dual personalities

Month: February, 2024

February 15, 2024

A glowing coal at my heart

by chuckofish

We’re halfway through February and spring is in the air. But don’t be fooled–winter is still here and it will turn cold again. And that’s okay. The end of winter is in sight. Baseball season is just around the corner.

Tonight we finish Pilgrim’s Progress in our community group. I really cannot recommend this great book enough. You will recall that John Bunyan wrote the book while he was in prison–he was imprisoned for twelve years because he was a nonconformist preacher (meaning not licensed by the state church). That he knew his Bible throughly is evident on every page. Charles Spurgeon famously said that Bunyan “is a living Bible! Prick him anywhere; his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him.”

Coming to the end of the book was very moving as several beloved characters come to the end of their journey and cross over the River of Death to the Celestial City.

The River has been a Terror to many, yea the thoughts of it also have oft frightened me. But now methinks I stand easie, my Foot is fixed upon that, upon which the Feet of the Priests that bare the Ark of the Covenant stood while Israel went over this Jordan. The Waters indeed are to the Palate bitter, and to the Stomack cold; yet the thoughts of what I am going to, and of the Conduct that waits for me on the other side, doth lie as a glowing Coal at my Heart.

I see my self now at the end of my Journey, my toilsome Days are ended. I am going now to see the Head that was Crowned with Thorns, and that Face that was spit upon, for me.

I have formerly lived by Hear-say, and Faith, but now I go where I shall live by sight, and shall be with him, in whose Company I delight my self.

I have loved to hear my Lord spoken of, and wherever I have seen the print of his Shoe in the Earth, there I have coveted to set my Foot too.

–Mr. Stand-fast

Here are ten things you should know about The Pilgrim’s Progress.

And here’s a Valentine bonus pic of Ida B. in a red jumper made by her great-grandmother.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

(Lamentations 3:22-23)

4 Comments
February 14, 2024

The best kind of love

by chuckofish

Happy Valentine’s Day, loyal readers!

Do you have special plans? Me neither. The OM and I will watch Bullitt (1968) which is our Valentine tradish. He will probably fall asleep.

Here is a fine poem by Billy Collins to celebrate the day…

And lest we forget: this. You’re welcome.

2 Comments
February 13, 2024

The earthly tent we live in*

by chuckofish

We are off to another unseasonably warm week and I am not complaining.

I am slowly putting my house back together. I keep finding baby dolls and plastic cups and packages of wet wipes in odd places that remind me of our sweet visitors. Luckily now I do not have to pack up a box of odds and ends to send back to them but can wait until they/we visit again.

Also note: the amaryllis is blooming again. They are truly amazing plants.

I also caught up on my daily Bible reading. I was a tad behind.

Q: How is the word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to salvation? 

A: That the word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer, receive it with faith and love, lay it up in your hearts, and practice it in your lives. 

Q: If the matter we read or hear be good, is not that enough for our salvation? 

A: No, God requires that the word be read and heard in a due manner, and the manner of hearing is of special regard with God; Luke 8:18. Take heed therefore how ye hear. 

–John Flavel (1627-91)

Here are a few good things to read…This is an interesting article about whether we should pray the “vengeance” psalms. The boy and I were just discussing the issue of vengeance and how it is right “to leave room for the wrath of God.” However, I am all for reading those psalms which some find offensive, especially Psalm 58. The Anglicans, no surprise, exiled the imprecatory prayers from the psalter after WWI.

Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?
Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?
2 No, in your heart you work wickedness;
You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;
They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent;
They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,
5 Which will not heed the voice of charmers,
Charming ever so skillfully.

6 Break their teeth in their mouth, O God!
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
7 Let them flow away as waters which run continually;
When he bends his bow,
Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.
8 Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,
Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the burning thorns,
He shall take them away as with a whirlwind,
As in His living and burning wrath.
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
11 So that men will say,
“Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely He is God who judges in the earth.”

–Psalm 58

Food for thought. Read the article!

And this is about President Lincoln, the almost-Presbyterian. Very interesting.

And the inimitable Joni Eareckson Tada writes about grumbling.

The Lord be with you and bless you today.

*I Corinthians 5:1

4 Comments
February 12, 2024

Beer for my horses

by chuckofish

What a strange two weeks this has been! Daughter #2 and DN are moved in, but not totally settled in yet. That will take some time. Their new home is great–unfortunately I took no pictures when I was there–and the University of Illinois is very impressive. I liked Champaign-Urbana a lot. It is the perfect sized small city with everything you want but without a lot of the stuff you don’t need.

After a few days in their new house, Katie said, “I think Mamu is living with us now!” Well, no dear. I certainly enjoyed all the bonus time with daughter #2 and her sweet family, but I am glad to be home. In my absence the OM did not burn the house down. Now I have mountains of laundry to do and sheets to change and the house to get back in order…but c’est la vie.

It was so good to be back in church on Sunday. We had a good sermon on the transfiguration and we sang some great hymns. I teared up twice. The twins seem very grown up after spending so much time with a three-year old and one-year old! They came over for bagels after church and played contentedly with their old toys. The bud sang the doxology without prompting to show me that he knows all the words.

Daughter #3 made this updated sweatshirt for me (Wheeler, Lottie, Katie, and Ida), which I think is pretty great, don’t you?

