26 December 2007

christmas!

pictures of our lovely snowy day can be viewed here!

24 December 2007

merry christmas!!!!!


p.s: reid. les retrouvailles & les choristes have now happily joined my itunes repertoire. hoorah!


O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

19 December 2007

four weeks.

just four short little weeks until i stuff my suitcases to capacity, put on some warm socks, and walk through security, passport in hand, to a world of wonder and adventure: the minneapolis airport!
after a few inevitable delays, a stopover in detroit [Oh, Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head!], i'll be well on my way 'cross the Great Atlantic Ocean.
a few minor details, which quite possibly may include some extraordinarily joyful "hello"s, a cup of coffee to keep the eyelids up, and a long stuffy wait at the baggage claim shall ensue [not in that particular order], ultimately followed by a wonderfully heartwarming ride back to my old home.
Eiserfelder Strasse 275.

and then the fun begins.



hooray!!!!!!!!!

17 December 2007

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced;
they shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish.
You shall seek them and not find them; those who contended with you.
Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing.
For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, “Fear not, I will help you.”
Isaiah 41:10-13

11 December 2007

feeling domestic.

these past 24 hours have been quite productive, in a rather domestic sort of way. good thing mum and i are p-31s.
in addition to working 3-4 hours/day at the restaurant, and doing massive laundry folding, bathroom cleaning, and nephew-watching [more like nephew-chasing these days], i've spent the past 6 hours in the kitchen!

this afternoon made biscotti- plain, cranberry-almond, and chocolate, with melted chocolate chips on top, mmm.
then assisted with the potato soup making, dishwashing, and table-setting.

then the real fun began! as the days are consecutively and increasingly insane, the decision was made to prepare all our evening meals [Supper, to midwesterners; Dinner to the rest of the american-english-speaking world] ahead of time, and freeze them.

so in the past 3 hours we've accomplished, cleaned up after, labeled, and stowed away neatly in the freezer:
enchiladas
cheese manicotti
swedish meatballs
chicken and rice hotdish [oh yes, that's minnesotan too]
seafood chowder
meatloaf
tomorrow we do the bean and ham soup, as well as the pre-baked pizza crusts.

we are "absolutely covered in flour" and many other things.

the manicotti stuffing session incurred mild hysterics in all involved, and a few quizzical looks from passersby.
once i got past the texture, it was pretty amusing to have cold, lumpy, cheese mixture filling not only the noodles, but also my sleeves, and the kitchen in general.

and so, i am [not for the first time] of the unmitigated conviction that housewifery is a supremely high calling, and into it is poured much more effort than meets the eye. my feet would heartily agree.

so give your mother a hug!

06 December 2007

the boys.

05 December 2007

sleep in heavenly peace..



after many years of faithful service,
a plethora of shows and festivals,
having survived high school and three college campuses,
a trek across norway,
a mission trip to mexico,
and even a few piano recitals
[much to the horror of my instructors!]...

my dear little thoroughly-yellowed pink chucks are being retired. for good.


they've been my constant companions since i was 15.

04 December 2007

snowed out.

well, my nephew came over yesterday to spend the night while his mum+dad went to minneapolis for a meeting type thing.
it's been great. he slept just fine last night, once he snuggled in tight between grandpa and grandma.

well, it snowed all day today in minneapolis. brother still endeavoured to drive home, much to the chagrin of his beloved copilot.
so we kept on playing as they homeward crept slowly along through the utter whiteness.

then they closed the roads.

meanwhile the snow here peacefully falls outside in the splendour of stillness,
and inside, the child pitifully screams his sleepy little head off.

it's a not-so-silent night.

His ways are beyond finding out!

don't you love how when we sit down to read the Word, the Lord just showers blessings upon us?
i am continually amazed at how truly Living and Active the Word of God is.

par exemple, this morning as i was reading the last couple chapters of Mark, all about the crucifixion and Resurrection, i was amazed at the contrasts between those who believed and those who did not believe. such blessings upon those who believe, and such condemnation and rebuke for those of unbelief and hardness of heart.

and then i turned to my bookmark in the psalms, and lo and behold, it was psalm 22, which 'just so happened' to be a Messianic psalm about the crucifixion! again i found references to faith, in Jesus Himself, having no one but His Father in whom to put His trust.

