dual personalities

Tag: spirituality

October 28, 2024

Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? Mine was rather quiet as daughter #1 was visiting daughter #2 et famille in Illinois. I went to our church’s women’s retreat on Saturday which included fellowship and lunch and a lot of crafts. I made bath bombs and sugar scrub, cards, and painted a mug.

My bath bombs turned out pretty well, but the rest of my crafts left a lot to be desired. Otherwise though, it was fun and I had a good time hanging out with a wide array of ladies–young and old.

I went home and watched the Mizzou-Alabama game but that was a bust. And by that I mean, super-bust.

On Sunday I once again helped with the Sunday School after the early church service. The twins were with me this time so that was interesting. After our together time with all the grades learning about Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, the leader, Mrs. Haynes, told everyone where to go–first and second graders with Mrs. Compton–and I saw the bud take her aside and say, “You can call her Mamu–that’s her real name.” I felt like the Velveteen Rabbit.

We had prayer requests and talked more about the Ethiopian eunuch and evangelism and we made bookmarks. This was mine:

The bud’s bookmark had a depiction of the Titanic sinking and an F5 tornado–Jesus is always with us. (I don’t mean to leave Lottie out, but her behavior is just so much more prosaic.) In church the twins continue to keep their natural depravity in check and I am very proud of them.

Meanwhile the prairie girls entertained their aunt and Mr. Smith, who was a good boy.

Daughter #1 made it home with Mr. Smith and I went over to their house and had dinner with them. Later at home I watched The Sixth Sense (1999) as part of my October movie viewing. I really like that movie. I remember the first time I saw it 25 years ago in a hotel in Worcester, MA with my sister. It was pretty scary.

Bruce Willis was never better. The world is more than we know.

So have a good week. Hang in there.

4 Comments
October 24, 2024

THOU GREAT I AM

by chuckofish

THOU GREAT I AM,

I acknowledge and confess that all things
    come of thee —
  life, breath, happiness, advancement,
  sight, touch, hearing,
  goodness, truth, beauty –
  all that makes existence amiable.
In the spiritual world also I am dependent
    entirely upon thee.
Give me grace to know more of my need of grace;
Show me my sinfulness that I may willingly
    confess it;
Reveal to me my weakness that I may know
    my strength in thee.
I thank thee for any sign of penitence;
    give me more of it;
My sins are black and deep,
  and rise from a stony, proud,
    self-righteous heart;
Help me to confess them with mourning, regret,
  self-loathing,
  with no pretence to merit or excuse;
I need healing,
Good Physician, here is scope for thee,
  come and manifest thy power;
I need faith;
Thou who hast given it me, maintain, strengthen,
    increase it,
Centre it upon the Saviour’s work,
  upon the majesty of the Father,
  upon the operations of the Spirit;
Work it in me now that I may never doubt thee
  as the truthful, mighty, faithful God.
Then I can bring my heart to thee
  full of love, gratitude, hope, joy.
May I lay at thy feet these fruits grown
    in thy garden,
  love thee with a passion that can never cool,
  believe in thee with a confidence that never
    staggers,
  hope in thee with an expectation that can never
    be dim,
  delight in thee with a rejoicing that cannot
    be stifled,
  glorify thee with the highest of my powers,
    burning, blazing, glowing, radiating, as from
      thy own glory.

–The Valley of Vision

2 Comments
October 23, 2024

Troubled on every side, yet not distressed*

by chuckofish

It’s that time of year when I bring a lot of plants in from the Florida room for the winter and try to find sunny spaces for them in the house. Also, we now have the boy’s feral cat living in the Florida room while they are in between houses…it’s a long story. Whatever. A minor disruption. That is Life. I am a twig on the shoulders of a mighty stream…

I am not a super fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and his LOTR trilogy, but this is a really interesting article about Tolkien’s moral vision and the long defeat of history. The bottom line is an important one for us to keep in mind: Providence is a bulwark against despair. “It is a reminder to us that even as darkness seems to fall and the long defeat threatens to become final, there is hope from outside the world.” Read the whole thing.

Here’s a rant from Anne, who rants much more effectively than I. Of course, I totally agree with her.

