Today is the boy’s birthday! He was born on the day after Thanksgiving 39 years ago. Since it is Black Friday, he will be working all day on his birthday, but we will celebrate on Sunday. He deserves a party!
I hope your Thanksgiving was a good day. We had a lovely feast at the boy’s house with all the fixins.
And we watched Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) for, like, the 38th time.
It is the day before Thanksgiving and I’m sure you are all very busy with preparations for the big meal tomorrow. For the first time in a long time, we will not be celebrating at my house. I am going out to Wildwood to feast with my son and daughter-in-law and her entire family. I will bring my cheesy potatoes and the canned cranberry, because, well, Tradition. Daughter #1 will bring the crescent rolls. I am happy and pleased to do this and I think they are happy to host. The baton has been passed.
Praise the Lord.
Meanwhile the leaves continue to cascade down and the noise of the leaf blowers is pretty constant.
However, Christmas decorations started going up in my neck of the woods soon after Halloween and I have to say they look rather odd next to the pumpkins and large inflatable turkeys still widely displayed and all the leaves. At night Christmas trees are clearly visible through many a neighborhood window. I have to admit, even I have already put up my little tree–this year in my TV room since I spend a lot more time there than in my dining room. December will be a busy month and I have no idea when I may be called upon to drive up to the prairie to assist daughter #2 with baby #3. It might be today. So I don’t feel bad about getting a few things done ahead of schedule. I try to be flexible.
So enjoy the festivities! I hope you get dressed up to gather together. Eat heartily, drink moderately, and keep all discussions on the up and up, adhering to the Marquis of Queensbury Rules of deportment.
Above all, be thankful! Remember those who came before you and blazed the trail for you. Be thankful that you were born in this most wonderful country. And be thankful for those brave Pilgrims who settled this country so long ago. Most of all, be thankful to God: “Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:19-20)
How was your weekend? Mine was pleasantly uneventful. Daughter #1 and I were moderately successful at an estate sale run by our favorite company–and by that I mean we got quite a few books and DVDs for an amazing Lamar discount.
The highlight of the weekend was going to church and seeing the boy and his family stand up in front of the congregation and be welcomed as new members. When the wee bud returned to our pew he said, “That was the best moment I’ve ever had!” They have been attending for four years, so I don’t think the twins really understood what was happening, but something clicked. We sang good hymns and, I must say, it melts my heart to hear little Lottie singing in her sweet falsetto “Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow” from memory beside me.
We also had a great sermon on the final verses of Philippians–4:10-23–and an in-context explanation of I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Ah, the secret of Christian contentment: you may not get what you want, but you will get what you need.
My adult ed class was a panel of elders talking about various topics, including stewardship, and it was very instructive and so incredibly different from my experience in the various Episcopal churches I have attended over the years. At Covenant the session sets a budget and trusts the Lord will provide. There is no lengthy Every Member Canvas, no fund-raising, no talk of gross vs. net pay. This continues to blow my mind. When there is an opportunity to preach about giving from the Gospel lesson, as there was on Sunday, the pastor talks about giving: And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
We went to the Sunny Street Cafe after church to celebrate and daughter #1 met us there. We gobbled down our food and talked about her business trip to Wyoming and Devil’s Tower and giant coal-mining equipment much to the twins’ amazement. The bud already knew all about Devil’s Tower and the legend of the two Indian sisters and the bear, because he is a whiz on landmarks. Speaking of bears, did you know they are wrecking havoc in Japan? Neither twin knew there were bears in Japan and were skeptical when I told them.
I am re-reading Shane by Jack Schaefer and enjoying it. It is interesting to see how it is different from the movie and how the screenplay (in the hands of the great A.B. Guthrie) changes some things and emphasizes others to make a truly great film. I can’t wait to watch it again soon.
Have a great week–be thankful for your many blessings! Be content, give generously, rejoice. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.
(And pet a nice dog.)
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven; to his feet your tribute bring. Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, evermore his praises sing. Alleluia, alleluia! Praise the everlasting King!
But we urge you, brothers…to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. (I Thessalonians 4: 10-12)
It’s finally Friday! I picked up Mr. Smith yesterday without any drama and he slept the afternoon away after his busy stay at the kennel. We had some lap time and watched Fox News for awhile before dinner. (He loves Tyrus.)
I went to my community group in the evening where we started a new study on Matthew, so he had a quiet night.
Daughter #1 made it home and I will leave it to her to tell you about her latest foray out West, but she did send this picture:
FYI Devils Tower National Monument was the first U.S. national monument, established on September 24, 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt. She and one of her co-workers hiked around it and luckily did not encounter any bears on the trail.