My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever! psalm 22:25-26

those who seek the Messiah will find Him in the Person of Jesus Christ. and they shall rejoice and live forever!

A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this. psalm 22:30-31

let us believe!

01 December 2007

well, today was supposed to include 6+ hours in the backseat of a car with two growing brothers, the annual swanson family reunion [at which there is not one swanson in attendance], featuring traditional scandinavian food, such as lefse, lutefisk, and pickled herring [sadly, this in no way resembles swedish fish], as well as an overabundance of christmas cookies. but all of those plans changed by the weatherman's two little words...

SNOW STORM!!!!!!!!!!

well, actually it was three big words: Winter Weather Advisory. but we all knew what he was getting at.

it's been snowing all day, so beautifully. how perfect, the first day of december is our first real snowstorm. i'd say we've gotten at least 6 inches, maybe more, of beautiful glistening fluffy white powder. ah! so lovely.

this change in scenery from brown to white also changed our plans from "party!" to "clean!".

all five us of have been cleaning, organizing, sorting, and rearranging since breakfast. and i must say, as pop snowblows the sidewalks outside at 9.37pm, it's been a busy day- but a very productive one. we all [meaning we three kinder] expected to sit around and poke a fire, watch the disney cartoon Robin Hood, drink hot chocolate, go for a few romps in the great white outdoors.. and instead, worked our little tails off. but it's quite satisfying at the end of a hard day's work to see the basement looking the best it has in years, and for me personally to see the back AND the floor of my closet!! [understand that "closet" in my case is synonymous with "cave," as it is narrow, deep, and dark. but today! it saw the light.]

so maybe tomorrow we'll play in the snow and watch Robin Hood. until then, we've got to figure out what to do with all that herring in the fridge..

29 November 2007

mercy.

at our ladies' bible study last night, we were reminded through 1 peter 2 that when the condemnation of the world is heaped upon us, the mercies of God that stretch to the very heavens are upon us. we are pilgrims and sojourners in this temporal land, but oh! the mercies, all surpassing, all encompassing, new every morning.

..who were not a people but now are the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.. 1 peter 2:10-11

The LORD is in His holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. psalm 11:4

But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me. psalm 13:5-6

psalm 15:1- Lord, who may abide in Your temple? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
the footnote in my Bible says that abide can also be sojourn. we are sojourners here on earth, but what a privilege for us to sojourn in His presence.

amen!

27 November 2007

recommendations.

Stash decaf raspberry white tea.

Carol of the Bells -the bird and the bee [iTunes free music download of the week].

ruby red nail polish. or anything red, for that matter.

Worship and Music Ministry -rick ryan and dave newton.

hungarian curtain-scarves.

dryer sheets.

hand-written letters delivered by post.

singing hymns in 4-part harmony with the family on a chilly winter's eve.

21 November 2007

psalm 1

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.



p.s. amazon cancelled my mistake order.
..for His mercy endureth forever.

20 November 2007

amazon..

is normally a friend. but today it's made itself a foe.

so i was doing a little christmas shopping online last night, and found a fun gift for my nephew. put it in my amazon cart [at least i thought], but ended up deciding on something else instead, on a different site.

lo and behold, this morning there's a receipt from amazon in my email inbox, saying i purchased the rejected gift, and they were charging me more in shipping than the product itself cost.

pretty much not fun. orders like that can only be cancelled up to 90 minutes after they've been placed.. and i didn't even know my computer had purchased it until 12 hours later. amazon gave me no inclination that i had placed the order, no 'purchase complete' page, no shipping rate options, nothing.

so the moral of the story is: live somewhere with shopping nearby so you don't have to shop online.

guess my nephew gets two presents instead of one!

