Hide Em In Your Heart

Two years ago, Living Proof Ministries held a Scripture Memory Challenge for all the people who read Beth Moore's blog. I dutifully purchased a cute but overpriced spiral online; chose 26 verses to memorize; copied them into MS-Word; cut them out; pasted them into said notebook AND did not memorize them. Yikes!

This year, I'm taking Ms. Moore's challenge to heart. I'm going to pick-up where I left off in 2011 and memorize the verses I didn't memorize in 2011. Here's the good part: I don't have to buy a new spiral, choose the verses, copy the verses, cut them out OR paste them in a spiral. I MERELY have to memorize them. Double click on the following link for more information on the Living Proof Ministries' Scripture Challenge.  The Scripture Memory Challenge is discussed in detail in the December 17th post

To tell you the truth, I'm not the world's biggest Beth Moore fan. I spent the first 16 years of my life in the Western suburbs of Chicago (Wheaton was where we went to file paperwork when we were evicting someone from one of our rental properties) and I am a third-generation Presbyterian. Some people call us the 'frozen chosen.' Ms. Moore is a little too happy, clappy for me. To her credit, she has gotten a whole lot of ladies excited about Bible Study and she is a member of the same sorority that I am.

In case you are wondering, here is the list of scriptures I'm memorizing in the NIV 2011: Matthew 25:40, Psalm 118:24, Psalms 3:5-6, Matthew 5:3, Isaiah 66:2, Matthew 19:14, Isaiah 40:31, John 3:16, Hebrews 11:1, Luke 2:10-12, John 16:33, Romans 12:2, Proverbs 16:3, Psalm 143:8, Psalm 46:10, Luke 1:37, Romans 8:37, John 14:27, 2 Timothy 2:15, John 1:1-2, John 1:3-4, Isaiah 40:29, Hebrews 4:12, Proverbs 4:23, Psalm 23:1, Philippians 4:19, and Jeremiah 29:11. I based this list, loosely, upon the scriptures/concepts I thought kids should know by the time they finished elementary school. It is neither a comprehensive nor an exhaustive list.

Memorizing Scripture is hard work.  Time for a cat nap.

Mary Had A Baby

In Seminary, some of my favorite classes dealt with theology – or what I refer to as the very big things of God. At Christmas, Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth. Because I’ve spent a good chunk of my adult life sharing the Christmas Story with children of all shapes and sizes in Sunday School, I’ve spent lots of time thinking about Mary and Baby Jesus – even more time than I’ve spent combing the aisles of Hobby Lobby and Michael’s looking for supplies for Base Camp service projects.

Various aspects of the Christmas Story continually blow me away. First, there’s the Incarnation – or how the Word became Flesh. God sent his Son Jesus to live amongst us. In John 1:10-14 we read,” He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Then, there’s the Virgin Birth. Jesus was not conceived via intercourse or a laboratory procedure, as occurs with some infertile couples today. In Luke 1:26-38, the angel Gabriel – the figure we suspend by a thread from the peak of the stable in our nativity scenes – informs Mary that she will be with child and give birth to a baby whom she will name Jesus. Mary, a virgin, is stunned. Let’s pick up the conversation at verse 35: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."

Other facets of the Christmas Story intrigue me as well. Joseph, Mary’s future husband and Jesus’ earthly father does not attract much attention. I wonder how Joseph reacted when Mary told him she was pregnant? Life back then was far different than it is today. Joseph not only had the right to divorce Mary, under Jewish law she could be put to death by stoning. God sent an angel to Joseph to verify Mary's story and reassure him that his marriage to her was God's will. Joseph willingly obeyed God, in spite of the public humiliation he would face.

Mary most likely was a teen mom. Though my mom gave birth to me when she was far too young, many of my friends waited until they were in their thirties to have children. They had husbands, homes, jobs, and money in the bank.
Mary was not only young, but she also gave birth in conditions that today's moms would deem both unsanitary and uncomfortable.  Whether she had Jesus a quaint stable that looked like the nativity scenes we grew up with (not that likely) or a stone cave dug into the side of a hill, or spent the night in someone's home where the animals slept on the lower level (far more plausible), Mary did not give birth in a spacious suburban medical center.  

