What are we tuned to?

Posted on February 28, 2008 by Barbara Harper

“Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”

-A. W. Tozer

Booking Through Thursday: Heroine

Posted on February 28, 2008 by Barbara Harper

The Booking Through Thursday question for this week is:

Who is your favorite female lead character? And why? (And yes, of course, you can name more than one . . . I always have trouble narrowing down these things to one name, why should I force you to?)

I am glad we get more than one choice here!

Jo in Little Women. I am not like Jo at all — I am more of a combination of Meg and Beth. But I love her spirit and her propensity for “getting into scrapes” and her strength in not marrying Laurie. I love how she grows into a strong woman with a bit more decorum but still with an adventurous spirit.

Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility. I am more like Elinor — the steady, dependable, but not flashy older sister. I love how she shows that quiet, reserved people have as great a capacity for love and emotion as those who are more open — in Marianne’s case, a bit too open.

Jane Eyre. I love her perseverance, her humor, her insight, her strong morality, and her passion.

Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables. “Anne with an e.” I love how that little detail is important to her, important enough to make a point of it. I love how she overcame many disadvantages; I love her spirit and her imaginativeness and her love of the people in her life.

In Christian fiction, the one that comes first to mind is Becky Miller in The Secret Life of Becky Miller (reviewed here) and Renovating Becky Miller (reviewed here) by Sharon Hinck (I’m providing links because some might not be as familiar with these as they would be with the classics). She’s a young mom who is trying to “do big things for God” and serve her family as well. She learns many of the same things I’ve had to learn along the way.

If I think about this much more I am sure I could add to the list, but I had better stop now!

Taking the plunge

Posted on February 27, 2008 by Barbara Harper

It all started with the Bloggy Giveaways…

One blogger was giving away copies of Leisure Arts magazine she had found in a thrift store. I loved that magazine back when it was in print — it was one of my all time favorite craft magazines. I didn’t enter the contest, though, because I thought I had several issues of it.

That prompted me to look at my “stash” of old craft magazines, and to my dismay, I only found five issues of Leisure Arts. I may have others in a box somewhere.

But I do have at least six magazine storage boxes of craft magazines, not to mention a couple of stacks tucked away in drawers. I had stopped adding to them because I had so many, but I had kept them for years thinking they were too nice to dissemble. However, they are taking up valuable space. My bookshelves are overrun, some shelves with double rows of books, and my craft storage area is at a premium.

So I decided the time had come. I needed to go through my craft magazines, pull out what I thought I might realistically do some day, and toss the rest.

Though I was sad about it at first, the more I sorted through them, the more comfortable I was with my decision. The first stack I picked up was from the 80s. Some of the projects were woefully outdated (remember “country” white ducks and geese with blue neckerchiefs?), some of the crafts themselves not something I would ever take up (remember quilling?) A lot of the pages were filled with old ads, old columns about then-new books and popular trends, etc. I might still keep a couple just to remember them by if there are any with a lot of classic or favorite projects.

In the craft world, as in other areas, “what goes around comes around.” It’s funny how different crafts come and go through the years with little differences. So many people do beaded necklaces now, and I thought that was a relatively new thing, but I found some in those 80s magazines that look like they could have been made today.

This is the top level of the cabinet where I keep craft supplies and ladies’ ministry stuff.

Looks awful, doesn’t it? And I have even cleaned out a few things already. But I have a ways to go. This tends to be where I “stuff” things in this room when I am doing a quick clean-up of tabletops and work spaces. There is a shoe box full of photos as well as another stack that I need to work on some time…

I’ve been going through the magazines and marking things of interest in the evenings when we’re watching TV or the guys are all on their various electronic devices. My computer is a desktop in the ~~hodgepodge room~~ sunroom, so if everyone else is in the living room with their laptops or PDAs or whatever, sometimes I’ll go in there and read or go through recipe magazines, or, now, old craft magazines. (Family togetherness in the new millennium! LOL!) I don’t pull out the pages right then because the patterns are usually in the middle of the magazine on a large sheet that needs to be pulled out of the staples. The sheet is printed on front and back, and I would need to either cut out or photocopy the ones I want. So I am doing that in a separate step, and that will give me another opportunity to weed out even further the projects I really want to keep.

Probably most of what I have are Crafts Magazine, which is still in print. I do still look at it occasionally, especially around Valentine’s Day and the spring issues. But I have developed a more discerning eye about what to keep: I have so many craft projects stacked up already I am trying to be careful about adding to them.

Besides Leisure Arts, another favorite was Country Handcrafts.

I wish this was still in print, too. This makes me wish I knew how to knit!