18 November 2007

behold,

children are an heritage from the Lord. Psalm 127:3

this entire day was completely overrun by children. running, screaming, yelling, crying, laughing, hollering children, of every imaginable age and size.
following several hours with them after church, i expected to have a quiet day at home. but my hopes were in vain, for our house was overrun with big, running, stomping, excitable, rubber-band-gun-shooting boys.
said boys were joined by three more children overtaking my house, and last but not least, demanding my utmost attention for the remainder of the evening.

it's been kids, and hardly anything else, since i woke up.

but you know, after i got over the desperate urge to flee for my sanity, i was completely captivated by two small souls, each talking several miles per minute, seeking my attention and approval while parents talked in other rooms.

it was all worth it, and i knew it to be true, as i watched a tenderhearted little boy pour out all his love for his new friend- 'the yiddo bear'.
how little it required of me, besides encouraging words and smiles, and how content he was.

indeed, children are an immeasurable heritage from the Lord.

17 November 2007

Weihnachten ist froh!!

i love christmas.

it's been snowing ever so cheerily today [albeit the ground is too warm to allow for accumulation],
and my mother and i both felt the singular inclination that the time for christmas cd listening has arrived!

it's so cozy to be wrapped up snug in a warm scarf and mittens when venturing out into the blustery outdoors,
and twice as nice to scurry back indoors for a steaming mug of café or chocolat.

i've got the old christmas classics crooning in the background, and
'the lights are turned way down low, so let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!'

14 November 2007

la joyeuse

it snowed today!!
of course, it didn't have a chance of sticking.. 45mph winds kind of discourage that.
and we only had flurries. but still! it was snow, heavenly, beautiful snow.
everyone at work was getting all depressed, and i was definitely rejoicing at nearly the top of my lungs.
november snows are always so cozy.
how merry!

12 November 2007

california makes me sick.

literally. i haven't quite felt the same since i've returned.
this has happened the last 2 times i've been in california.
i think i'm allergic. to the 31st state.

10 November 2007

à la maison

well, i've returned from california. i love my home.

the conference was good. all the speakers were right on, and the worship itself was fresh and skillfully played. the workshops were ok, although not as informative as i'd expected them to be. i hung out a lot with the kids from the School of Worship in costa mesa- they're definitely cool kids. it was super busy schedule-wise, so i got approximately 5-6 hours of sleep a night, and had stuff going on all day long. but, despite the lack of rest, it was nice that they chose to redeem the time.

i drank altogether too much coffee, and currently even the thought of it makes me slightly ill.

it was cool seeing friends on campus, and meeting new people. i met a few who are hoping to come to germany this spring, so that was pretty sweet. i am so excited for next semester, and so blessed to return! the Lord is so good, and so faithful. it was more like a family reunion when it came to seeing friends from earlier days in germany. many a fond memory were shared, and chelsea and i had sushi! mmm. so delicious.

i got to lead worship for robin's Ruth and Esther class. that was sweet, because when i was at school out there she had me come in each semester to do a particular song for the girls.. so it was like old times being back in her classroom with a guitar and my minimal skills! amen.

the Lord provided a ride to the airport friday.. after giving me the full opportunity to trust Him and walk by faith. but His grace was more than sufficient- for, along with the ride, i was blessed by having time to fellowship with a dear friend.

so, there were some great aspects of this past week. it was also a hard week, and i am quite glad that i don't live in southern california. so here i am at home in silly, chilly, hotdish-eating minnesota, and ever so glad to be here.

03 November 2007

be still, my soul.

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27

Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.
Psalm 119:165

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.
Isaiah 26:3-4

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
John 16:33

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Colossians 3:15

The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26

02 November 2007

jurassic park 11

a dinosaur showed up at my house the other night.
he bared his teeth at me.
i caught him just before he got to my raggedy ann doll.
i was, unfortunately, too late. poor ann.
he promptly waddled off to consume mass quantities of miniature pumpkins.
and then! he had the audacity to flash those baby blues at me.

but i have to say.. he's a pretty swell nephew! [and actually- he adores raggedy ann.]
i love the sun in minnesota, especially during cold seasons. the sky is perfectly blue and the sun is so bright and warm that our ever-present stiff breeze/hurricane-force winds seem much less disheartening.

on sunday i go to california! it kind of snuck up on me. but i am very excited! it's so great, my church is sending me to the worship leaders' conference, plus i get to stay an extra day on each end to see some dear friends. it seems [at least to those of us in the midwest] that friends are spread far and wide.. and any chance to see them is treasured dearly. this will be my last trip to california for who knows how long. someday i'll return again.

