spirituality | dual personalities

August 19, 2021

“Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits…”*

by chuckofish

It’s been quite a week with some scary stuff happening in the world.

The best antidote for anxiety is frequent meditation upon God’s goodness, power and sufficiency…Nothing is too big and nothing is too little to spread before and cast upon the Lord.
A.W. Pink

This article articulates what a lot of us are thinking. “We had better wake up to the real world in which we live. There are realities in North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea, Yemen, Iran (the list goes on and on) that would leave you terrified every single day of your life. The sad reality is that while many potificate over fabricated evils on social media in the Western world, the better part of those enduring extreme suffering in the Middle East, North Korea, and Africa never get a voice on social media. Most of what we rant about in our bubble is child’s play compared to the real evils of a fallen world.”

I liked this post from Duo Dickinson. We are not in exactly the same place, but I hear him. God has likewise always been with me since I was a small child.

“A raw and scary childhood meant God was there, with me, since I knew my parents were not. I never felt like a victim; I never blamed my parents — they were human, like me. There was no mistaking them for God (or the reverse). Jesus was not an invented coping mechanism, he was just there. I could not have constructed him; he was just with me. My atheist friends all assume that a genetically triggered survival response of religious rationalization made an alcoholic family less painful. That could be true except even my young adult coping was fully inadequate for twenty years. An adult rationalization is simply impossible for a five-year-old, it was the reality of God that made faith real.”

Once again, let’s concentrate on being thankful for those 10,000 things God is doing for us. For instance, on Tuesday I had to go in for my 6-month check-up at the Cancer Center at MOBAP. On the way there, the Christian radio station played Lauren Daigle’s “Look Up Child” and I calmed right down. Thank you.

Here are Paul Zahl’s TCM movie picks for the rest of August. I am definitely going to DVR The Rainmaker (1956) which I have not seen in a long time. Back in the 1960s I saw 110 in the Shade at the Muny Opera which starred, I believe, Robert Horton. By the way, I watched The Natural (1984) yesterday on Robert Redford day on TCM and it was great. They wouldn’t know how to make a movie like that today and where would they find actors who could actually hit a ball? They’d have to CG it. Great supporting cast–there’s no one like Richard Farnsworth, Wilford Brimley, Darren McGavin, Robert Prosky around anymore. And great music, of course. If you missed it, you can watch it on Amazon Prime.

And here are more prayers for our children from my old schoolmate Kathleen Neilson.

And, finally, just a reminder that beauty is everywhere. Don’t stop looking for it. The boy sent this picture of his drive home last night. (Don’t text and drive!)

In the midst of our bustling days,

O Lord who knows and sees our bustle,

May we not forget the presence of our Savior.

*A.A. Milne

2 Comments

June 8, 2021

Bits and Bobs

by chuckofish

Today is the anniversary of the passing of the Antiquities Act which was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt on June 8, 1906. This law gives the President of the United States the authority to create national monuments from federal lands to protect significant natural, cultural, or scientific features. The first use of the Act protected a large geographic feature, Devils Tower National Monument. The Act has been used more than a hundred times since its passage, but only once in Missouri. We have the site preserving, by act of Congress in 1943, Moses Carver’s farm, which was the boyhood home of George Washington Carver, who, you will recall, developed many uses for peanuts. It was the first national monument dedicated to an African American and the first to a non-president. It is in Diamond, MO in southwest Missouri, south of Joplin.

I’ll add it to my growing list of places to visit.

If you were wondering, I did get to experience the cicada invasion in Maryland.

It was really special and extremely loud, but I seem to remember that when we had the same thing happen here at home twenty years ago, it was even more intense.

Here’s something great–Tim Allen (another former Episcopalian) giving a commencement address at Hillsdale College this year. Watch the whole thing. There’s more to Buzz Lightyear than you might think.

This article was written by a woman I went to school with, oh, so many years ago. “Parents, we get to pray—with the body of Christ. We are not meant to parent without community. The members of a church congregation are called to help one another raise up the next generations to know and serve the Lord.”

And I know everyone wants an update on the bear sighting situation in my neighborhood, so here you go.

Look up! Here’s an awesome video about cloud formations. I enjoyed looking down at the clouds on my plane rides last week.

May the Lord bless and keep you today.

4 Comments

May 21, 2021

“Every field wears a bonnet/ With some spring daisies on it”*

by chuckofish

Is it Friday? I was sick most of the week with a cold, coming up for air between doses of Dayquil to go to Zoom meetings as needed. Fun City.

I am not sure how I caught a cold. It must have been that Mother’s Day kiss from the boy…(You will recall that he was sick last weekend)…

Anyway, I will be taking it easy this weekend. Hopefully I’ll get to see the wee twins; they do liven up my rather dull existence. Not that I don’t rejoice in my drab life. (I certainly do.)

