perfect as is? How do we adorn it? As I began to study and thought about writing a post about the topic, I found I already had. 🙂
_____

I’ve gotten frustrated lately with Facebook removing a couple of my posts. I’ll receive a notification that they removed a post with a note to “Click here to see why.” I’ve clicked there, but then I am taken to a page that says everything looks good with no problems. There’s no explanation and nothing to click to appeal. One post had photos of teenagers I wasn’t related to, so perhaps that was a privacy protection thing. But the other contained two reviews of study books on Isaiah. All I can figure is that their sensor bot picked up on the name of a certain country not popular in the news media (which I am avoiding naming in case that was the problem), even though the subject was thousands of years ago.

I wouldn’t mind so much if there was an explanation and an opportunity to appeal. They really need to not let these things be done by AI.
_____

Since my husband retired at the end of last year, we went on Medicare in January. I am not a fan so far. For one thing, a blood thinner I am on for atrial fibrillation (since afib can cause blood clots) jumped from $10 for a 90-day supply to over $500. What sense does that make, that when your income goes down, your prescriptions go up? I talked to the cardiologist about alternatives, and we found one that was *only* $150 for 90 days–and it’s at a different pharmacy than we usually use because it’s cheaper there.
_____

Since I’ve been sharing some frustrations, I’ll end with some things that made me smile recently:

Our gastroenterologist’s office was decorated for summer in a luau theme, with this sign on the bathroom door:

High tides, good vibes

This was from a restaurant we went to a few months ago:

Turning vegetables into bacon

I was looking at the evening reading of Daily Light on the Daily Path a while back, and thought it ironic to see an ad about cremation after a verse about being made from dust . . .

And lastly, this text exchange with my husband:

Text with Jim

To be fair, there were only two left, and I had one the night before. So technically this one was his. But I thought it was still in the refrigerator and he might not want it. 🙂

And yes, sometimes we do text each other from different rooms in the house . . . 🙂

And that’s probably enough stray thoughts for one day.

Review: Dombey and Son

Posted on by
Dombey and Son

Mr. Dombey of Charles Dickens’ Dombey and Son was originally the son of the establishment by that name. Now he’s the father, his only son having just been born. Already he has plans and dreams for when his son is old enough to go into the family shipping business with him.

The Dombeys had a girl six years before, “But what was a girl to Dombey and Son! In the capital of the House’s name and dignity, such a child was merely a piece of base coin that couldn’t be invested” (p. 8, Kindle version).

Mr. Dombey’s wife, however, weakens fast and dies before the baby, little Paul, is a day old.

A wet nurse is hired, and Paul grows, but he’s never very strong. He and Florence are sent to Brighton to be aided by the sea air. Paul does so well that he stays there for school, with Florence helping him with his studies.

But Paul dies at age six.

Mr. Dombey does not open his heart to grieve with Florence. He’s barely aware of her.

Some years later, on a vacation with a friend, Mr. Dombey meets a widowed Mrs. Edith Granger, who is beautiful but proud and cold—just his type. Her mother and his friend connive to get the two together. Eventually they marry.

But once again, Mr. Dombey is disappointed. He had thought his wife’s pride would be blended with his own and transferred to his reputation, standing, and business. But proud people do not usually blend their pride with others. Thus the Dombey establishment is set for conflict.

In one brief scene, we see the reason behind Edith’s demeanor. For all her coldness to everyone else, the new Mrs. Dombey loves Florence. Yet Mr. Dombey is jealous that Florence receives the attention and warmth he doesn’t, and he takes it out on her.

Aside from his dysfunctional household, Dombey has a conniving, obsequious assistant named Mr. James Carker. We know Mr. Carker is up to no good, despite his flattery, but it takes a while before we find just what he is planning.

As always, Dickens weaves together many subplots into his narrative.

A young boy named Walter Gay works for Dombey. His uncle runs a shop where he makes and sells shipping instruments. One day when Florence is separated from the children’s nurse and lost, she runs into Walter, who sees her safely home. Though Mr. Dombey appreciates the effort, he doesn’t like him. When he misunderstands an action of Walter’s, he sends him to Barbados. But the ship is not heard of again, and Walter’s uncle goes to look for him.

A creepy, avaricious elderly woman named Mrs. Brown finds Florence when she is lost and makes her change her fine clothes and shoes for rags so she could sell them. Later, Mrs. Brown’s daughter returns from prison nursing a hatred for Mr. Carker, who had some part in sending her there. These two appear at intervals through the book.