I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
I will praise You among many people!
Psalm 38:15

30 October 2007

a.w. tozer

"Lord, how great is our dilemma! In Thy Presence silence best becomes us, but love inflames our hearts and we are constrained to speak."
pray for me today!
this afternoon i shall commence piano/worship lessons with a girl named meridith.
pray for wisdom, because i've never taught lessons before!

colossians 1:9-12

28 October 2007

www.isconsin

..is absolutely amazing! the loveliest week of my autumn was spent in wisconsin with dear friends.
i was introduced to milwaukee, jess' family, and spring rolls..
i was re-introduced to jess' sweet sister kadie, illy espresso, and sushi- ganz wunderschön!
and i was delightfully blessed with time spent with my dear friend, jessica reid.
plus we saw tahmi, walked to lake michigan -twice!- and drank a whole lot of coffee.

i am terrible about photographing events.. but here are the few i took!


Latte the Ragdoll Cat: we became fast friends.


Lake Michigan with Jess and Tahmi! [post-coffee at common grounds]


the Kenosha Castle Ruins, avec JessicaReid.


the Moon-Rise o'er Lake Michigan!


sweet home minnesota clouds.

lovely!

lassen uns beten!

in the past week i've visited with or heard from many different people, ministering all over the state, country, and world. pastors wives from the midwest, bible college students in several continents, pastors' kids and interns in europe, christians being light in their hometowns and to the uttermost parts of the earth. on my 8-hour drive to and from wisconsin, i spent several hours listening to recordings from past missions conferences. i was so blessed to hear the testimonies of people who have surrendered their lives to the Lord and have been used by Him so immensely. may He see fit to use me as such a vessel.

it is so amazing to see the work that God is doing all over the world. what a privilege we have to be able to intercede for our brothers and sisters spread abroad. i'm reminded of one of our memory verses from wolfgang's missions class:

I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'
And to the south, 'Do not keep them back!'
Bring My sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth-
Everyone who is called by my name, whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.
-Isaiah 43:6-7

remember to pray for the outreach teams from the ccbc campuses in peru and germany- they're ministering all around the world this week!

21 October 2007

jubilation!

i hung out with 'calvary' girls all weekend at the ladies retreat- therein is found a spiritual depth which few can match.

the leaves were in glorious array, AND the sun showed its long-lost face to the northland once again.

my german mom sent pictures today of their beautiful new baby girl, manon caja.

bright and early i'm off on a gallivant to see lovely jessica reid, oh joy! and tuesday we shall see tahmi!


thank You Lord.

18 October 2007

bouquets of sharpened pencils.

the menfolk of the house have gone a-hunting, so it leaves mum and i to fend for ourselves.
we ate hot fudge sundaes along with our dinner, worked on various projects including hemming, and watched You've Got Mail.
'twas quite nice, truly.

14 October 2007

hoorah!

i'm going to wisconsin! next week!

13 October 2007

emerging church.

this link is for a message my dad taught at church 2 weeks ago, on 1 john 3:19-4:6. i had not heard much explanation for the term "emerging/emergent church" but this really gave a good explanation, and also a timely warning to us as believers- there are many false prophets out there! we must hold fast to the Truth of God's Word.
the message is probably 40-45 minutes long, but if you have time to listen, it's really good. just click the little question mark.
God bless!

09 October 2007

wunderschön!

two of the most beautiful things:

#1- reconcilation/restoration!

#2- homemade applesauce! [with lovely honeycrisp apples]


[obviously they aren't particularly related, but both have struck me today with their inherent loveliness! but i suppose if a connection must be made, both are a little unpleasing on first observance, but so beautiful when made your own.]

flax.

i learned a new trick from my mum this weekend.
i was making a cake for the church potluck, but alas! we had no eggs. however, we had plenty of flaxseed in the cupboard. so we made a flaxseed egg substitute, put it in the cake, and my, was that cake delicious! it was super moist too. so, just in case you ever run out of eggs, or want to try something new, here's how to do flax. [plus, flax is really good for you!]

1/2 cup flax seed- blend on high in the blender [or food processor] for 1 minute.
add 2 cups water- blend on high for 2 minutes. it will become thick and frothy.
that's it! 1/4 cup of the mixture equals 1 egg. i use the 1/4c. measuring cup to scoop it right out.
any leftovers can be kept in the fridge for a few days.

i know this works wonderfully in cakes, and i'd like experiment with it in cookies, french toast, as "scrambled eggs," etc.
i'll let you know what works.

enjoy!

