På stranden ved Karrebæksminde 1898
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Block Island days
Are exactly like today. When I see such a clear , blue sky and the
air has a chill in the air, I think of that place off the coast of Rhode Island that is only 13 miles long, shaped like a pork chop. My sister and her husband are heading up there for the week. I've always tried to figure out what happens to the soul in a place like that. You probably have your place in the world that does it to you : you slow down, you yearn to be out of doors, you can hear your thoughts, and truth clears out the deepest of places in your soul. It's a bit of The Gifts from the Sea and this line from Persuasion:
Chapter 12
Anne and Henrietta, finding themselves the earliest of the party the next morning, agreed to stroll down to the sea before breakfast. They went to the sands, to watch the flowing of the tide, which a fine south- easterly breeze was bringing in with all the grandeur which so flat a shore admitted. They praised the morning; gloried in the sea; sympathized in the delight of the fresh-feeling breeze - and were silent;We're heading up to the mountains for the afternoon. That reminds me
of the book I'm reading ( On the Road with the Archangel) :
"They lived in terraced houses with tiled roofs and sweeping views of the mountains that rose all about them like the waves of the tumultuous sea. "
Friday, September 28, 2007
My heart sang when I read
On the Road with the Archangel by Frederick Buechner
" I am Raphael, one of the seven archangels who pass in and out of the presence of the Holy One, blessed be he. I bring him the prayers of all who pray and of those who don't even know that they are praying.
Some prayers I hold out as far from me as my arm will reach, the way a woman holds a dead mouse by the tail when she removes it from the kitchen. Some, like flowers, are almost too beautiful to touch, and others so aflame that I'd be afraid of their setting me on fire if I weren't already more like fire than I am like anything else. There are prayers of such power you might say they carry me rather than the other way round-- the way a bird with outstretched wings is carried higher and higher on the back of the wind. There are prayers so apologetic and shamefaced and halfhearted that they all but melt away in my grasp like sad little flakes of snow. Some prayers are boring."
" I am Raphael, one of the seven archangels who pass in and out of the presence of the Holy One, blessed be he. I bring him the prayers of all who pray and of those who don't even know that they are praying.
Some prayers I hold out as far from me as my arm will reach, the way a woman holds a dead mouse by the tail when she removes it from the kitchen. Some, like flowers, are almost too beautiful to touch, and others so aflame that I'd be afraid of their setting me on fire if I weren't already more like fire than I am like anything else. There are prayers of such power you might say they carry me rather than the other way round-- the way a bird with outstretched wings is carried higher and higher on the back of the wind. There are prayers so apologetic and shamefaced and halfhearted that they all but melt away in my grasp like sad little flakes of snow. Some prayers are boring."
Monday, September 24, 2007
Letters.....real ones
Last week the mail brought a handmade card to Welcome Autumn.This week, the mail brought another handmade card, made by the daughter of a new friend in Tenn. We met in June at the Childlight Conference. She writes:
"Funny about hand-written real honest to goodness letters---there is not the immediacy of email or the casualness of the note dashed off into cyberspace. No, a letter must be more composed, deliberate, intentional, significant. What a weight is upon me now that I have begun!"
Those who know me know my passion for letters, and books!
My third son, freshman in college, is writing a comparison
paper on Letters vs. Email. His choice of comparisons. You should get one of his letters! True Story! Any thoughts on the subject?
"Funny about hand-written real honest to goodness letters---there is not the immediacy of email or the casualness of the note dashed off into cyberspace. No, a letter must be more composed, deliberate, intentional, significant. What a weight is upon me now that I have begun!"
Those who know me know my passion for letters, and books!
My third son, freshman in college, is writing a comparison
paper on Letters vs. Email. His choice of comparisons. You should get one of his letters! True Story! Any thoughts on the subject?
Friday, September 21, 2007
Chilling out
We came home this afternoon to chill out after a full
day of coop. I was blessed. Not only was the curriculum rich, but
seeing a group of 9-10 year old girls love to make Love KNOTS on a coverlet
for an orphan in Haiti was so rich with the Gospel. They wondered where Love Knots
got that name. Perhaps because it hugs the fabric or it's two sides of thread knotted?
Whatever the reason , they began to sing together. A choir of children singing Doe A DEAR, a female dear....YOU know from The Sound of Music. They prayed for this little boy too. How awesome to hear the prayers of children! Jesus was right ~~ Let the little children come to ME!
Maddie's great-grandmother came too ~~ 90 years old! We miss much if an older
person is not around in our lives. I missed my Mom!
I'm not so techical to have a digital photo on here of the quilt. TWO more to go.
AND now I can't find the color ink!
day of coop. I was blessed. Not only was the curriculum rich, but
seeing a group of 9-10 year old girls love to make Love KNOTS on a coverlet
for an orphan in Haiti was so rich with the Gospel. They wondered where Love Knots
got that name. Perhaps because it hugs the fabric or it's two sides of thread knotted?
Whatever the reason , they began to sing together. A choir of children singing Doe A DEAR, a female dear....YOU know from The Sound of Music. They prayed for this little boy too. How awesome to hear the prayers of children! Jesus was right ~~ Let the little children come to ME!
Maddie's great-grandmother came too ~~ 90 years old! We miss much if an older
person is not around in our lives. I missed my Mom!
I'm not so techical to have a digital photo on here of the quilt. TWO more to go.
AND now I can't find the color ink!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
The Blue Hills
My latest read was this Elizabeth Goudge book. It was a reread.
I remembered the story a few chapters in and then skimmed
the last part. I just looked it up online and found the original
book , 1942, had a different title : Henrietta's House.