In history news–U.S. Army Captain Meriwether Lewis and his partner William Clark officially departed from St. Charles, Missouri on May 22 in 1804. It might be time to dust off The Far Horizons (1955) with Charlton Heston and Fred MacMurray as the explorers and Donna Reed realistically cast as Sacajawea.

In other news, Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of Peace and world-renowned ethologist and conservationist, was announced as the winner of the 2021 Templeton Prize. Established by the late global investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton, it is given “to honor those who harness the power of the sciences to explore the deepest questions of the universe and humankind’s place and purpose within it. Unlike Goodall’s past accolades, the Templeton Prize specifically celebrates her scientific and spiritual curiosity. The Prize rewards her unrelenting effort to connect humanity to a greater purpose and is the largest single award that Dr. Goodall has ever received.”

She got that right–quoting 1 Corinthians 13:12.

And I love this writer. A broom and a tax collector, indeed.

So anyway, have a nice day, if you like that sort of thing.

*Johnny Mercer, “Spring, Spring, Spring”

3 Comments

April 28, 2021

The scent of water

by chuckofish

Who didn’t get the memo? JK, there was no memo, which is even funnier.

Today I am standing in for daughter #1, who drove all over Missouri yesterday, after driving us around all weekend. I know she was exhausted when she finally rolled into Jeff City late yesterday afternoon, having made a side-trip to Springfield (to film a video) on the way home.

I too went back to work (in my upstairs office at home) and tried to get my mind off everyone leaving by concentrating on other things. Likewise daughter #2 is recovering from her trip home with her bright-eyed and very energetic baby. Life barrels on.

“Jean was visited by one of her rare moments of happiness, one of those moments when the goodness of God was so real to her that it was like taste and scent; the rough strong taste of honey in the comb and the scent of water. Her thoughts of God had a homeliness that at times seemed shocking, in spite of their power, which could rescue her from terror or evil with an ease that astonished her.”
― Elizabeth Goudge, The Scent of Water

This article by John Piper about angels interested me. “So, all angels serve the good of all Christians all the time. They are agents, as it were, of Romans 8:28, making everything work together for good under God’s providence.” As a matter of fact, I call on angels every day, especially when my children are driving around the state and flying on planes. Does that surprise you?

Willie Nelson will celebrate his eighty-eighth birthday tomorrow. Here is one of my favorite recordings of his, a duet with Emmylou Harris from 1990.

Have a great Wednesday. I thank God that his mercies are new to me every morning and that his grace is sufficient for all situations that I may encounter. Peace to you.

4 Comments

April 12, 2021

“Let angels prostrate fall”*

by chuckofish

Did you have a lovely weekend? My pals Becky and Carla came over for Happy Hour in the Florida Room on Friday and so the weekend started off on the right foot. Now that we are all vaccinated, why the heck not?

Saturday was dark and stormy, but I did go out to the antique mall to wander around. I also went to TJ Maxx and bought a new shower curtain liner. Life in the fast. lane. The rest of the day I puttered around the old homestead, watched some of the Masters Golf Tournament, and caught up with my DP via phone and this nutball on FaceTime.

All the rain has had a positive effect on the flora.

Oh boy, spring has really sprung!

On Sunday I got up and went to church with the Presbyterians at 8:30 am for the second week in a row. It felt great. The service, compared with the liturgical Episcopalians, is plain, but it includes the Apostles’ Creed, the Gloria Patri, the Corporate Confession (almost the same as the General Confession), and the Doxology. The hymns (4) were all good standards, including What a Friend We Have in Jesus. The sermon was on Luke 24:13-35, the walk to Emmaus. I am so happy to have a church to attend.

After church I went and had an hour long facial, using the gift certificate that daughter #1 had given me for my birthday a year ago. It was awesome and I feel like a new woman. The wee babes came over later in the afternoon after attending a birthday party in a park. They were tired and Lottie was especially cranky. The OM made tacos, but Lottie’s mood never improved and they went home early. Sigh. Well, I wouldn’t want you to think my grandchildren were perfect angels or that we never get annoyed with their antics. But we “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18)

I watched A Change of Habit (1969) the DVD of which daughter #1 had left at our house. You will recall that it is Elvis’s last movie and no wonder. I fell asleep and missed part of it. Oh darn.

Now it is Monday and back to the Zoom salt mine. Have a good week!

*All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name by Edward Perronet (1780)‎

5 Comments

March 26, 2021

“May you have a strong foundation/ When the winds of changes shift”*

by chuckofish

Friday again. The OM and I are in Jefferson City getting our second Pfizer vaccine shot. We took the train in yesterday after work and daughter #1 is going to drive us back home later today. We lead such glamorous, fast-paced lives, n’est-ce pas? Anyway, I will be glad to have all this vaccine business behind us.