06 October 2007

break the silence.

well today i accomplished a daring feat!
i broke out the family's old cassette tapes, circa 1987.
a few were pretty hokey, but i must say.. margaret becker is The Woman. her music is absolutely amazing, both in creative quality and in lyrical sincerity. and also in mullet-intensity. i especially suggest her albums "the reckoning" and "never for nothing." [my dad's holding hostage "immigrant's daughter"- my childhood favorite.]
it's actually quite an improvement upon today's "christian" music. it's so discouraging to turn on the station and hear christianese cliches sung by carnal christians seeking fame and fortune. enough said- it's simply refreshing to know that it is possible to put out really genuine music that is pleasing to the Lord! [i think we often forget about seeking His interests above all] may He raise up a new generation of similarly anointed musicians and songwriters.

it was 90 degrees here today. only in southern minnesota do we get 40 degrees in august, and 90 in october.
today is october 6th, and several years we've seen snow on this very day. bizarre.

doc appt yesterday was excellent. no more drugs, hooray! praise the Lord- He provides in His perfect timing.

we have a 40-pound pumpkin on our back porch.

04 October 2007

request.

tomorrow directly after work, mum and i head down to sioux falls, south dakota, to see a physicians assistant/naturopath.
please pray for wisdom on our part [accurately telling symptoms, asking questions, etc] and on the doctor's part, as she seeks to find a solution. [and, prayerfully- an alternative to medicinal treatments!]
i've been feeling pretty well lately [much better than this summer], but in the past several weeks i've become pretty sick after consuming any form of milk product, and possibly other foods as well.
this doctor has been able to piece together seemingly random symptoms and find the underlying cause for several other women i know; so, Lord willing, she'll have some answers for us too.
thanks for praying!

the main street promenade.

this evening our sleepy little town gathered down on main street for the Grand ReOpening of the street itself!
it's been closed for many months, due to slowly progressing road/building demolition and construction.
there were farmers with home-grown produce, artisans with their handcrafted wares, and a stand-still antique car parade. they even had tiki torches out to light our way through the growing dusk!
saw lots of family acquaintances, and found the most amazing pair of boots at the little boutique! [i pick them up tomorrow]

it was a bit of a return to old-time america.

03 October 2007

the mighty [clean] midwest.


directly below these signs sat two clawfoot tubs.
the windchill was below thirty that day.

02 October 2007

cookery.

this evening i attended the Taste of Home cooking school in my very own hometown. i was accompanied by my lovely somewhat-sister-in-law [just not by law], mary buckwheat. CAN you imagine a better last name than that? i think not.
we suffocated along through the mobs of hungry and talkative olderish women, had a few bites of goodies from display tables, and paid an arm and a leg to quench our thirst [which, by this time, had grown to be quite fearsome], with bottled water from source Less-Than-Mediocre.
then we settled into our excellent fifth-row seats and watched the cookery begin. everything was made with severely processed and highly convenient foods, and served up and raffled off in very stylish cookware. on the whole, it was quite educational.
upon leaving, i spied another girl from church, and we decided that we'd probably end up bringing the exact same dish to the potluck on sunday! [since we, obviously, have been culinary De-Challenged having taken in such an event.]
and so i blast off for dreamland with visions of cool-whip-filled and maxwell house-soaked-nilla wafer Tiramisu, and your awestruck face upon tasting the delightful fruits of my newfound kitchen aptitude, dexterity, and adroitness.
[as well as my skillful thesaurus usage capabilities. on that note, you really ought to look up "fruit" in the online thesaurus- you'll find it quite helpful when looking for new ingredients for your jello salads! pass the buffaloberries.]

30 September 2007

29 September 2007

it's one of those days where everything sort of hurts, and my mind is rather foggy, and concentration is vastly too difficult to muster. but the sunshine pouring through my window is bright and warm, and the leaves are swirling by the window on the breeze, and the wispy clouds can't hold back the blueness of the sky. the Lord is so very good. He likes days of rest too.