Furthermore, there were no epidurals available.  Natural childbirth was a woman's one and only option.  Mary’s friends didn't host a shower where they bestowed her with onesies from Baby Gap or Hanna Andersson either. Mary wrapped her son in strips of cloth known as swaddling clothes. Life sure was different back then.

Deck The Halls

I'm not much for elaborate Christmas decorations. 

For me, Christmas is mostly a matter of the heart. 

I finally got rid of my Christmas ornaments last year. 

Putting up a tree was not only tedious, but it also brought back bad memories from my growing-up years. 

I hang stockings above the fireplace. 

In years past, I've also set-up a manger scene on the blanket chest in the living room. 

Isabelle and Ebenezer enjoy playing with the lambs and hiding Baby Jesus. 

Now, I hang a Nativity wall hanging instead. 

What else?  I've always loved the Peanuts comic strip.  Several friends have given me Peanuts Christmas items over the years.  I put them out as well. 

This year, I received a Snoopy Christmas Countdown Calendar from my friend Willow.

Let's Talk Turkey

Table of Plenty

Practice Pie

I am making Thanksgiving dinner for my roommate, her boyfriend, and whomever else shows up.  While I have never made an entire turkey dinner on Thanksgiving, I have made all the dishes many times.  If you know someone within driving distance of the Little Condo on the Prairie who needs a place to call home on TG, please e-mail me.

Teach

Earlier today, I went to Mardel Christian and Educational Supply to run an errand.  I found a great quote from Dr. Howard Hendricks on the wall.  As out-of-place as I sometimes feel in the evangelical community, I would love to take a class, any class from Howard Hendricks, the legendary professor from Dallas Seminary.  In the late-eighties, I read Hendricks' book, Teaching to Change Lives: Seven Proven Ways to Make Your Teaching Come Alive for the first time.  Such a great book! 

Shoeboxes Anyone?

November 12 -19 is National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child, a program of the Christian relief agency, Samaritan’s Purse. Each year, Samaritan’s Purse distributes shoeboxes containing small toys, hygiene items, school supplies, and the Christmas story to children in developing countries around the world. This year, the organization which began the program in 1993, hopes to distribute Shoebox Number 100,000,000.  That's a lot of boxes.

When you buy items on sale year-round, the cost per box is actually quite reasonable.  Packing shoeboxes also is a fun service learning project to do with children on a small or not-so-small scale.  For more information on how to pack a shoebox or where to drop them off go to the Operation Christmas Child website.

The Goods

I know there's a green yo-yo in here somewhere.

Almost Done

That was hard work.  I think I need a nap.



Book Bag - October

Here are two books that I have read recently.

WHEN HELPING HURTS

I’ve had When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself for quite some time. This is my second copy. I shared my first copy with someone and never got to read it. Go figure!  Keith Vandegrift, an associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Boulder used it in an adult Sunday School class last year. Flatirons Community Church, also located in Boulder County, incorporates the concepts from When Helping Hurts in their efforts to come along the under-resourced.

“One of the major premises of this book,” according to authors Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, “is that until we embrace our mutual brokenness, our work with low income people is likely to do more harm than good.” They continue, “One of the biggest problems in many poverty alleviation efforts is that their design and implementation exacerbates the poverty of being of the economically poor – their feelings of inferiority and shame.”

Mathematically speaking, Corbett and Fikkert’s thesis can be reduced (pun intended) to this: Material Definition of Poverty + God-complexes of Materially Non-Poor + Feelings of Materially Poor = Harm to Both Materially Poor and Non-Poor.

Jesus his disciples were all about helping the poor. They endeavored to meet not only the physical needs but also the spiritual needs of those they encountered. “Simply stated, Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom in word and deed, so the church must do the same. Hence, it is not surprising that throughout history God’s people have been commanded to follow their King’s footsteps into places of brokenness.”