I am finding that Leisure Arts’ projects are pretty classic.

If we ever have a little girl in the house…

Sigh! Love that!

Remember soft sculpture? I never did it, but I remember when you could see little piggies in craft magazines everywhere.

No, I’m not keeping this one! 🙂

I’ve noticed that there don’t seem to be many general craft magazines any more besides Crafts. They seem to be broken up into specialty ones dealing with individual crafts like scrapbooking, quilting, cross stitch, painting, etc.

It’s been inspiring to go back through these. And I feel good that I am working on getting this area organized and pared down.

Books Review: Symphony of Secrets

Posted on February 26, 2008 by Barbara Harper

I have mentioned several times that Sharon Hinck is one of my favorite authors, and I have reviewed her Becky Miller series (here and here) and the first two Restorer books (here and here).

Symphony of Secrets is one of her newer publications, out just this year. Amy Johnson is a single mom of a teen-age daughter. She teaches music lessons and suddenly realizes her dream of performing when an opening for a flutist comes up in the Minneapolis Symphony. She had had to abandon that dream as a student at Juilliard who found herself unexpectedly pregnant and abandoned by the baby’s father, and now she is thrilled to have the opportunity to pursue it.

Meanwhile her daughter seems to be abandoning her own musical talent for cheer leading. Amy doesn’t feel she quite fits in with other cheer leading moms, but she joins in the activities for her daughter Clare’s sake.

Amy knows she is not a “normal” mother in many respects, and she deals with the angst of that, the fact that Clare seems to be moving away from her with her different interests and new friends and now even an interest in God, Whom Amy doesn’t think would have any interest in her.

Meanwhile, things are going wrong with the symphony orchestra — financial problems, jealousies, even acts of sabotage. Amy has a penchant for seeing mysteries where there are none, but does she have a real, live case on her hands this time?

Overall I have liked everything I have read of Sharon’s but I would have to admit this one was not my favorite of the five of her novels I have read. I think a lot of it had to do with it taking me a while to warm up to the main character. Amy’s tendency to find “mysteries” without thinking of the plausible explanations (like assuming a student’s syringe is for illegal drugs rather than insulin) irritated me at first, though I realized it was a set-up for the conflict of the real mystery behind the goings-on of the symphony and Amy’s not being taken seriously when she thinks someone is behind it all. She’s also pretty tightly-wound, and, to an outsider, would probably seem snappy and standoffish. But we do get inside her heart and see the reasons for her actions, and I felt I “befriended” her over time. I even have her tendency toward reserve and closing-in, and though the Lord has helped me with that a lot over the years, I could empathize with Amy in that respect.

Sharon also does a good job portraying what the thought of a relationship with God might look like to an unbeliever, how unreal and even frightening it might be at first, with a gradual dawning of a yearning to know more.

The novel does have Sharon’s trademarks of underlying humor and the genuineness of her character’s struggles. In all of her books, whether general fiction, “mom-lit,” or fantasy, she deftly captures the internal struggles and issues a character faces in a way that touches something real in my own heart. And that’s what keeps me reading her books! I hope you will give them a try, too.

Someday I will be thankful for this…

Posted on February 25, 2008 by Barbara Harper

A few days ago I received my first-ever offer for a Senior Citizen’s discount.:roll:

I assured the nice young man behind the counter that I did not yet qualify.

Pay It Forward

Posted on February 25, 2008 by Barbara Harper

I’ve seen the “Pay It Forward” contest going around, so when I saw my friend Alice hosting one, I joined in and won. Here is how it works:

Anyone with a blog can join.
The first three people to leave a comment on this post will receive a handmade gift from me.
I will send the gift in the next 365 days.
In return you have to pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

In addition to the above, I’d like to ask you to share your favorite colors in your comment so I can hopefully tailor the gift to your tastes.

I welcome international participation.

Update: Comments are now closed since I have my three. I’ll be contacting you shortly for your mailing addresses. Thanks for entering!

Beneath the cross of Jesus

Posted on February 24, 2008 by Barbara Harper

Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the day.

Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.

I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by to know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.

~ Elizabeth Clephane, 1868

Easy finger sandwiches

Posted on February 23, 2008 by Barbara Harper

FiddleDeeDee at It Coulda’ Been Worse has started Saturday Stirrings where we can share favorite recipes and find new favorites. I hope you will join in!

I don’t have a nailed-down and exact recipe for this, but I had them at a wedding reception once, and my friend, who also loved them, knew the person who made them and asked her how she did it. So, going by word of mouth, I went from there and worked out what works best for me.