Mr. Toots is a kind-hearted but weak-minded fellow student at Paul’s school who loves Florence and also turns up at intervals.

Mr. Carker’s brother, John, was guilty of wrongdoing in the firm some years earlier, but is repentant, humbled, and reformed. James continually belittles and argues with him. Their sister, Harriet, went to help John in his trouble, causing James to cut off relations with her. A mysterious stranger shows up later to John and Harriet’s home to offer help when they need it.

Besides these, there are a number of colorful characters, some comic and some cruel.

I love how Dickens phrases some things:

Son lay tucked up warm in a little basket bedstead, carefully disposed on a low settee immediately in front of the fire and close to it, as if his constitution were analogous to that of a muffin, and it was essential to toast him brown while he was very new (page 7, Kindle version).

Time and his brother Care had set some marks, as on a tree that was to come down in good time—remorseless twins they are for striding through their human forests, notching as they go (p. 7).

. . . the nurse, a simpering piece of faded gentility (p. 8).

He was a slow, quiet-spoken, thoughtful old fellow, with eyes as red as if they had been small suns looking at you through a fog (p. 27).

Snails were constantly discovered holding on to the street doors, and other public places they were not expected to ornament, with the tenacity of cupping-glasses (p. 70).

It being part of Mrs. Pipchin’s system not to encourage a child’s mind to develop and expand itself like a young flower, but to open it by force like an oyster . . . (p. 71).

There was never a man who stood by a friend more staunchly than the Major, when in puffing him, he puffed himself (p. 185).

Sometimes she tried to think if there were any kind of knowledge that would bespeak his interest more readily than another. Always: at her books, her music, and her work: in her morning walks, and in her nightly prayers: she had her engrossing aim in view. Strange study for a child, to learn the road to a hard parent’s heart!  (p. 208).

Harriet complied and read—read the eternal book for all the weary and the heavy-laden; for all the wretched, fallen, and neglected of this earth—read the blessed history, in which the blind lame palsied beggar, the criminal, the woman stained with shame, the shunned of all our dainty clay, has each a portion, that no human pride, indifference, or sophistry, through all the ages that this world shall last, can take away, or by the thousandth atom of a grain reduce—read the ministry of Him who, through the round of human life, and all its hopes and griefs, from birth to death, from infancy to age, had sweet compassion for, and interest in, its every scene and stage, its every suffering and sorrow (pp. 520-521).

I think I can say the story is redemptive without giving away the ending. And though this is a sad story in many ways, Dickens sprinkles many choice comic moments throughout.

I wanted to read this book partly because I’ve purposed to read the Dickens books I’ve not read yet, and partly because this book played a significant part in The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron, which I recently read. I wondered if there was some connection between the stories or whether it was included because it would have been popular at the time.

I listened to the audiobook superbly read by David Timson. His voice characterizations and inflections added so much to my enjoyment of the book. When I look for my next Dickens’ book, I am going to see if I can find one narrated by Timson. That may be soon, as this book reminded me how much I love Dickens.

“All Sunshine Makes a Desert”

Posted on by
"All sunshine makes a desert."

Rain can be awfully inconvenient.

Outdoor activities planned months in advance can be ruined, or at least need to be rearranged, when an unforeseen rainstorm blows in. Grocery shopping becomes a big mess when we have to cart our bags in and out in the rain. Rain makes roads slick, creating driving hazards.

Rain can also be gloomy when we haven’t seen the sun for days.

One of my worst rain experiences came when I was driving home alone. The rain fell so heavily, my windshield wipers couldn’t keep up. I literally could not see anything around me except the faint glow of other headlights. I somehow made it to the parking lot of a convenience store and waited til the showers abated, hoping no one would run into me.

And then there are thunderstorms with the potential to down power lines, send limbs crashing from trees, or strike lightning.

Yet, we need rain.

Rain softens the ground, making it easier to plant seeds. Then those seeds transform into flowers or food with more rain and sunshine.

Rain relieves the scorching heat of summer.

Rain provides water to drink and replenishes water tables for future needs.

Rain washed impurities out of the air.