The Gospel, aka Good News, as shared by Jesus and set-forth in the Bible is transformational. Many of the church universal’s efforts to alleviate long-term poverty – which the authors’ term development – lack the transformation piece and therefore fail. It’s an interesting concept.

FORGIVING THE UNFORGIVABLE

Forgiving the Unforgivable has been out for more than a decade. Not unlike the late M. Scott Peck’s The Road Less Traveled, it has taken me a really long time to read this book. Books that address topics that address personal pain are like that for me. In Forgiving the Unforgivable, Dr. David Stoop steps readers through the process of forgiving people for the truly awful things – think rape, incest, domestic violence, child abuse etc. – that have been done unto them.

Forgiveness is one of the central tenets of Christianity. Forgiveness also is healthy. According to Stoop, “We need to understand that our choosing the path of forgiveness is not only important for our spiritual growth, but it is also important to us in terms of our physical and emotional health.”

While forgiving someone who has done something awful to you is healthy, that does not mean that the process of doing so is either quick or easy. Stoop makes ten statements regarding forgiveness that are sometimes misunderstood. I found this helpful:

#1 – When forgiving, I should always try to forgive and forget. False.

#2 – It’s good to get angry when I’m trying to forgive. True.

#3 – I should give up all hard feelings toward the person I forgive. True.

#4 – I should try to forgive others quickly and completely. False.

#5 – Over time, my hurt will go away and my forgiveness of the other person will take care of itself. False.

#6 – If I forgive, I will never have feelings of hatred against those who have hurt me. False.

#7 – If I forgive, I am in some way saying that what happened to me didn’t matter. False.

#8 – Forgiveness is basically a one-time decision. Either I forgive or I don’t. False.

#9 – I can’t forgive until the person who hurt me repents. False.

#10 – I should forgive even if the person who hurt me does not repent. True.

I rarely read anything more detailed than a tuna label.



Jungle Book

I briefly considered titling this post Animal Farm after George Orwell's brilliant book which I read in ninth grade.  I also considered Animal House, the Seventies film about fraternity parties starring the late John Belushi.  Alas, I settled on the more family-friendly Jungle Book.

What else?  On Thursday morning, I went to Deer Creek Animal Hospital to get Ebenezer's claws trimmed.  In the waiting room, I met an older woman who fit the Crazy Cat Lady stereotype.  This dear lady, whose clothes were a bit worse for wear, has four indoor cats and eight outdoor cats, whom she feeds and has had neutered/spayed.  And you thought I was over the top . . .

In the time it took for me to retrieve a baby quilt from my hall closet,

 Ebenezer gnawed a hole in the bag of kitty kibble I stowed there.

Seriously, you eat chopped carrots for supper?

My mom feeds me tuna.

Now that it's cooler and I've begun using the gas fireplace,

Issie has returned her perch on top of the mantel.

Sarahbeth and Pippa

Falling

It seems to me that the hot weather we had this past summer has caused the leaves to turn brown more quickly than usual. I took these pictures last year.

Long Time No Blog

Today, I am home with a wicked cold which has me wheezing and coughing up a storm.  Four weeks ago, I began working at United Healthcare’s call center in Centennial, enrolling seniors in Medicare Drug Plans. The position, which may entail a lot of overtime, most likely will end December 7. I have decided to not return to school for the time being. I would like to work in health insurance customer service again, or perhaps in the business office of a large hospital. So far, I have had interviews with Wellpoint, formerly Blue Cross Blue Shield of Colorado, and the mental health carve-out for Anthem. Frankly, as a middle-aged woman with a disability, I have been amazed with the number of interviews I’ve received. I love being back in the workplace.

With two cats and a condo in the suburbs, I have one of the most conventional backgrounds of those with whom I work. One of my greatest challenges in Seminary, was that I felt like a fish out of water. There were plenty of people my age. Still, because I was not raised in the Evangelical subculture, have chosen to remain single, with some of my closest friends posessing vibrant faiths different from mine –and me feeling no need to evangelize – I felt out-of-place. I found few acquaintances with whom I could study and share life, despite inviting people out to dinner, writing notes, making soup and brownies, and sending people quilts when they had babies.