So have a nice day. Despair not. Watch a funny movie–I just watched the original Bad News Bears (1976) and it was hilarious. It also had a good message about the bad attitude of some parents/couches who ruin sports for kids. By today’s standards, it is seriously politically incorrect, but c’mon, that was no problem for me.

And when all else fails…

*2 Corinthians 4:8

2 Comments
October 21, 2024

I labour on in weakness and rejoicing

by chuckofish

Well, I have been sick in bed for the last four days, binge-watching NYPD Blue and sleeping. I did get up on Sunday to go to church and assist at Sunday School out of my sense of duty–yes, I volunteered to help with the 1-2 graders–but my co-teacher emailed me Sunday morning that she had a migraine and wasn’t going, but not to worry she had lined up a substitute. Zut alors! Life is complicated.

It all worked out, as the Sunday School is a well-oiled machine with many moving parts and I was able to drift along in a DayQuill haze. The woman who does the main lesson for the entire Sunday School, after which we break up into our smaller groups, is amazing. She was telling the story of Stephen, the first Christian martyr–not an easy one. By the end of the lesson the kids were all singing “Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me” with gusto–all verses–boys unabashedly included. Now I understand why everyone sings in church–they learn early!

When we broke into groups we had prayer requests and then we talked briefly about the lesson and then we made little megaphones that said “I will tell about Jesus” (like Stephen). My grandchildren did not make it to church so they missed out on this, but I was happy to have this glimpse of what they are experiencing when they do go. I will be glimpsing it for the next four weeks.

This weekend I also watched two of my favorite “spooky” movies–M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs (2002) and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) which I thoroughly enjoyed. I highly recommend them both.

Mr. Smith watched Signs at his house and he concurs.

Meanwhile, if you are looking for something intelligent to read, here’s another good one from Carl Trueman.

This is a great article. I hear this woman loud and clear. “What is the chief end of woman? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever. If social media is succeeding in convincing us that our purpose here is less than this, then we are being deceived. God didn’t place us here to chase every pleasure that seems like it will make us momentarily happy. He didn’t create us to constantly examine our happiness on a scale of 1 to 100. He created us to bring Him glory and to find satisfaction in Him alone, in whichever arena that He has mapped out for us.”

Have a good week! Refuse to play by the rules of the postmodern game! Choose God’s glory over self! Pray hard.

3 Comments
October 17, 2024

“Their foot shall slide in due time.”*

by chuckofish

Well, fall is finally here. I wore a turtleneck yesterday and switched out all my summer clothes. Now we have to enjoy it while we can before the winter winds begin to blow!

In other news the biggest pumpkin of the year weighed in at 2,471 pounds in California. Well, hey, congratulations. I had two pumpkin vines going and they flowered and grew, but, alas, no pumpkins emerged. C’est la vie. I suppose I will have to hop over to the pumpkin patch at the Methodist Church and buy some.

In my daily Bible reading, I am finally in the New Testament. It was a long haul through the OT–not that I’m complaining–but I’m ready to move on. Maybe I should watch The Ten Commandments (1956) to make sure I won’t forget what a great thing it was when God parted the Red Sea and how bad we stiff-necked sinners are who doubt and fuss and want to turn back to Egypt over and over and over again.

We do not have all the time in the world to repent and change our ways. And we are not reminded of this enough. Memento mori. Even at this time of year, when my neighborhood is populated with giant skeletons and plastic grave markers galore and the world is teetering on collapse, we go blithely on our merry way.

Well, here’s your reminder to turn back, O man, forswear thy foolish ways.

The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood.

(Jonathan Edwards–read the whole sermon here.)

But I’ll let Isaiah have the last word today.

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

(Isaiah 43:1-3)

*Deuteronomy 32:35

3 Comments
September 30, 2024

“Here and yonder, high and low, Goldenrod and sunflowers glow”*

by chuckofish

I did the flowers for church on Sunday–sunflowers make such a statement, don’t you think? I have a soft spot in my heart for them because years ago at my highfalutin’ Episcopal Church, the wife of the new rector put sunflowers on the altar and the frozen chosen ladies of the church were outraged. So when they are in season and available at Trader Joe’s, I always use them.