F. B. Meyer wrote:

We all love the sunshine, but the Arabs have a proverb that ‘all sunshine makes the desert’; and it is a matter for common observation that the graces of Christian living are more often apparent in the case of those who have passed through great tribulation. God desires to get as rich crops as possible from the soil of our natures. There are certain plants of the Christian life, such as meekness, gentleness, kindness, humility, which cannot come to perfection if the sun of prosperity always shines. (1)

That’s true, isn’t it?

Just as I don’t like rain to interrupt my plans or make my tasks harder, I don’t like when trials and problems come up. They’re hard, painful, and sometimes costly. They take time and thought and energy from things I’d rather do.

But they have a good purpose.

When life is going well, we can get complacent. People who get everything they want and have everything just the way they like it sometimes start to feel entitled.

Though we know we need God’s grace and help in every circumstance, we feel our need of Him more during trials.

Trials soften us by humbling us. They show us our lack of strength and our need for His. They help us depend on Him more.

Trials help us grow. “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).

Trials help us to be grateful for what we have.

Trials can help wash impurities out as we search our hearts and confess wrong thoughts, deeds, and attitudes to God. Trials don’t always come because of sin, but when they do, they have a cleansing effect.

Trials point us to those unseen resources I mentioned last week. Hidden water tables of grace sustain us during dry periods.

God’s Word refreshes us with His promises:

And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing (Ezekiel 34:26).

Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you (Hosea 10:12).

Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth (Hosea 6:3).

He did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness (Acts 14:17b).

One of my favorite childhood memories involves rain. My mom let us put on our bathing suits to go outside and play in a mild rain shower. I don’t know what time of year it was, but it had to have been during warm enough weather to get wet outside. Perhaps the rain was cooling on a hot summer’s day.

There was no thought of mess or inconvenience or disrupted plans. Instead, there was pure joy at the opportunity to do something so different and refreshing.

I can’t honestly say I dance for joy when trials come. But I am trying to learn to “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 3:2-4). God has good purposes in trials and sends them in love and faithfulness.

Rain can be inconvenient, but also refreshing. All sunshine, as the saying goes, makes a desert. God keeps us from desert hardness and barrenness by sending trials our way. As William Cowper says in his hymn, “God Moves in a Mysterious Way“:

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
the clouds ye so much dread
are big with mercy and shall break
in blessings on your head.

Hosea 6:3

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

________

(1) This quote comes from Our Daily Homily by F. B. Meyer. I’ve not read this book, but I have seen the quote in Warren Wiersbe’s book Be Satisfied as well as other places.

Laudable Linkage

Posted on by
Laudable Linkage

Here’s my latest round of good blogging links:

Why Can’t an Unbeliever’s Good Works Please God? HT to Challies. “But when people find it difficult to grasp why God doesn’t accept their good deeds, I like to offer a few illustrations to help them better understand their standing with God and the nature of the good works. One illustration I like to use involves an estranged neighbor and my front lawn.”

Read the Bible a Lot, HT to Knowable Word. “One sure sign that someone hasn’t read their Bible for very long, is that they are arrogant. That might seem surprising, but it is almost universally true that someone who has spent a little time in God’s word always seems to have the answer for any situation.”

Taking a Hard Look, HT to Challies. Commenting on Paul’s telling people to imitate him in Philippians 3:17: “It’s not that I think Paul’s being arrogant. He’s not saying, ‘You don’t need to imitate Jesus; just imitate me.’ He’s imitating Jesus, so if they imitating him, they are imitating Jesus. This passage makes me twitchy because how can you possibly feel comfortable telling people to imitate you? But Paul did. So why don’t I?” Very convicting!

Beauty Is Found In the Most Unexpected Places, HT to Challies. “The stars shine brightest against the blackened sky. Oak trees gain their stability and strength by enduring fierce storms. Pearls are found hidden within the depths of the sea. Diamonds are formed under intense pressure and heat under the earth’s crust. In God’s world, beauty is often found in the most unexpected places. And our faith often deepens and flourishes when everything is against us.”

Dear Little One, HT to Challies. This is a sweet letter from an aunt to her toddler nephew. It echoes what many parents and grandparent feel.

Made to Rest, HT to Challies. “Two kinds of rest—physical and spiritual — are critical for human flourishing and survival. We often conflate the two, but they are very different.” This is probably one of the best explanations of spiritual rest that I have read.

Why Did the Purity Movement Die? I don’t agree with every detail or characterization here, but overall the article shares many reasons why a movement that meant well ultimately died out.