What else? Five weeks ago, my new roommate, Sarahbeth moved in. Though I am old enough to be her mom, we have quite a bit in common. SB grew up near Cleveland, OH. As much as I love Colorado, I still believe the states surrounding the Great Lakes form the epicenter of the universe. SB was raised in a Jewish home and became a Christian while attending Kent State – a large state school not unlike CU Boulder. Like me, she attended Campus Crusade for Christ, which is now known as Cru.

Unlike me, SB does not care one iota about big-time college football and the decades-long rivalry between teams such as the Buckeyes, the Wolverines, and the Fighting Irish. The best thing about Sarahbeth, however, is that she loves Isabelle and Ebenezer, my two cats. They could not be happier. Josh, SB’s boyfriend, is coming to Colorado for Thanksgiving. I’ve decided to cook Thanksgiving dinner for them, and hope to invite a few others from Denver Seminary to join us.

My next goal, once I find a more-permanent position, is to affiliate with an EPC church down here. I have narrowed my list down to five congregations. I may decide to join a smaller congregation – 500 to 1000 members – rather than one that has 5,000+ members. We’ll see. Choosing a church, for those of you who are LDS or Roman Catholic for example, is not unlike finding a job or selecting a spouse. Because I attended the same church for 25 years, thrived in ministry there, and am closer to many of church friends than I am to my family, this is a BIG deal for me.

Ebenezer, the big one, bonds with Pippa,
Sarahbeth's much smaller, furry friend.

Carded

World Cardmaking Day is October 6, 2012. That means you’ve got about six weeks to get ready. As many of you know, I enjoy making cards and sending them to people. Fashioning greeting cards from paper scraps, buttons, rubber stamps and ink is relaxing for me. Cardmaking does not require the laser-like focus that success in academia and the business world does.

I enjoy sending cards – be they paper or electronic – almost as much as I enjoy making them. In the New Testament, we learn about Barnabas, a missionary who travelled with the Apostle Paul. Barnabas was generous and loving and a source of encouragement for Paul. In fact, the word Barnabas means ‘Son of Encouragement’ in Hebrew. While many people use cards to commemorate a birthday or anniversary, cards also can be used to affirm or encourage someone having a tough time.

Picture This

I haven't been reading or writing much lately. 

I took the cloud picture a few weeks ago. 

It currently serves as the 'wallpaper' for my laptop. 

Many local flower beds have been decimated by the heat.

 This is the best I could find.

Cattitude

I thought I'd get these sheets all furry for you.

Have you seen the tape?

July Bookbag - Part Two

Recently, I have been reading a fair amount re: the role of women from the Evangelical Christian perspective. I was not raised in a Christian home and while I hold some conservative political views – powered by a fervent belief in the free-enterprise system – I’ve never uttered the words “All I’ve ever wanted to be is a wife and mother.” I stopped dating when I realized that most men I dated were interested in a lifelong relationship.

Though I firmly believe in traditional marriage, family, and children, I’ve chosen to remain single.  I know that my background – both the family and the culture I come from – has influenced this decision. Some days, I am stunned that I adopted two helpless (but lovable) cats who demand not only regular meals but also a clean litter box.

Most of my friends are married, have children and work outside the home. I’ve generally viewed it as a ‘both-and’ proposition. As in – you get an education so you can have a career 'and' be a wife and mother.

Last year, a brilliant young woman who had been the TA for several of my seminary classes had a baby and decided to stay home. Obsessed with baby quilts as I am, I retrieved a really nice one from the hall closet and dispatched it to her. I also cried – not because she was having a baby – but because she wasn’t pursuing a PhD. One of the people with whom I regularly meet (in Boulder, naturally) maintains that I’m more liberal than say I am.