This Sunday the boy and the twins are formally joining our church during the morning service, so I am excited about that. We will probably celebrate afterwards at the Sunny Street Cafe. Now all three of my “kids” will be members of PCA churches. (Daughter #1’s church is actually OPC, but I won’t quibble.) Praise the Lord.
My busy week proceeds, but I will stop to note that yesterday was the birthday of writer Jack Schaefer (1907-1991) who, as you know, wrote the novel Shane, published in 1949. The book ends differently than the movie…
Out of the heart of the great glowing West…Good stuff.
Speaking of Wyoming, daughter #1 returns from a business trip to Gillette today. However, she will not be home in time to pick up Mr. Smith at the kennel, so I will do that. It is supposed to rain all day and Mr. Smith has a thing about windshield wipers, so pray that he doesn’t go all Westie on me and tear up my car or force me to drive off the road. I kid you not.
I have had a very busy week so far and yesterday was particularly aggravating. I had to go down to the monolithic and intimidating BJS medical center where parking is always an adventure. I had to wait for over an hour for my appointment which took 10 minutes. Zut alors! but c’est la vie. After that, I went to the Link Auction house, also in the CWE, and picked up some items I had won at last weekend’s auction. I could not fit it all in my car so I will have to go back today. (The boy had to come over to my house and help me get one large item out of my car!) Life is complicated.
Driving home from the CWE, I avoided the highway since it had been jammed up going down to the city, so I was once again shocked to see the devastation from the May 16 tornado in Forest Park. All the big trees are just gone from Lindell Blvd and all the way down Wydown in Clayton. Many of the mansions still have boarded up windows and tarps on the roofs. Mother Nature can sure be rough. But she helps us keep our perspective.
And then, last night, I had a Kirkwood Historical Society board meeting, so I was out after dark! Good grief, Charlie Brown!
I will stop grousing now in order to remind you that today is the birthday of Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, the Russian composer, born in 1859. He was a student of Rimsky-Korsakov, whose influence was quite strong. I remember this selection from records we listened to in my childhood:
Enjoy!
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. –I Peter 5:6-7
(The photo at the top is of a scene typical of the arrangements I find when the wee laddie has visited my house. He came with his Dad yesterday.)
Both of my Christmas cactuses are budding, right on schedule! Isn’t that something? This made me think of Walt Whitman. I agree with him about miracles.
Why, who makes much of a miracle? As to me I know of nothing else but miracles, Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan, Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky, Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water, Or stand under trees in the woods, Or talk by day with any one I love, or sleep in the bed at night with any one I love, Or sit at table at dinner with the rest, Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car, Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon, Or animals feeding in the fields, Or birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air, Or the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shining so quiet and bright, Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring; These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles, The whole referring, yet each distinct and in its place.
To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle, Every cubic inch of space is a miracle, Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the same, Every foot of the interior swarms with the same.
To me the sea is a continual miracle, The fishes that swim—the rocks—the motion of the waves—the ships with men in them, What stranger miracles are there?
The weather has been unseasonably warm and beautiful for November–blue sky, orange trees, temps in the 70s! Daughter #1 and I sat out on a lovely patio on Friday afternoon and enjoyed a glass of wine–in November! Then we drove out to Wildwood and enjoyed pizza night with the boy and his family. Lovely.
The rest of the weekend was fairly quiet. I finished a D.E. Stevenson book and watched the leaves float down. I watched the new Kevin James movie–Playdate–on Prime. I’m not saying it’s a great movie, but I enjoyed it.
A “buddy action comedy movie”, it is about two dads and their sons who are targeted by mercenaries. There is no bad language, no sex, no politics, and very little real violence. It held my interest for 90 minutes. And the first scene takes place at a lacrosse game. Why don’t they make more movies like this?
On Sunday I went to church and heard a great sermon on Philippians 4:2-9.
2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Think about these things. Practice these things. The Lord is near. Wow. And Wow.
My adult ed class was about the diaconate. We have 14 deacons at my church and they really walk the walk. Presbyterian polity, which was developed as a rejection of governance by hierarchies of single bishops, also differs from the congregational polity in which each congregation is independent. In contrast to the other two forms, authority in the presbyterian polity flows both from the top down (as higher assemblies exercise limited but important authority over individual congregations, e.g., only the presbytery can ordain ministers, install pastors, and start up, close, and approve relocating a congregation) and from the bottom up (e.g., the moderator and officers are not appointed from above but are rather elected by and from among the members of the assembly). Brilliant. This theory of governance was developed in Geneva under John Calvin and was introduced to Scotland by John Knox. Presbyterians view this method of government as approximating that of the New Testament and earliest churches. In our church, deacons exercise responsibility for practical matters of the building and grounds and administer the welfare matters of the congregation. Members who are in need are helped by the deacons. These men are the faith in action team.
dual personalities 