Learning to Embrace the Counsel of Godly Older Women. “I’ve realized just how much my heart craves this kind of input—input that is quite priceless and rare today. From my study of Scripture, I’ve gained a deep conviction that I long for it because we’re supposed to have teaching from godly older women. Their counsel increases our wisdom and discernment—when we’re willing to heed it.”

Completely Unsolicited, Totally Anecdotal, But Perhaps Marginally Helpful Thoughts on Being a Christian Writer, HT to Challies. “For better or worse, I have a unique angle on this conversation. I’ve spent the last 7 years in the Christian publishing industry. Last year I published my first trade book. And the whole time, I’ve been as active as I know how to be in Christian shortform, maintaining a blog/newsletter for several years and writing articles for a variety of other places. This doesn’t make me wise, just experienced. So what I’d like to do in this post is offer a fistful of thoughts on the craft and business of Christian writing.”

We must allow the Word of God to correct us the same way we allow it to encourage us.
A. W. Tozer

Friday’s Fave Five

Posted on by
Friday's Fave Five

We’re officially halfway through 2024. Can you believe it? On Fridays I take a few moments to join with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story to slow down and be thankful for the good things of the past week.

1. Guys’ camping trip. Jim, Jason, and Timothy went camping for a few days about an hour from here. I drove up on Friday for a few hours and ate dinner with them. Jim made what his mom used to call hobo packets: a burger patty (we used turkey burgers) with potatoes and vegetables seasoned and wrapped with foil, that could be given out, and these men would cook them over their campfires. Jim put frozen French fries in his, which I thought might get soggy. But they didn’t, probably because the turkey burgers were less greasy than ground beef. It was a good meal and a nice time to visit outdoors. Then I got to come home to my own bed and AC. 🙂 (Mittu didn’t come because she wasn’t feeling well.)

I passed a Dunkin Donuts on the way there and decided to stop and get a box of Munchkins on the way back. I don’t actually like their donuts much, but I like the Munchkins. Plus their box triggers special memories for me: when my mother’s father used to come visit us, he always brought a box of Dunkin Donuts. I can hardly see their logo without thinking of him.

2. Easy meals. Monday, Jim said he had a couple of his uncooked “hobo packets” still in the RV refrigerator and asked if I wanted to use them for dinner. Sure! Then Tuesday night, I came into the kitchen to start dinner and saw that he already had. Wednesday night, I used a package of frozen shredded chicken to make chicken tacos.

3. Lunch with a friend. Melanie and I used some accumulated gift cards for lunch at Red Lobster. Thankfully, most restaurants that we go to don’t mind if we hang around and talk for an hour or more after we finish eating (and the places aren’t crowded at lunch time, so we’re not keeping anyone else from being seated). We even thought to take a picture this time.

Lunch with Melanie

4. A love note with a newly-bloomed wildflower. We planted wildflowers from seeds this year, though we probably started them a little late. This one was one of the first flowers to show up.

Love note with wildflower

5. Independence Day. Our country is not perfect and has its share of problems, but I am immensely glad that I was born here. We enjoyed burgers and sides with the family and played games. They brought over sparklers and “Pop-its.” We saw a few bigger fireworks displays, but most were obscured by trees.

Bonus: Catching up on housework. With the last several weeks being extra busy, I had gotten behind on things that didn’t absolutely have to be done. Housework is not my favorite thing to do, but I do like the results. And dusting gave me a chance to listen to my Dickens audiobook.

Another bonus. A literal empty nest. I’ve shown pictures over the last few weeks of a bird’s nest, then eggs, then baby birds in our front flower arrangement. I think they were house finches. They are gone already! That was quick. They left quite a mess. I thought I could salvage some of the flowers, but I ended up throwing them all away. Even though we enjoyed having them, it will be nice to use our front door normally without fear of startling the mama bird.

That’s our first week of July. How was yours?

Happy Independence Day!

Posted on by
Happy Fourth of July

Our country has its share of problems, but I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else!

Happy birthday, America!

Have a safe Fourth.

Our fathers’ God, to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing;
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King.

~ Samuel Francis Smith

Are You Thirsty?

Posted on by
Are you thirsty?

Even before summer officially began, we experienced record heat waves.The Farmer’s Almanac predicts hotter than normal temperatures for much of the country this summer.