Back to the subject at hand – I just finished Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Mary Kassian’s Bible study, Divine Design: An Eight-Week Study on Biblical Womanhood. While I have read and listened to teaching on hot topics like submission and women in church leadership, this is the first time I have completed a Bible study on what the Bible says about men and women, the relationship between the sexes, and the role each party is called to fulfill.

Let’s just say that the stubborn nature which makes this type of teaching tough to swallow is the same stubborn nature that made it possible for me to finish it. Though I made it through all 213 pages of the workbook in less than eight weeks, I am still processing what I learned.

What else? I just finished Bernard Ruffin’s biography of Fanny Crosby. Crosby, who was visually impaired, wrote thousands of once-familiar hymns like Blessed Assurance. She’d store the lyrics in her head - dictating them to note takers who sat beside her. Often, she’d have one person sit on the right and another on the left, sharing the lyrics for two songs simultaneously, stanza by stanza.

On to Bonhoeffer and When Helping Hurts.

July Bookbag - Part One

TRUE VINE: A YOUNG BLACK MAN’S JOURNEY OF FAITH, HOPE, AND CLARITY

John W. Fountain is a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and a journalism professor at Roosevelt University in Chicago. He also has served on the journalism faculty at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, lectured at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and written for the New York Times, Chicago Tribune (which is far better than the Sun-Times in my estimation), and the Washington Post. He grew up on the West Side of Chicago at the same time I was growing up in the Western Suburbs of Chicago.

For those of you who aren’t from the Chicagoland area, there’s a big difference between growing up in the city and growing up in the suburbs. Growing-up, I had the opportunity to take in many cultural events because I lived  near the Second City.. I sampled all manner of cuisine (always fun), went shopping (generally fun), and visited pediatric medical specialists affiliated with prestigious medical schools (rarely fun and always tedious). When the meal, shopping trip or medical appointment was over, we hopped on the Eisenhower and returned to the relative-calm of DuPage County.

Fountain grew up poor, black, and male in the city of Chicago. The schools were bad. The crime was bad. His biological dad left. Fountain fathered a child while he was still a teenager. True Vine, which draws its name from John 15:15, tells the story of Fountain’s growing-up years. I saw how Fountain drew strength from his Pentecostal roots and his involvement in the local church. Grandpa was a preacher and his Grandma was a prayer warrior. I saw how – despite a series of academic and financial missteps – Fountain returned to the U of I to finish his bachelors, complete a masters, and be a parent. Though it dragged a little in the beginning, I read most of the 350+ page book in one sitting and enjoyed it.

SPECIAL NEEDS MINISTRY

My interest in Special Needs Ministry has more to do with the fact that my cousin Scott has a son with special needs than it does with me.  I'm pleased the church is beginning to reach out to families who face challenges like ours.  As I see it, Special Needs Families may require accomodation in worship services and educational programs. Additional Pastoral Care - including hospital visitation and referrals to professional counselors - also may be warranted. Then, there's the issue of respite care.  What role might a church play in providing that?  While having a spouse or child with special needs is a blessing, these families also experience significant emotional, spiritual and financial stress.  The divorce rate for couples with special needs kids is upwards of 75 percent.  Teaching skiing, I had the opportunity to connect with a lot of families and developed a heart for the siblings.

AMAZING GIFTS: STORIES OF FAITH, DISABILITY AND INCLUSION

Mark I. Pinsky, who is religion editor of the Orlando Sentinel, has edited a collection of stories which address how churches have met the challenge of including Special Needs Families in their congregations.

WHY, O GOD?: SUFFERING AND DISABILITY IN THE BIBLE AND CHURCH

Why, O God? Is edited by Larry J. Waters and Roy B. Zuck. Waters is associate professor of Bible Exposition and teaches in the missions department in Dallas Theological Seminary. Roy B. Zuck is senior professor emeritus at Dallas Theological Seminary. The first two sections of Why O God are exegetical – addressing the themes of suffering and disability in the Old and New Testaments. The third section is theological. The fourth section addresses how the church can meet the needs of special needs families. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two sections of the book although it took me a long time to finish them. The second half of the book was less enlightening. It may have more to do with my background than the text itself. I had the distinct pleasure of taking a Redemptive Suffering class from Dr. Bruce Demarest last summer.