Speaking of Jeff City, daughter #1 sent me this article about hometown Hollywood producer Gina Goff, who just made a movie starring 90-year old William Shatner. It’s a small world.

Meanwhile the spring term at my flyover institute commences on Monday. A whole year has gone by since we canceled our spring term last year. Yes, we are still online and Zooming.

“This hill, though high, I covet to ascend;
The difficulty will not me offend.
For I perceive the way to life lies here.
Come, pluck up, heart; let’s neither faint nor fear.
Better, though difficult, the right way to go,
Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.”
John Bunyan, “Christian” in Pilgrim’s Progress

We could all be reminded of this, written by William Crawford, Minister of the Gospel at Wiltown, Hawick From A Short Practical Catechism, 3^rd edition, Edinburgh, in 1745.

Are you following @ultimatelacrosse on Instagram? The boy has started making videos again and they are pretty great. Daughter #1 is his producer. (You have to click on the link to watch the videos.)

And here’s to DN whose birthday is today. You know we’ll be thinking of you and toasting you tonight! L’chaim!

In other news, I watched Seven Samurai (1954) again and it was great.

It took two nights, because it is a long (207 minutes) movie, but I highly recommend it. It is a top ten film in the foreign film category.

Sunday is Palm Sunday and marks the beginning of Holy Week:

And when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Beth′phage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, ²and said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat; untie it and bring it. ³If any one says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” ⁴And they went away, and found a colt tied at the door out in the open street; and they untied it. ⁵And those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” ⁶And they told them what Jesus had said; and they let them go. ⁷And they brought the colt to Jesus, and threw their garments on it; and he sat upon it. ⁸And many spread their garments on the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. ⁹And those who went before and those who followed cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! ¹⁰Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest!”
¹¹And he entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple; and when he had looked round at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Mark 11:1-11

To help you picture the landscape of the scriptures, here are a few photos from my trip to Israel in 2018, including one of the model of ancient Jerusalem.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

*Bob Dylan, “Forever Young”

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March 5, 2021

“Where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within.”*

by chuckofish

You don’t become like Christ by beholding TV all week. And you don’t become like Christ by beholding the Internet all week. You don’t become like Christ when you fill your life with things of this world. You become like Christ when you behold the glory of Christ, and you expose your life, moment by moment, to his glory, all through God’s revelation in Scripture.
David Platt

I know this is true and I have good intentions regarding reading my Bible. (But, as we know, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.) And I know watching movies as part of my lenten practice would be frowned upon by those more devout than I. Nevertheless, I have watched several on my list this week: Chariots of Fire, Hombre, and The Robe. And I make no apologies for this. I will no doubt watch something from my list this weekend.

I do not watch network TV or the news. I am not on twitter or facebook. Most of the people I follow on Instagram are Calvinists, needlepointers or birdwatchers.

I try to keep my focus where it ought to be. I try hard and that’s the best I can do. It goes a long way in helping me keep my equilibrium and the serene outlook for which I am mysteriously famous.

I enjoyed reading these 10 Things You Should Know about R.C. Sproul.

Enjoy your weekend.

*Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire (1981)

3 Comments

January 29, 2021

“Toiling,—rejoicing,—sorrowing, Onward through life he goes”*

by chuckofish

It snowed on Wednesday–not much–just enough to be pretty.

Look at that blue sky for a change! We haven’t seen much of that blue sky this winter.

This is good information for those of us who worry about such things.

Wednesday was the 100th birthday of Donna Reed. Iowa’s governor, Kim Reynolds, proclaimed it “Donna Reed Day“–wasn’t that nice? Indeed, it is surprising to note how many of my favorite movies featured her back in the day, notably They Were Expendable (1945).

Her big scene is so well done, so understated, but powerful. Note that she is wearing her U.S. Navy jumpsuit, but has put on pearls for this big “dinner party” on the temporary island base. She won an Academy Award for playing against type in From Here to Eternity (1953) and she deserved it, but no one was better at playing to type, the fresh-faced Iowa girl.

This article on “the standing orders of the gospel” (“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances”) is worth your time to read.

It is the will of God for us to rejoice always. But obedience to this command is not accomplished by an act of the will. It is only accomplished by faith in Christ. The believer’s unceasing rejoicing is the will of God for us “in Christ Jesus.” This is the key to the life of rejoicing. Unsaved people do not rejoice in God, pray to God, or give thanks to God. Religious people rejoice sometimes, pray when they feel like it, and give thanks when things are going well. But Christians rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances. This is not the believer’s response because we are impervious to life’s dangers, toils, and snares. It is our response to life because we are in Christ Jesus.