It listed in the Children's books in her bibliography but I
got it in Adult fiction.
It is a wonderful short story that is a sequel to The City of Bells.It takes place in the cathedral town of Torminister, which is Wells, where Elizabeth lived as a child. She was taught at home by a governess who is Miss Lavender in The City of Bells.
IN the story , Henrietta, a young girl, helps an older man in a bookshop pick out a library of children books.
The Water Babies and Alice in Wonderland, Undine and The Pilgrim’s Progress, Jackanapes and Little Women, The Fairchild Family, A Flat Iron for a Farthing, The Back of the North Wind, The Princess and Curdie, Andersen’s Fairy Tales, The Swiss Family Robinson, Andrew Lang’s Blue Fairy Book, Lob Lie-by-the-Fire, Treasure Island and The Cockyolly Bird.
A quote ~~
" He's a sort of a fairy-tale person, you know, and fairy-tale persons can't sit still."
Click image to enlarge
Elizabeth Goudge
April 24, 1900-1984
I remembered the story a few chapters in and then skimmed
the last part. I just looked it up online and found the original
book , 1942, had a different title : Henrietta's House.
It listed in the Children's books in her bibliography but I
got it in Adult fiction.
It is a wonderful short story that is a sequel to The City of Bells.It takes place in the cathedral town of Torminister, which is Wells, where Elizabeth lived as a child. She was taught at home by a governess who is Miss Lavender in The City of Bells.
IN the story , Henrietta, a young girl, helps an older man in a bookshop pick out a library of children books.
The Water Babies and Alice in Wonderland, Undine and The Pilgrim’s Progress, Jackanapes and Little Women, The Fairchild Family, A Flat Iron for a Farthing, The Back of the North Wind, The Princess and Curdie, Andersen’s Fairy Tales, The Swiss Family Robinson, Andrew Lang’s Blue Fairy Book, Lob Lie-by-the-Fire, Treasure Island and The Cockyolly Bird.
A quote ~~
" He's a sort of a fairy-tale person, you know, and fairy-tale persons can't sit still."
Click image to enlarge
Elizabeth Goudge
April 24, 1900-1984
Sunday, September 16, 2007
The Coolness of Autumn
The Sabbath started with cooler weather ! That makes my husband
in a good mood!
I wrote that I have 4 boys, but actually they are all men ~~ their sizes, their height, their
minds and hearts, and maybe the 4th is becoming one. He's 15 and has his learner's permit. Sometimes I'm amazed that they grew up!
Today I copied an entry in Edges of His Ways by Amy Carmichael about interruptions to
put in a letter. It is about Broken Pieces. Amy writes:
" In the morning we put our day in the Lord's hands. Then we began to do His work, but were not able to do nearly as much as we had hoped. Interruptions came and broke up our plans, and the evening found us a little disappointed. ...The Story of the Five Thousand speaks of 'broken pieces' ....and yet of those fragments ( leftover) our Lord said, Gather them up that nothing be lost. EVEN SO, the Lord cares for the broken pieces of our lives, the fragments of all we meant to do, the little we have to gather up and offer, and He will use even those fragments. He will not let even the least of our little broken things be lost."
A missionary friend sent me a ziplock bag of broken pieces of an Ostrich egg, when I sent her this in the mail perhaps more than 10 years ago. She had watched the broken pieces give life that morning. I still have that bag to remind me of God's goodness in redemption. How quickly I think that broken pieces in my days and interruptions are fragments , yet, God uses them !
in a good mood!
I wrote that I have 4 boys, but actually they are all men ~~ their sizes, their height, their
minds and hearts, and maybe the 4th is becoming one. He's 15 and has his learner's permit. Sometimes I'm amazed that they grew up!
Today I copied an entry in Edges of His Ways by Amy Carmichael about interruptions to
put in a letter. It is about Broken Pieces. Amy writes:
" In the morning we put our day in the Lord's hands. Then we began to do His work, but were not able to do nearly as much as we had hoped. Interruptions came and broke up our plans, and the evening found us a little disappointed. ...The Story of the Five Thousand speaks of 'broken pieces' ....and yet of those fragments ( leftover) our Lord said, Gather them up that nothing be lost. EVEN SO, the Lord cares for the broken pieces of our lives, the fragments of all we meant to do, the little we have to gather up and offer, and He will use even those fragments. He will not let even the least of our little broken things be lost."
A missionary friend sent me a ziplock bag of broken pieces of an Ostrich egg, when I sent her this in the mail perhaps more than 10 years ago. She had watched the broken pieces give life that morning. I still have that bag to remind me of God's goodness in redemption. How quickly I think that broken pieces in my days and interruptions are fragments , yet, God uses them !
Friday, September 14, 2007
End of Gospel Transformation
Today marked the last Bible Study of Gospel Transformation
with 3 of my dear friends. This is the second time to do this study
for me AND it was a long one of past two years. We also had a very good friend who couldn't
finish up the last 8 lessons because God keeps giving her gifts. He's very good
at that! I love these friends! So here I am starting a blog as something ends to begin a new thing. Blogging! Hope the journey will be transforming to me. I;m not technical but here we go!
One of my favorite artists: Carl Larsson
with 3 of my dear friends. This is the second time to do this study
for me AND it was a long one of past two years. We also had a very good friend who couldn't
finish up the last 8 lessons because God keeps giving her gifts. He's very good
at that! I love these friends! So here I am starting a blog as something ends to begin a new thing. Blogging! Hope the journey will be transforming to me. I;m not technical but here we go!
One of my favorite artists: Carl Larsson
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