I admit, I prefer sunshine to rain, particularly thunderstorms. But even I can appreciate the need for rain to cool the air, replenish the water supply, and help crops grow.

I don’t know that I have ever been in a true drought. We’ve had dry conditions where fires were banned in the county, water for lawns was restricted, and people were concerned about the water table.

I’ve been thirsty. I’ve had that cotton-mouthed feeling at times, but I don’t know that I have ever been parched.

That imagery came to mind this week as I read Jeremiah 17 this week:

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land (verses 5-6).

Jeremiah had to preach God’s judgment on His stubborn people who looked to other gods and nations for help instead of Him. When hearts turn away from the Lord, they dry up. They can’t grow and prosper. They’ve cut themselves off from their source of life and nourishment.

By contrast, Jeremiah says:

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit (7-8).

The tree by the water is continually nourished and fruitful. It “is not anxious in the year of drought.”

So is the soul who trusts in and depends on the Lord. Have you ever watched someone go through a great trial or heartache and wondered how they seemed to be at peace? They had unseen resources feeding their soul, because their trust was in God.

We see this imagery in other places in the Bible as well:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away (Psalm 1:1-4).

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your  bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail (Isaiah 58:9-11).

Here we see the importance of not just hearing, but delighting in and obeying the Word of God.

Though I don’t recall feeling parched physically, I have been spiritually. I’ve had times I would not have made it without God’s help, grace, and word. I’ve cried out with the psalmist, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land” (Psalm 143:5-6).

And I have found God faithful to strengthen and uphold me. God can turn “a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water” (Psalm 107:33-38).

Do you feel dry spiritually? Is your soul parched? Do you fear you might not have the resources for a coming trial?

Jesus says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:37-38).

Come and drink, as often as needed. His well will never run dry.

You shall be like a watered garden. Isaiah 58:11b

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

Laudable Linkage

Posted on by
Laudable Linkage

Here’s my last list of links for this month:

How Can the Command to “Honor Your Father” Apply to Good and Bad Fathers Alike? HT to Challies. “Think about it, the biblical command to honour your dad cannot be a licence for dads to be horrible knowing that their christian children have to suck it up and honour them. You are called to honour your dad. But the type of dad your dad is shapes the ways and the extent that you honour him.”

Till He Was Strong, HT to Challies. “Did you know that it is not only the weak who are in danger of a spiritual fall? There are those who think, ‘if only I were stronger, then I wouldn’t be so (fill in the blank).’ But this isn’t true. Over and over again in God’s word, it is the strong who find themselves in the worst predicaments. Uzziah is one example. He was famous. He was helped by God. ‘Till he was strong.’ Do you feel the warning?”

The Golden Rule for Hard Conversations, HT to Challies. “The question of when or how to have hard conversations is one that requires wisdom. As believers in Christ, we are commanded to get involved when we see a brother or sister wondering from the truth (Galatians 6:1-2; Matthew 18:15; Ephesians 4:25). The Proverbs remind us that ‘a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver’ (25:11). ‘Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy’ (Proverbs 27:5-6). We recognize even in those instructions that we are responsible for making sure our rebuke is ‘a word fitly spoken,’ meaning appropriate. I’m sure we’ve all seen the harm in overzealousness in this area.”

A Thousand Wheels of Providence, HT to Challies. “In a situation like this, Jeremiah Burroughs points out that when we consider God’s work in Providence, we can only see things in pieces. We cannot see or understand many things that God does. Burroughs then compares it to the wheels in a watch.”

One of the Best Ways We Can Love Our Loved Ones. “In waiting rooms and living rooms, bedrooms and examination rooms. In the garden, the shower, the pickup line, the checkout line. Love prays.“

Writing (and Reading!) as Hospitality, HT to the Story Warren. “As a long-time member of The Habit, a community of writers, I’ve heard many bits of advice from authors of all stripes, but one idea that has profoundly impacted me over the years is Jonathan Rogers’ assertion that writing is a form of hospitality.”

The essence of idolatry

The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him. A. W. Tozer

Friday’s Fave Five

Posted on by
Friday's Fave Five

Here we are at the end of June already. Pausing to reflect on the blessings of the week with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story helps slow time just a bit–or at least it helps us enjoy the good things a bit longer.

1. A fairly quiet week after two busy ones.

2. A routine dentist’s visit. Though the dentist’s office is not my favorite place to be, even just for a cleaning, this appointment was about as non-problematic as it could be.