THE BIBLE, DISABILITY, AND THE CHURCH: A NEW VISION OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD

Amos Yong is J. Rodman Williams Professor of Theology at Regent University School of Divinity in Virginia. He also is the author of Theology and Down Syndrome and Hospitality and the Other.

Yong, who has a brother with Down Syndrome remarks, "Some say that sustained thinking about disability is unnecessary because disabled people constitute only a very small percentage of our congregations. I counter, however, that this is probably because the church communicates the message ‘you are not welcome here to people with disabilities. Further, there are more ‘hidden’ disabilities that are not noticeable, so how do we know that there are in fact few people with disabilities in our churches? Last but not least, the challenges associated with living with disability will be experienced by everyone if they live long enough, whatever medical aids and technological advances may develop."  The author advocates that churches not only accommodating parishioners with special needs but specifically inviting them into their congregations.

Little Brown Bird

I often bring my camera to Boulder on Sunday. In summer, I generally encounter beautiful flowers and children frolicking in the fountain on Pearl Street.  This past week, I met a little brown bird.

Too Hot

It has been 90+ degrees every day for who knows how long.

My poor kitties don't want to do much of anything

EMPTY

I almost called this kenosis instead of empty, but that's a little obscure for most people.

Yesterday, I emptied a milk crate of books of unknown origin. I was pretty sure it did not contain seminary texts or picture books. What did I find? In addition to resources for teaching elementary kids how to pray and how to memorize scripture, I found . . .

MY THIRD GRADE BIBLE
When I first began teaching third-grade Sunday School, Barbara Steiner, one of the dear people with whom I taught, made me my very own Bible cover with a fish on it. It fits the NIV Adventure Bible that the third-graders (and I) got perfectly.

MY AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF BOUNDARIES
In the early nineties, I attended a seminar based on the book, Boundaries. Both authors signed this copy.

LIFE TOGETHER BY DIETRICH BONHOEFFER
Next to the Bible, Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, is my favorite Christian book.

THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SON BY HENRI NOUWEN
The Return of the Prodigal Son is not quite as good as The Wounded Healer, but it is a gem, nonetheless.

A GUIDE TO PRAYER FOR MINISTERS AND OTHER SERVANTS
Virginia Patterson, who got me interested in picture books and Judi Harpel, who got me interested in all manner of literature, greatly influenced what I read in early adulthood. Everyone read to me when I was small. My first hardback books most likely came from Aunt Vi, my grandpa’s sister.  This devotional, by Rueben P. Job and Norman Shawchuck, is one of my favorites. I’m sure that Judi Harpel convinced me to buy it, back in the day that Boulder had an independent, Christian bookstore.

That fish is fake.

Name That Bird

This picture isn't the greatest; but, I have been trying to capture some shots of neighborhoood birds.  At first I thought this was an underfed robin, but it has a white stripe on the back of its neck.  Who knows?  I studied bird identification in First Grade.

Cubed

It was warm today. 

I thought the cats might enjoy ice in their water.

Maybe not.

Spacious Skies

Wednesday evening, we experienced not only thunder and lightning but also downpour and hail.  I got very little sleep.  My cats climbed in bed with me when things got exciting.  I took these pictures at sunset on Thursday.

 

Did You Know?

Isabelle: Did you know that June is Adopt-A-Shelter Cat Month?
Ebenezer: Really?

Seven of ten cats in animal shelters are euthanized.  The rate for black cats - my personal favorite - is somewhat higher.  Would you consider giving a cat a forever family?  Don't like cats?  How about a dog?  Got pasture?  The Denver Dumb Friends League now has a facility in Franktown that offers horses for adoption.  With the possible exception of volunteering in Children and Family Ministry for 25 years and completing a CPE unit, providing a loving home for two little black cats is the most rewarding thing I have done as an adult.