And I really liked this from the Almost Daily Devotional:

The term “obeisance” means to acknowledge another’s superiority or importance. I love the way it is used in this provocative article in the UK’s The Guardian. “Even with the smartphone’s on-purpose designed-in distraction notification architecture, our prostration at their non-human feet is the real issue. Our obeisance demotes the advanced human, and we pretend it doesn’t. We don’t take charge of our attention. Our little robots do. And we caress them.”
Of course, our obsession with our phone is not the problem; it is a manifestation of the deeper problem. Sin – or in current terms, self-interested distractibility – is our problem. Our attention and obeisance rightly belong to our Lord. Single-mindedly, St. Paul says, “For I resolved to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2)
While we may worship our Lord each day and in all kinds of settings, our current inability to worship Him in church is what truly “demotes the advanced human.” Worship, especially corporate worship, is a reset – it pulls our bent down heads and fixated eyes from our phone (or you name it) up to gaze at the cross. We are brought out of ourselves to, ironically, be ourselves, for we were made by God and for God – to love, worship, and obey Him.
Help us, Lord!

Tonight we will toast our other ancestor with a January birthday, John Wesley Prowers, on his 182nd birthday. Born in Missouri in 1838, you will recall that he became a trader, cattle rancher, legislator, and businessman in the territory and state of Colorado.

Speaking of ancestors and descendants, I hope we get to see the wee babes this weekend…

…and talk to these twinsies…

Indeed, I plan to take it easy this weekend–it was a long, hard week!–I’ll toast J.W. Prowers, watch a Donna Reed movie, do some needlepoint, talk on the phone with my loved ones (and then put my phone down for the duration), and get out of the house to do something.

And rejoice!

*”The Village Blacksmith” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow–read the whole poem here.

7 Comments

January 22, 2021

Meanwhile the world goes on*

by chuckofish

I don’t know about you, but if I read one more article/blogpost that starts off like this:

“Here are some things you can do to lift your spirits like take a walk in nature, connect with a friend, clean out clutter or your closet and donate things you don’t need, spend time with animals or adopt a pet, log off social media and read a book, binge a new show or volunteer…”

I’ll scream!

Oh good grief! Is this truly the best we can do? These are valid suggestions, they are. But we’ve been hearing the same old drone for 10 months. By now everyone’s closets must be organized and their homes neat as a pin, right? But I doubt it.

Removing myself from social media and blocking out the news cycle has helped. It has helped a lot. And I continue to recommend watching old movies, like Pal Joey (1957) with Frank Sinatra crooning old Rodgers and Hart songs. Hard to beat.

But all those things only give one a fleeting escape and ultimately I agree with Tim Challies, who says:

For now my confidence is in the goodness and sovereignty of God, my trust is that his plan is perfect, even when it doesn’t feel like it. And, when worries return, when I feel fear… when my mind clouds and my pulse quickens, instead of looking forward to project grief I look back to remember grace, instead of looking inward I look upward, instead of dwelling on projections I dwell on providence. For worry, I know, is as senseless as predictions.

Hold your loved ones close. (But not too close.)

Look upward.

And pray. “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?” (Psalm 13:1-2)

*Mary Oliver

5 Comments

December 15, 2020

A touch of myrrh

by chuckofish

Cards in each mailbox,
angel, manger, star and lamb,
as the rural carrier,
driving the snowy roads,
hears from her bundles
the plaintive bleating of sheep,
the shuffle of sandals,
the clopping of camels.
At stop after stop,
she opens the little tin door
and places deep in the shadows
the shepherds and wise men,
the donkeys lank and weary,
the cow who chews and muses.
And from her Styrofoam cup,
white as a star and perched
on the dashboard, leading her
ever into the distance,
there is a hint of hazelnut,
and then a touch of myrrh.
“Christmas Mail” by Ted Kooser

Read through this article about the line-up of December Christmas movies (and others) on TCM to find out why Paul Zahl and I should truly be best friends. I mean really. I don’t agree with his take on all the movies, but The World of Henry Orient and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon are spot on.

This is an interesting tidbit about Episcopal minister Endicott Peabody in the Old West. He built St. Paul’s Episcopal in Tombstone that stands today as the oldest Protestant church in Arizona.

On December 21 Saturn and Jupiter will align into a beautiful bright star. This will be the first time they align like this since the Middle Ages. According to Forbes, the two planets will look like a “double planet” and provide an extraordinary amount of light. The last time these two planets aligned like this was on March 4, 1226, according to astronomer Patrick Hartigan at Rice University. Pretty cool. I hope I remember to look.

We were sad to learn that Charlie Pride, country singing superstar and the first Black member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, had died at age 86.