26 September 2007

balance.

"Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon." Nehemiah 4:17

"The battling of the Christian must never replace the building. We must be armed for our warfare ... [but] the wall has got to go up; the final answer of the Christian to the world is that the wall is being built, that the temple of the Holy Spirit is visible."

-excerpts from Alan Redpath's Victorious Christian Service: Studies in the Book of Nehemiah.
i am currently reading this book, and by it being immensely blessed. if you haven't read it, please put it on your to-read list!

suggestion.

don't run over your toe with the vaccuum cleaner!
if anything hurts like billy-oh, it's that.
but if you need your nail polish removed in a hurry, it'll help.
[why is it that this sort of thing only happens to me?]

24 September 2007

roots.

last night our family went out to our country garden and picked the last of the summer harvest.
part of that harvest was a bumper crop of carrots, and several bucketsfull of potatoes.
but in order to remove those root vegetables, you have to dig- it's hard, dirty, work.
yet it wasn't without reward- we'll be eating carrots and potatoes until they come out our ears. [which would definitely incur more digging]

in the past days the Lord has been doing an awful lot of digging in my own heart. there's been bitterness left unheeded in the deep recesses of my heart. did i like to admit it? of course not. but in praying and preparing my heart for future ministry, the Lord has placed His finger upon that root, and has revealed the ugliness of it. it is not a pleasant experience to be dug into, but it is a necessary one if we are to be Useful For Every Good Work.

my friends, having learned this lesson the hard way, i humbly ask you to not let the root of bitterness go unchecked in your heart. may the God who dwells in unapproachable light shine into our hearts and cleanse us, that He may receive all the glory.

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled. Heb. 12:14-15.

hymn.

More holiness give me, more striving within
More patience in suff'ring, more sorrow for sin
More faith in my Savior, more sense of His care
More joy in His service, more purpose in prayer.

More gratitude give me, more trust in the Lord
More pride in His glory, more hope in His Word
More tears for His sorrows, more pain at His grief
More meekness in trial, more praise for relief.

More purity give me, more strength to o'ercome
More freedom from earth-stains, more longings for home
More fit for the kingdom, more used would I be
More blessed and holy, more, Savior, like Thee.

Philip Bliss, 1873

23 September 2007

barmherzigkeit.

The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.
ps. 145:8

22 September 2007

home-coming.


schönster Deutschland, ich vermisse dich. du bist mein Liebling!
weniger als vier Monate, und ich gehen zurück!
..
[translation: less than four months till i'm back!]

21 September 2007

le voyage plein d'espoir.

well today i did it. i hopped in the car and sped down the road.
but only an hour and a half.
you know, it's really lovely, driving on a 2-lane highway across the prairie, passing through towns of population 61, named Ihlen or Holland or Woodstock, seeing the sun set over abandoned farmhouses, catching an undisturbed moon and stars and some fresh prairie air on the deserted road home.
but we're not all wilderness forever! oh, no.
in fact, this very evening i was inside a MALL, in the largest south dakotan city [which would perhaps seem miniscule compared to the average 'small town' on either coast]. but it's ok. the kindly caribou man sympathized with my overwhelmedness over such a spree.
[so if a half-horse/half-man is called a centaur, what is a half-man/half-caribou called? just wondering.]
he made good coffee too.

..
oh home, you're such a drag sometimes, but so comfortable to return to. you're really not that bad.
truly the Lord gives grace to His children, whether near or far, in that He is ever our steadfast Keeper.
..

grow-up + build-up
this has nothing to do with the post's previous thoughts, but the Lord has really been teaching me lately from ephesians and 1 corinthians about growing up in Christ. everything is to be done for the edification of the Body [His Body, no less], and although we shall be His children eternally, we are always growing up in Him. just like in The Last Battle [i just finished reading the Chronicles of Narnia- CS Lewis], where Aslan and all the creatures keep urging the children on- "Further Up and Further In!"
there should never be a plateau in our walk, for we are sojourners here. every step taken upon our Word-enlightened paths grows lovelier, because each step takes us nearer to the heart of God. this whole Growing Up business has often left me quite baffled- but the Savior, has comforted my heart, and shown me that it is not merely outwardly that we have to grow up, but it is His delight that we should grow up into Him, and thereby be more thoroughly equipped to edify the Body also.
[see ephesians 4-5; 1 corinthians 14-15]

18 September 2007

in memory.