The OM and I went to the early service (and stayed for Sunday School) so we could finish early and get packed before going to the bud’s soccer game later in the afternoon.

This was accomplished and we brought daughter #1 home with us so that we could all get up at 3:00 am to Uber to the airport. Yikes.

While we are gone on our western adventure, daughter #2 will be filling in with literary thoughts and tales of the prairie girls…

…and updates of our travels. So be sure to stop by the blog this week.

And please don’t forget to keep us in your prayers.

And here’s a reminder from Tim Challies (and Hank Williams) not to let the dust gather on your Bible.

*Robert Kelley Weeks (1840–76)

8 Comments
September 24, 2024

Your word is a lamp unto my feet

by chuckofish

I’m back in the Psalms in my daily Bible reading. Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm and also the longest chapter in the Bible with 176 verses.

Your testimonies are wonderful;
    therefore my soul keeps them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
    it imparts understanding to the simple.
131 I open my mouth and pant,
    because I long for your commandments.
132 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    as is your way with those who love your name.
133 Keep steady my steps according to your promise,
    and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
134 Redeem me from man’s oppression,
    that I may keep your precepts.
135 Make your face shine upon your servant,
    and teach me your statutes.

(Psalm 119: 129-135)

David Powlison observed that “Psalm 119 is actually not about the topic of getting Scripture into your life. Instead, it is the honest words that erupt when what God says gets into you. It’s not an exhortation to Bible study; it’s an outcry of faith…Psalm 119 is the thoughtful outcry that rises when real life meets real God.”

Charles Spurgeon liked this “priceless Psalm” so much that he suggested “we might do well to commit it to memory.” I wish I could, but 176 verses is a lot!

This sacred ode is a little Bible, the Scriptures condensed, a mass of Bibline, Holy Writ rewritten in holy emotions and actions. Blessed are they who can read and understand these saintly aphorisms; they shall find golden apples in this true Hesperides, and come to reckon that this Psalm, like the whole Scripture which it praises, is a pearl island, or, better still, a garden of sweet flowers.

And here’s a sobering thought from Sinclair Ferguson:

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September 23, 2024

Postcards from the weekend

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? Mine was pretty quiet compared to recent ones. No visitors, no parties. Just the usual.

It was so hot at the bud’s soccer game that Pappy left his fleece in the car! It was even hotter for the players and coaches.

Before the game daughter #1 and I went to an estate sale and we got a few odds and ends, such as this classic book from 1922…

Donald Ogden Stewart, you will recall, was an American humorist, actor, playwright, and screenwriter, who won a 1940 Oscar for his screenplay adaption of The Philadelphia Story.

I also worked on a new puzzle…It was a fun one!

Life in the fast lane.

We went to church with the twins and they once again checked their depravity at the door. I am very proud of them. I had to sign them into Sunday School using the new system which you do on an iPad which then prints out a name tag and a receipt which you use when you pick them up. It was pretty complicated for this old lady, but I managed somehow. Quite a reflection on our modern world, but okay, I get it. The subject of our adult Sunday School was church discipline, which in light of this was especially interesting. Anne had this to say about that.

The trouble is—well, there are so many troubles, but one of them is—that the only way for Christians to live peaceably together in the Kingdom of God is if they really understand down in the depths of their hearts that they are really so bad, that their inclinations are so ugly that unless God does something, they have no hope. And this is a hard saying, for none of us really believe that we are that bad. Our sins are “struggles.” They are just us being “broken.” They are the result of our childhoods. They are because other people are selfish and didn’t consider us more highly than themselves. They are because we didn’t have the same opportunities as other people. There are a thousand reasons why those stray vile thoughts about other people are not my fault. But the seedbed of peace is, as James says, humility, and humility is the result of looking into your own soul and seeing that you have thoughts and desires in there that would destroy the whole world.

Read the whole thing.

Here’s another good article from Carl Trueman: “Ours is a childish age…That is not to say that the matters at stake in both church and world are not deeply serious. But the idioms for addressing them have become infantile, and the church must resist the temptation to follow the world in this. To seek relevance therefore requires not capitulation to, or emulation of, the infantile, but rather a recapturing of what it means to be an adult.”