3. Rain has been much needed around here, and we got a bit this week, with more forecast for the weekend.

4. Visiting with CA relatives. All of my husband’s extended family lives on the west side of the country. We learned that the husband and son of his niece in CA were going to be about two hours away from us here in TN last week. Both our nephew-in-law and great nephew have been involved with the high school robotics team for several years and were going to be in TN for a MATE (Marine Advanced Technology Education) ROV competition. The teams built their own robots and had them perform underwater tasks based on real-life scenarios.

I had thought we’d only have a brief time with our family members, since they’d be busy with the competition. But as it turned out, only six members of the team could be on the floor during the competition, minus their coach. So not only were we able to visit, but Mike, our nephew-in-law and also the coach, was able to give us a play-by-play commentary during the team’s turn–which was very helpful, as I did not know what was going on. 🙂

MATE ROV competition

None of these is my great nephew’s team, but it gives you an idea of the setting. The robot had to go in and out of the water from the white square.

Robotics competition

Split screens in the bleachers showed the activity from a live feed from underwater cameras. Again, these were not for the team we were rooting for, but it showed two teams at a time, side by side.

My great-nephew’s team was one of only a couple of high school teams: the rest were college teams from all over the world. And his team had one the last three years! They came in second this year, but that’s still a record to be proud of.

Jason, Mittu, and Timothy came as well. I think Timothy had a different kind of robot in mind before we went. He asked if they were going to do battle bots. 🙂 But I think he enjoyed the experience, especially some little dolphins our great nephew made for his team’s display table.

5. Baby birds in my front flower arrangement.

Happy Friday!

June Reflections

Posted on by
June reflections

We’re still a few days from the end of June, but since I have other posts scheduled the next few days, this seems the best time to reflect on the month.

It’s been a busy one. Three doctors appointments (thankfully just the check in, touch base, see how things are going kind). Father’s Day. My turn to present for our writing critique group. A radio interview. A day’s outing to see family members from CA who were in Kingston, TN (more on that tomorrow). Facebook impersonation issues. Computer and Cricut (the machine I use to make cards) glitches to fix. And then the regular tasks of meal preparation, dishwashing, laundry, and such.

I was wishing before the radio interview that there was a way to turn off the nervousness leading up to it. But that’s probably what keeps me dependent on the Lord for help, so I guess it’s a good thing in the long run.

Watching

I usually share any particularly good programs or movies we’ve watched, but I didn’t make note of any this month. So I’ll ask you: do you have any good, *clean* movies or series to recommend? Jim like WWII movies, space movies, and some suspense. I like classics, historical, or “based on a true story” films. We’re not usually into romances, but occasionally will watch one.

Creating

I made three Father’s Day cards this month. One was for my step-father.

Father's Day card

Both the wording and the cut-out of “DAD” was done with the Cricut, then glued to a dark blue background which was then glued to the front of a card.

This was Jason’s:

Father's Day card

This one was a little tricky because the design was contributed by a user and didn’t quite include all the steps needed. Then my Cricut gave out and I had to do a few of the layers with an X-acto knife. But I like how it turned out.

This was Jim’s:

Father's Day camping card

I had a couple of ideas on the Cricut to use for his, but when the machine stopped working, I didn’t have time to figure all that out before Father’s Day. I was glad I had gotten these stickers beforehand.

Reading

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

I’m currently reading:

  • Be Decisive (Jeremiah): Taking a Stand for the Truth by Warren W. Wiersbe
  • Read This First: A Simple Guide to Getting the Most from the Bible by Gary Millar
  • Write a Must-Read: Craft a Book That Changes Lives—Including Your Own by A. J. Harper
  • The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp
  • When We Were Young and Brave by Hazel Gaynor
  • Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens (audiobook)

Blogging

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

Interestingly, I think Old Age Syndromes to Avoid, which I posted near the end of May, received the highest number of views in one day of anything I’ve posted. It looks like many of us are concerned about how to age well.

Writing

I was able to get a lot done on the chapter I submitted for our writer’s critique group. There’s no motivation like a deadline. 🙂 I’m hoping to dig into it more in the days ahead.

In July we’re looking forward to Independence Day and Jason’s birthday. Otherwise, the calendar looks blessedly empty! I hope to catch up on some writing as well as some things around the house.

How was your June? What are you looking forward to in July?

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