In other news, I was sad to hear that ol’ Toby Keith had died. He was one-of-a-kind. I liked his attitude: “How do you like me now?” And I did love that deep vibrato of his. We’ll toast him tonight.

You gotta saddle up your boys
You gotta draw a hard line
When the gun smoke settles we’ll sing a victory tune
And we’ll all meet back at the local saloon
We’ll raise up our glasses against evil forces
Singin’ whiskey for my men, beer for my horses

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

4 Comments
February 9, 2024

I’m still standing

by chuckofish

We made it to Illinois on Tuesday–Katie spent a full two hours “reading” aloud old Golden books from Mamu’s vast collection. (Katie took all the books with “Katie” in the nameplate.) Ida dutifully listened appreciatively.

Since arriving we have been unpacking boxes at a slow rate. DN worked his magic in the kitchen and everything is pretty much put away and functional. He has so much space now!

We went to the local Schnucks (twice) and are working on getting back into a sleep routine. We are going to check out the University after nap this afternoon and go out to dinner. Then I’ll head home in the morning.

Hopefully, all will be back to normal next week!

4 Comments
February 6, 2024

Still hanging in there

by chuckofish

Today daughter #2 and I are headed to C-U today with the girls.

DN left yesterday– He is very excited and happy to start work in person. The movers will also arrive today (allegedly) so there will be a lot to do. I am leaving my house in an absolute shambles and the OM in it, recovering from the dreaded virus which caught up with him Sunday night. He’s through the worst of it, eating rice cakes and drinking Gatorade.

“Listen. Your life is happening. You are happening. Think back on your journey. The music of your life…” (Frederick Buechner, The Sacred Journey)

All will be well.

Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!

–Psalm 66:20
3 Comments
February 5, 2024

How’s it goin’?

by chuckofish

I have lost all sense of time over the last few days since daughter #2 arrived with her family–you know how it is when the dishwasher is literally running three times a day. And also the washing machine. Plus everyone (except the OM) got sick with some stomach virus and we have been cleaning up bodily fluids since Friday. I barely got out of bed on Friday.

We were on the mend by Saturday. And some of us managed to do a few normal things…

…but you can tell around the eyes that things are not 100%.

Then daughter #2 got sick early Sunday morning and I had a relapse. I was unable to go to church for our new senior pastor’s first Sunday and I missed the last Sunday School class of the TULIP–Perseverance of the Saints. Did I mention that poor Ida is teething?

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 1:2-4

Lord, have mercy upon us.

4 Comments
February 2, 2024

A welcome adieu, am I right?

by chuckofish

Well, readers, January has mercifully ended, and it is now February.

It is 65 degrees here today. I took Mr. Smith on a nice long walk. He deserved it and it was a delight to be outside and not shivering and/or wet. The entire neighborhood was outside also. The playground was overrun with squealing children. An old man across the street stopped me to talk about Mr. Smith. And then he soliloquized on a variety of subjects until I was finally able to say, “Well, we’ve got to keep on our walk…”

I think I failed to mention that several weeks ago I watched a Law & Order episode where a key plot point was the detectives identifying the murderer by his Westie!! The murderer was actually a gun for hire who also lived in the neighborhood and walked his Westie regularly. As if.

Finally, I was trying to find a quote or something to add to this blog post and while rifling through books, I didn’t find a quote, but I did find this. Circa like 1998.

This was truly the best day-by-day calendar.

Have a lovely weekend.

2 Comments
February 1, 2024

The only day in existence

by chuckofish

Well, now it is breezy and “spring-like” here in flyover country. I’m not complaining, but, you know, that means the Iris will be popping up only to be crushed by the next inevitable arctic freeze.

Daughter #2 and famille are settling in here for a few days. The movers should arrive in Illinois early next week. Fingers crossed.

I am happy to have more time with everyone.

In the meantime, here are some good things to read.

I could not agree more with this. “Changing songs to remove these kinds of words makes for weak theology and a gutted gospel. When we do this, we’re changing the very nature of God by making him into an image of what we think he ought to be. We’re keeping God’s mercy but removing God’s justice, and when we do that, it ironically makes his mercy completely unnecessary. We’re essentially saying to God, ‘I think your message is a little too rough for this new generation and we really need only to talk about how much you love them because that’s all they actually want to hear.’” Read the whole thing.

This will cheer you up: A Tour of Dolly Parton’s Career-Spanning Closet!

I really could care less about the Super Bowl, but I do like Brock Purdy.

And here’s a poem by Billy Collins: The Only Day in Existence

The early sun is so pale and shadowy,
I could be looking up at a ghost
in the shape of a window,
a tall, rectangular spirit
looking down at me in bed,
about to demand that I avenge
the murder of my father.
But the morning light is only the first line
in the play of this day–
the only day in existence–
the opening chord of its long song,
or think of what is permeating
the thin bedroom curtains

as the beginning of a lecture
I will listen to until it is dark,
a curious student in a V-neck sweater,
angled into the wooden chair of his life,
ready with notebook and a chewed-up pencil,
quiet as a goldfish in winter,
serious as a compass at sea,
eager to absorb whatever lesson
this damp, overcast Tuesday
has to teach me,
here in the spacious classroom of the world
with its long walls of glass,
its heavy, low-hung ceiling.

The Lord be with you and bless you today.

3 Comments