Christmas Hiatus

Tis' the season and I'm taking a jolly little break.
Merry Christmas everyone.

Don't Worry -

Be Happy!
Seriously!

Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:5-7

Calamondin, a very sour fruit

photo by "highlimitzz


Calamondin is something I never heard of until we moved here. Yesterday one of our sweet church ladies brought us a calamondin cake, and it was still warm! Yum. I think you could modify the Key Lime Cake recipe, see here, and make a cake similar to what our friend brought us.

Today was our Pre-school's performance at the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at our hospital. The kids were adorable. Right after our school sung our Christmas songs, Calvin's elementary school performed and he was in the front row! He was so cute. He was holding jingle bell attached to a pipe cleaner, which was an extra from my students. While he did the hand motions to one of the songs with his class, he put the jingle bell in his mouth so his hands were free to move!

By the way, I think it's interesting to note that pipe cleaners are not called pipe cleaners anymore. I don't know if it's due to political connectedness, or that pipe smoking (of tobacco-lol!) is so rare these days. Their original purpose is lost and their craft purpose is all that remains. They are now called chenille wires or chenille stems.

Regular Reader lil' Art Giveaway - Closed!

I haven't seen much traffic lately, but I know there are at least 2 of you out there! If you email me your mailing address I'd like to send you a small token of my appreciation. It will be small. Reach me at *edited* And on the info/subject line please put "blog give-away," OK?

(c)M.d.V.2009

The give-away is closed now (12/12). Thanks to all who participated!

Sympathy for the Devils

I was going to chide my grown niece on facebook for posting about how she couldn't wait to watch the latest incarnation of Melrose Place. Then I paused for two reasons. First, because God seemed to be reminding my heart that I watch shows a lot "worse" than Melrose Place. Secondly, she deleted a post on her wall, in which I was teasing her "and kids today and their horrible taste in music" on facebook. Oh, she was going to a Brittney Spears concert for heaven's sake! (I even posted my old man smiley to emphasize the fact that I was teasing and acknowledging the generation gap, and that I was, perhaps, a fuddy-dud. I think, she didn't get it. I love her anyway!)

OK, back to TV shows that showcase naughty behaviour. Melrose Place and all the soap operas were never part of my "must see" entertainment universe. I recall watching Dallas with my parents when I was a kid and I remember the hype around all that. As a young adult I watched the same soaps or "stories" my mother and grandmother watched, and then leaned into my own tastes. I loved Star Trek, in all it's incarnations. I loved ER and Homicide: Life on the Street. Those were the shows I recall anticipating each week. I suppose besides the sci-fi stuff, I like things that are a little more gritty and realistic rather than the glamorous world most soaps are set in.

If you've schelleped around this blog, or know me, then you probably know LOST is my favorite TV show. And it isn't a "bad" show, as far immoral and illegal activity are an integral part of the show and characters, like The Sopranos, The Shield, and other shows of that edgy nature. Though there are some baddies in Lost's cast of characters. It's more of a sci-fi drama. Melrose is a soap opera, probably with adultery, fornication, ruthless power plays, and back-stabbing antics galore. But it probably pales in comparison to my other favorite entertainment du jour: Sons of Anarchy. It is a TV show about a really bad biker gang. They break all the commandments. And then some. It's definitely a rated "R" show, not for the kids and certainly not for everyone. My favorite character is the biker mama, Gemma. At first she seemed like a ruthless Lady Macbeth, but this season has seen layers and layers peeled away from her, and even some tenderheartedness toward God and forgiveness themes in her. It's a very interesting show.

So I have been mulling over the notion for quite a while now: Why do I like shows like that? Goodfellas is one of my favorite movies, and that's about gangsters, and don't get me started on The Godfather (epic & classic). Is it because I get to safely see a lifestyle that is so utterly foreign to my own? Is it because the themes of good and evil are biblical, fascinating, and it's simply a modern take on drama more ancient than Shakespeare, who is obviously an influence? Maybe it's escapist amusement. Maybe it's all of that. If you've read the bible, particularly the Old Testament, it is filled with many depictions of un-holy behaviour of all sordid sorts. So then, bonna-fide soap operas, or the "stories," as my Mom and grandmother called them, just aren't my cup of tea. But the bad behaviour of bikers and gangsters, and all the drama that unfolds around that, well put the kids to bed and pass the popcorn.

Love Hurts - God Heals part 2

Have you ever poured out your heart and soul into a friendship with someone and they betrayed you? Or maybe they just weren't there for you when you really needed it? It makes you feel so hurt and sad. Maybe angry too. You question why you wasted so much time and energy on someone that proved to be so unworthy. Sometimes this makes you hesitant about befriending other people in the future. At least it's been that way for me. It seems like the past few years have seen a few of these situations in my family and it hurts like heck. I keep hoping there will be some sort of reconciliation and healing change. But it just hasn't happened (yet?). Perhaps it never will. So, I mourn the passing of friendships.

I have been thinking lately about these types of things. And I think I have concluded this: I don't think love is ever wasted, even if it's not appreciated or reciprocated. I think when we stand before the Lord at judgment, we'll have been relieved to say that we loved lavishly even if our hearts are broken to shreds. After all, that's what He did. And then we should just keep on loving and doing our best to be an open-hearted person.

The thing is, sometimes with some people, you have to love them from afar. We can be like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son. He was already looking down the road when his estranged son was coming home. We can determine from that, he had been looking for, hoping and anticipating his son's return. I believe we should have a heart that is open, welcoming and ready for reconciliation. The other person has to be on that same road as well. It has to be mutual. Just as the father was looking for the son, the son was ready to leave his "wild living" and return home. The son couldn't have it both ways at his home. He had to leave the destructive behaviour behind to enjoy the full benefits of a close relationship. Until that time, the father had his eyes on the horizon and a heart that seemed to be free of anger, accusations, and all the other things he probably felt over his child living wild and wasting his inheritance. He was ready when his child was ready, not with a lecture, but with open arms.

That's the lesson for me. Don't get hung up on bitter feelings over everything that has passed. Let it go and be healed and free from it. Be ready for restoration of the relationship, if and when it comes. In the mean time L-O-V-E from afar, as opposed to stewing or wallowing!




Image from Barry's Clip Art.

Thanksgiving, Reduced

Some years are different, some years are transitional. I'm not sure what this year will be when I view it retrospectively, but I'm guessing it will be more like a year of evolution for me and my family. And that can be a very good thing, even though it feels a bit strange right now.

This is the first year that Big Daddy and I will not be with either of our parents, and some blending of one or both of our extended families. That just seems odd. We were supposed to be cooking and serving about 4 turkeys our church donated to our local homeless mission. The good news is that they had more than enough people volunteer to serve! So, they don't need us to serve, only cook.

Not being needed to help serve to a large group for a large part of the day sort of unsettled our plans. We thought we'd be occupied and busy one way. We are used to big Thanksgiving Dinners, I don't think we have ever had a small one, but this year that is what we will do at home with our children. It actually seems very nice and relaxed so far.

Whomever we are with and wherever we are we have much to be thankful for. I am chiefly thankful for the peace and freedom I found in Christ, that I found no where else (and heaven knows I looked enough places for it!). I have to mention that because it is the foundation from where all other blessings flow. I am grateful to God for the myriad of other blessings, chief among them my beloved family. I will be missing the family members I won't get to see.


photo by Koen Muurling
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who stops by here!Not sure if anyone still does, but sending good wishes if you do happen, perchance, by my obscure corner of the blog-o-sphere. :)