 

Cold Water, Funeral Potatoes & BFFs

In addition to looking for a job, making repairs to the Little Condo on the Prairie, and reducing Ebenezer’s girth, I have been reading books light and not-so light, thinking, and spending time with friends.

COLD WATER

One book I have particularly enjoyed is A Cup of Cold Water in His Name by Lorie Newman. I love a good service project. Some of you know that, for a time, I served as Service Project Princess (my verbage) for Base Camp, First Pres Boulder’s midweek program for school-age kids. Each week, the children – arranged in three groups by grade – completed a project that benefitted either a ministry within the church or a local non-profit. Not only were my leadership and organizational skills STRETCHED, but the kids and I had so much FUN. Back to the book . . .

Newman, who leads speakers on mission trips to developing countries, opens her book with a brief discussion of Matthew 25:40. She writes, “The verse actually reads ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ I had never noticed the word one until a crisp fall morning when I sat on the screened-in porch. The word one glared at me like a neon light.”

She continues, “As you read and bookmark ideas that you implement in your life, remember that whatever you do in Jesus’ name to just one person in need, even if it is just to give a cup of cold water, you have done it to Christ himself.  One really does matter.”  The book is divided into five sections: Feeding the Hungry and Thirsty; Inviting in the Stranger; Clothing the Naked; Caring for the Sick; and Ministering to the Prisoner.  Newman’s ideas also are labeled with Deep, Deeper, and Deeper Still, which correspond to the level of preparation/commitment the idea requires.  Many of the projects can be implemented by individuals or families.  Others are better-suited to a small group or the church setting.  While Newman is an Evangelical Christian, most of her ideas, though inspired by biblical teaching, can be implemented by anyone in any setting.

FUNERAL POTATOES

Funeral Potatoes refers to the Cream of Something Soup and Hash Brown Potato casserole that cooks of a bygone era made for the family grieving the loss of a loved one.  Metaphorically, the term funeral potatoes refers to reaching out to people in a time of need.  Some people – I’m one of them – are blessed with a cadre of friends who come alongside them in challenging times.  Sadly, this isn’t a universal experience.  In this era of Facebook, Twitter and texting, it seems that while people are electronically connected, they are interpersonally isolated.  Every day we encounter people who need hugs, cards, a home cooked meal, or a ride to an appointment.  In Seminary-speak, this is known as incarnational ministry.

 
I didn’t intend to get Jesusy, but here goes. In Matthew 14 and elsewhere in the Gospels, we encounter the Story of the Loaves and the Fishes. Jesus takes five loaves and two fish and miraculously multiplies it to feed thousands of people (with leftovers). While the miracle itself is impressive, I also am struck by the fact that Christ did not shoo the hungry crowd away. Take a look at the conversation he has with his disciples in vv. 15-18.


As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late.  Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”  Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.  “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said.


Jesus' ministry was notable in that he met both the spiritual and physical needs of those he encountered.


One of my MOST favorite people in the whole world – and someone whose perspective on spiritual things does not totally mirror mine – sends me the BEST care packages when I have surgery. They almost always contain a fleece blanket and something artsy to do. She understands the power of funeral potatoes. In this day and age when many of us are over-stressed and undercapitalized, reaching out to those around us can seem daunting. It doesn’t have to be. I’m merely asking that we be more attentive to the needs of the hurting people we encounter on a daily basis.

BFF

Not long ago, I remarked to a friend, “You need more friends.” She replied, “How do I make more friends?” “Do stuff with people,” was my terse and less than profound reply. I have a journalism degree, a partially-completed MDiv., and would rather not write anything longer than a blog post. Psychologist John Townsend, on the other hand, cranks out a couple books a year and is a leadership consultant. Townsend is perhaps best known for the book, Boundaries: When to Say YES, When to Say NO, To Take Control of Your Life, which he wrote with Henry Cloud.

His latest book is How to Be a Best Friend Forever: Making and Keeping Lifetime Relationships. In it, Townsend puts forth eight principles for building life-long friendships.  It's a good, albeit basic, treatment of the subject.