[beware of somewhat gory content]








it has come to my remembrance that a certain calamitous event occured one year ago this week.
oh yes, it was a memorable day: the day the Danger Brigade inaugurated its first permanent member, who happens to be myself.

on September 22nd, we shall celebrate this joyous [and somewhat less bloody] anniversary, perhaps by an Impromptu Crash Course in Bicycle Safety!

dedicated to Anja Kell, my faithful and beloved Krankenhaus sister. let's eat some CAKE! :)

15 September 2007

endeavor.


my attempts at creating a heartfelt, personal post this evening have been disastrous.
consequently, i shall forbear.

it is c-o-l-d! not long now till the crispening leaves transform from commonplace to exquisitely ablaze!

favourite artist of the art show attended today:
jean haefele [hay-flee], for her magnificent collages!

tomorrow we shall have an orchard romp, and lovely carameled apples.

at right:
Colour-Striped Bag hot off the press [for sister-in-law],
and its predecessor, Green Pumpkin-Lantern Bag.
[they're actually rather large]

hoorah!

13 September 2007

un-dragoned.

..."And I thought to myself, oh dear, how ever many skins have I got to take off? For I was longing to bathe my leg. So I scratched away for the third time and got off a third skin, just like the two others, and stepped out of it. But as soon as I looked at myself in the water I knew it had been no good.
"Then the lion said - but I don't know if it spoke - 'You will have to let me undress you.' I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back and let him do it.
"The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. You know - if you've ever picked the scab of a sore place. It hurts like billy-oh but it IS such fun to see it coming away. ...
"Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off - just as I thought I'd done it myself the other three times, only they hadn't hurt - and there it was lying on the grass; only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there I was as smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me - I didn't like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I'd no skin on - and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why.

I'd turned into a boy again."

-Eustace Clarence Scrubb, after Aslan un-dragoned him in the land of Narnia, and changed him forevermore.
[The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis: pp. 115-116]


An apt description of redemption, is it not? Not by works of righteousness which we have done..


Titus 3:4-7
But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

truckload.

at a stop-light today i sat 2 cars behind a smallish truck, quite loaded down.
it's cargo? dirt, but not simply dirt- dirt with grass still attached, and rather jumbled at that.
so i chuckled as i saw a lumpy pile of grass-covered dirt, streaking round the corner.
looked like a hobbit house on wheels.

10 September 2007

07 September 2007

weekly favourites.


my original Moz-art.


colours!


china and textiles, how lovely!


the old apron: light pink, liberally sprinkled with fanciful shells and fish.


jingle, jingle, little star.

le module de fenêtre

04 September 2007

gifts.

"Why, oh why," he cried in his heart as he listened, "has the world's great treasure of song been so often held far from the poor because the personal possessor of voice or fingers, capable of stirring divinest melody, has so often regarded the gift as something with which to make money? Shall there be no martyrs among the gifted ones of the earth? Shall there be no giving of this great gift as well as of others?"
[In His Steps, Sheldon, p. 231]


Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord
By the power of grace divine
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope
And my will be lost in Thine

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord
To the cross where Thou hast died
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

imagination realized.



someday it'll become a reality in my storyland.

03 September 2007

sacrifice.

"Night after night the Bishop and Dr. Bruce with their helpers went out and helped save men and women and children from the torture of physical privation. Vast quantities of food and clothing and large sums of money were donated by the churches, the charitable societies, the civic authorities and the benevolent associations.
But the personal touch of the Christian disciple was very hard to secure for personal work.
Where was the discipleship that was obeying the Master's command to go itself to the suffering and give itself with its gift in order to make the gift of value in time to come?
The Bishop found his heart sink within him as he faced this fact more than any other.

Men would give money who would not think of giving themselves.