These are little finger sandwiches that are good for brunches, receptions, ladies’ meetings, etc. — any event where you need a “finger food.” Of course, you could adapt them to regular sandwiches if you like.

1. First, get the type of small rolls that are all stuck together when you buy them:

This is actually after I put them all back together, so they’re not stuck together any more, but this is how they come: all stuck together in a disposable pan.

2. Cut the whole section of rolls in half horizontally.

3. Spread both layers with a mixture of mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and poppy seeds. I’m sorry, I’ve never measured this exactly, but if I were estimating I’d say maybe 1/2 cup mustard, 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoon poppy seeds.

4. Layer ham and Swiss or provolone cheese over the bottom half of the rolls.

As you can see, this time the top halves of the rolls came apart, but sometimes I have done it with the whole top half staying all together, and that makes it even easier.

5. Place the top half back over the bottom half as in the first picture above.

You can do up to this point ahead of time and put them in the refrigerator until a little while before serving time.

6. Place in 350 oven for a few minutes (5-10 or so) until warmed through and cheese is slightly melted. You could also microwave them, but you’d need to take them out of the foil pan — probably best done at the splitting in half stage.

7. Slice into separate small sandwiches and place on serving dish.

Of course, you could experiment with different types of rolls, condiments, meats, and cheeses. But I really like the flavor of this combination.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Wooden

Posted on February 23, 2008 by Barbara Harper

PhotoHunt

Theme: Wooden | Become a Photo Hunter

Can you tell which one is wooden? 😀

This shot was taken by my son of his friend while in CA for the summer.

Know and Tell Friday

Posted on February 22, 2008 by Barbara Harper

(My Friday Show and Tell post is just below this one)

To Know Him hosts Know and Tell Friday and asks this week:

1. Do you read or study best in silence or in a place with background noise? Why?

In silence — I just concentrate better that way. But silence isn’t always easy to come by, so sometimes I have to adapt.

2. If you were to write a book about your life, what would it be called?

Oh, my — I have no idea. Something terribly creative like “My Life.” 🙂

3. (This question is a deep one…I know it should be a bonus, but I already have a few bonus questions chosen for this week) Why do you think divorce is so prevalent?

Basic selfish human nature. I do wonder if the “self-esteem movement” with its focus on self and the increasing laxness in discipline over the last several years have affected it also.

4. What’s the best way to resist peer pressure?

Keeping one’s focus on God and asking Him to stir up in us a greater love for Him and desire to please Him more than anyone else. Plus, I think, the training to just walk away from it rather than rationalizing it.

5. What is the most serious illness or injury you ever faced?

Transverse myelitis, in which a virus attacks the spine. I couldn’t walk on my own for a few months and had a laundry list of other quirky symptoms. I wrote more about it here.

6. When was the last time you felt like you had a laugh with God?

I don’t know that I would have put it quite that way, but I do believe God has a sense of humor. The times I feel most like what I think you’re talking about are when I am getting after my children about something, and it’s almost like I sense God tapping me on the shoulder and asking, “Do you hear yourself?” And I realize I need the same instruction I am giving them. The other times are when I am thinking of myself more highly than I ought to and then do something really stupid — God’s gentle reminder that I need to be more humble.

7. This question was inspired by a friend. My friend went through a very tragic experience, and I so wanted to comfort her, but did not have the words to. I had a conversation with her at a later date and asked her what do you say to someone when they are going through a tragedy, because I know that people say the wrong things even when there intentions were good. So, here is my question…. What do you say to someone who is going through a tragic or hard time?

I think it just depends on the person, the situation, and how you feel the Lord is leading at the time. For me most often I would just give them a hug and let them know I am praying for them, and let them indicate if they want to talk any further. I know even for the same person, sometimes they might feel like talking and sometimes not.

Once when I was working at a department store, the husband of one of the ladies there passed away. She was off work for several days, and when she came back one of the other older ladies was telling some of us that the day she went back to work after her husband died was almost as hard as the funeral. So when I saw the first lady, I just told her I was glad to see her back, but didn’t go any further. Later in the break room, though, she began talking to me about the situation. She wanted to talk about it. I remember when one co-worker had a miscarriage, she didn’t want anyone at work to say anything about it at all. But one lady went to her and made it a point to express her sympathies, and that upset her.

So — I don’t think there is a pat formula. I know for various things I have gone through in my life, sometimes the Lord sent just the right person with just what I needed to hear — “a word in due season.” But some people seemed to want to pry or force the issue or couldn’t seem to take the hint that now was now a good time. It just all goes back to asking the Lord to lead you and being an instrument in His hands.