Paint By Number

Some of you know that I have had a veritable caravan of home improvement people filing through the Little Condo on the Prairie as of late. The first thing I did was have the carpets cleaned. I LOVE clean carpets. My new blinds come in a couple weeks. Today, I had the second bedroom and bathroom painted lovely shades of blue.

Growing up, I enjoyed accompanying my dad on trips to J.C. Licht, a local paint store. There are two reasons for this. One, it was close to Grandpa’s house. If Grandpa was home, he made us lunch. If Grandpa wasn’t home, I knew we’d stop at Portillo’s on the way back to our place. Two, I enjoy color in all forms. Brand-new crayons, colored pencils, pastels, construction paper, rainbows, flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables. One of the best things about owning your own home is you can paint it any color you wish. It’s so much fun!  Sarabeth, my new roommate, moves in sometime in August. She requested blue or lavender. Benjamin Moore #816 and #817 it is.

So Many Shades

How Much?

Out with the old

In with the new

Fat Cat

Today

Tuesday afternoon, I took Isabelle and Ebenezer to Deer Creek Animal Hospital for their annual checkups and booster shots.  Ebenezer, who was 3.7 pounds last May and 5 pounds when he had his sterilization procedure, is now a whopping 13 pounds.  Isabelle, who is a mere 7.4 pounds, had bloodwork done as she is approaching her fifth birthday.  Issie hid beneath one of the kitchen chairs until early this morning.  I'm guessing she didn't enjoy her visit to the good doctor.


Because I was shoehorned into a treatment room with two cats and two soft-sided carriers, I was unable to witness the veritable parade of companion animals and the occasional wild thing that frequent(s) my neighborhood animal hospital.  It's a busy place in the mid-afternoon.  By virtue of its location and the fact that has a large staff, Jefferson County Animal Control and the Colorado Division of Wildlife, bring injured critters to DCAH.  Like many who live in the South Metro Area, I have seen both a fox and a coyote in my neighborhood.

One Year Ago

Teary

Biblical Exegesis Fourth Grade Style

Yesterday was my last day of teaching Sunday School in Boulder.  I cried like a baby at the end of the hour.  Let me explain.  I have been involved in Children and Family Ministry in various forms and at various levels for 25 years, most of them at First Presbyterian Church of Boulder, a PCUSA congregation.  This summer, I will begin attending an EPC church, most likely Cherry Hills Community Church or Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church.

While I am satisfied with First Pres Boulder and the capable leaderhip there, I am disatisfied with some of the changes that are occurring within the denomination at the national level.  This is a BIG deal for me.  I have never belonged to a non-PCUSA church.  My beloved Grandpa was a founding member of a PCUSA congregation in Elmhurst, IL.  He served as an elder.  Joan, whom Grandpa married roughly a decade after Grandma Evie died of cancer, served a term as deacon.

I do not cry easily.  United Airlines commercials (really), the last episode of the television show ER, when they removed the Marshall Fields' logos from the sides of the stores when Macy's invaded Illinois (I was home for a family gathering that weekend), and my last day of Sunday School in Boulder.  These are a few of the things that move me to tears.  When the Cubs win the World Series. . . I digress.

My church family means the WORLD to me.  These are the people I want accompanying me on a surgical adventure or when I am stranded on the proverbial desert island.  These are the people for whom I will gladly scrub tables (lots of little laminate tables), organize supply closets, stand in line at FedEx Office in the wee hours (back when it was called Kinko's and I had no printer at home), bake bread, and make homemade chicken soup.  I've even transported a musical instrument to Nairobi.

I've SO LOVED sharing God's Word with God's Kids in Boulder.  Those of you who haven't been involved in Children and Family Ministry simply don't know what you are missing.  It's so much fun and, at times, it is quite the challenge.  If you can engage 20 four year-olds in a Bible Story for 10-15 minutes, you can teach just about anyone.  With fourth graders, get yourself a whistle.

Marti Harris and Mark Matheson - Two of the Best 4th Grade Teachers Ever