And the money they gave did not represent any real sacrifice because they did not miss it. They gave what was the easiest to give, what hurt them the least.
Where did the sacrifice come in? Was this following Jesus? Was this going with Him all the way? He had been to members of his own aristocratic, splendidly wealthy congregations, and was appalled to find how few men and women of that luxurious class in the churches would really suffer any genuine inconvenience for the sake of suffering humanity.
Is charity the giving of worn-out garments? Is it a ten-dollar bill given to a paid visitor or secretary of some benevolent organization in the church? Shall the man never go and give his gift himself? Shall the woman never deny herself her reception or her party or her musicale, and go and actually touch, herself, the foul, sinful sore of diseased humanity as it festers in the great metropolis? Shall charity be conveniently and easily done through some organization? Is it possible to organize the affections so that love shall work disagreeable things by proxy?"
[Excerpt taken from Charles Sheldon, "In His Steps," pp. 211-212.]

For hereunto were ye called; because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow His steps.
1 Peter 2:21

02 September 2007

priceless.

the look in a little boy's eyes when the greatness and holiness of God is explained via isaiah 6.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.
Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
And one cried to another and said:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!"

29 August 2007

like a cut down tree.

it always makes me sad to see a big old tree cut down. i passed one today on my way home. all that was left was a gnarled old stump, and lots of branches lying around on the ground. it reminded me of the mighty king Nebuchadnezzar, in the book of Daniel, who had a dream about a mighty tree, reduced to but a stump. it was a picture of his life, and what would become of him, should he continue to lift up his heart in pride. i'm sure an even more disheartening sight than a cut down tree is a person whose life and ministry has been cut off, because they did not choose to surrender wholly unto God. may our lives, instead, be ever fruitful.

Thus says the LORD:
"Cursed is the man who trusts in man
And makes flesh his strength,
Whose heart departs from the LORD.
For he shall be like a shrub in the desert,
And shall not see when good comes,
But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,
In a salt land which is not inhabited.

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
And whose hope is the LORD.
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

"The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the LORD, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.

Jeremiah 17:5-10

24 August 2007

simplify.

introducing..
The Signature 100.


sleek. powerful. attachment-free.
sturdy cast-iron design.
includes carrying case.



special feature: fractions key!


now available at your local auxiliary thrift store, this half-priced weekend,
for only one easy payment of one dollar and fifty cents.



life seems so much easier.

23 August 2007

the utmost. [no.2]

Prayer- Battle In "The Secret Place"
Oswald Chambers [My Utmost For His Highest]

When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly —Matthew 6:6

Jesus did not say, "Dream about your Father who is in the secret place," but He said, ". . . pray to your Father who is in the secret place. . . ." Prayer is an effort of the will. After we have entered our secret place and shut the door, the most difficult thing to do is to pray. We cannot seem to get our minds into good working order, and the first thing we have to fight is wandering thoughts. The great battle in private prayer is overcoming this problem of our idle and wandering thinking. We have to learn to discipline our minds and concentrate on willful, deliberate prayer.

We must have a specially selected place for prayer, but once we get there this plague of wandering thoughts begins, as we begin to think to ourselves, "This needs to be done, and I have to do that today." Jesus says to "shut your door." Having a secret stillness before God means deliberately shutting the door on our emotions and remembering Him. God is in secret, and He sees us from "the secret place"— He does not see us as other people do, or as we see ourselves. When we truly live in "the secret place," it becomes impossible for us to doubt God. We become more sure of Him than of anyone or anything else. Enter into "the secret place," and you will find that God was right in the middle of your everyday circumstances all the time. Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless you learn to open the door of your life completely and let God in from your first waking moment of each new day, you will be working on the wrong level throughout the day. But if you will swing the door of your life fully open and "pray to your Father who is in the secret place," every public thing in your life will be marked with the lasting imprint of the presence of God.

i am a poor, wayfaring stranger..

i find hoboes to be rather intriguing.
one stopped by my place this morning:



Definition: The hobo is a migratory worker, some with a special skill or trade, others ready to work at any task, but always willing to work to make his way [as opposed to the traveling, non-working tramps, and the non-traveling, non-working bums].

they used a series of symbols to leave messages wherever they traveled, thus providing helpful information for hoboes to come, such as:


i was mighty heartbroken to find that i've barely missed the most recent National Hobo Convention in somewhat-nearby Britt, Iowa.. just two short weeks ago. sigh.
if i'd only known..

21 August 2007

beautiful.


grandma. mary. bryce.

11 August 2007