Also, John Piper on A Christian Alternative to Outrage Culture

And do we have a bear story? Yes! A 12-year old boy saved his father from being killed by a bear! No kidding.

Meanwhile, the prairie girls were grooving to an Oom-pah band…

And here’s a reminder: Happiness is a warm puppy.

Have a good week!

5 Comments
August 26, 2024

Our strength and refuge

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? Friday I went to lunch with some old friends at my former flyover university faculty club. Then we went back to their house where I boxed up some books to take home. They are getting ready to downsize and that means getting rid of a ton of books. But God only knows where I am going to put more books! Daughter #1 came over to their house and filled a box for herself. I would have taken more, but as I told my friends, I already have a lot of their books.

The rest of the weekend I spent looking at/reading my new-old books. What a pleasure! I also took some old computer monitors over to a nearby recycling event and enjoyed a great sense of accomplishment which I relished all weekend. And daughter #1 and I continued our scientific study of the correct wine-bread ratio…

On Sunday the OM and I picked up the twins to take them to church with us since their parents are very busy getting ready to move. It had been awhile since the twins had been to church so they needed to re-learn some church behavior basics. They did pretty well. The bud drew some interesting pictures…note the devil prominently portrayed in hell…

After church we went home with the twins and the OM picked up lunch at McDonald’s. Then we took a little walk where the bud was able to pet a nice black Lab named Titan, who sniffed his face. Then we played more or less quietly at home while the OM took a nap. Lottie beat me repeatedly at Chutes and Ladders, but the bud told me that winners are losers and losers are winners, so there. And the first shall be last, right?

The boy picked them up mid-afternoon and stayed to chat for awhile, always a treat for me.

I changed my clothes for a third time and we headed back to church at 4:30 for the ordination service of our youth minister. Once again I was overcome with thankfulness that I am a member of this church.

Meanwhile daughter #2 and her family drove up to Lake Huron to spend the week, leaving at five in the morning for the long drive.

I remember those days–leaving before dawn to get a jump on the driving while the kids sleep! (Note both babes are wide awake.)

They are having a good ol’ time.

And not to get political, but this was hilarious.

So put your phone down, look up, and thank God for the day. Then read some old books!

4 Comments
August 23, 2024

Réflexions

by chuckofish

I have had a quiet, contemplative week–no visits from rambunctious twins or feisty dogs. No severe weather or noisy street construction. Sigh. In other words, nothing very exciting to write about.

I did a lot of puttering around in my home and in my yard. I caught up with some “desk work”. I went to the Dollar Tree to buy candy. I watched some bad movies. Ye gods–The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969), despite an all-star cast including Katharine Hepburn, Paul Henreid, Yul Brynner, Richard Chamberlain, Giulietta Masina, Edith Evans, Danny Kaye, etc., was unwatchable.

As Vincent Canby wrote at the time, “[Bryan] Forbes, who persists in making conventional films of unconventional properties…moves his cameras around quite a lot, but there is really little he can do to hide the fact that “The Madwoman of Chaillot” is—as it was 20 years ago—an incredibly precious theatrical conceit, just the sort of thing somebody might think would make a great Broadway musical comedy. As we all know, it didn’t.”

We also watched Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down (2001), which I had not seen since it came out, lo, so many years ago.

It is successful in getting across the horror of war, especially a war in that part of the world, but it was unrelentingly violent. Also, despite it having a great cast, I could not tell who anyone was. The characters were practically indistinguishable. The sound and the editing were impressive (they won Oscars) but only made it harder to watch, as did the frenetic cinematography. Impressive in its own way–I watched the whole thing–but I don’t need to watch it again, ever.

Here are three things to remember as we seek to build God-centered homes where sound doctrine is the foundation and our Lord Jesus Christ is the cornerstone.

And this is a great one from John Piper. I love it when he really gets going on a topic! “‘Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.’ You cannot be neutral to Jesus Christ. There is no neutrality in dealing with Jesus. If you are not for him, you are against him. If you are not seeking to gather faith and obedience from those around you, you are scattering people away from him.”

And forgive me, here’s Jiminy Glick…

Yes, it was a slow week, but I did go over to daughter #1’s house last night for a glass of wine and to let Mr. Smith practice his balancing act…

Have a good weekend!

4 Comments