Just a Brief Sunday Hello

I'm here for a few minutes while the girls sleep. They've promised a tea party if they go to sleep. My parents house is a child's dream--lovely garden, wonderful dog to play with, big comfortable bed that we're all sleeping in together, cake, children's library on campus. We'll be able to very comfortably finish out the school year and relax and eat too well.

My mother is doing very well, though, as we keep saying, tired and winded. She will go into the hospital on Tuesday morning and the procedure will be at 2. Prayers, of course, are much appreciated.

Safely in Nairobi

Anne has arrived in Nairobi safely and she asked that I update her blog. Here is an abbreviated version of the note she sent yesterday morning:

We had a fairly smooth trip. I'm exhausted because the girls didn't sleep at all the 12 hours to Dubai and then did sleep from there to Nairobi, but I was so uncomfortable that I didn't sleep much. So I'm running on empty.

My parents house is lovely. I will be able to help cook and do school and not be too exhausted but still be a help, I think. My mom looks good, but she really does get breathless going up the stairs. She seems basically cheerful. We'll all go to the hospital tomorrow to hear what the doctor has to say and then next week everything gets going.

While I was dozing in and out on the plane I kept thinking I heard Rowan pretending to be a horse. It turned out to be some kid just crying but it was exactly the same sound he makes.

The girls are loaded up with cake and running around the garden playing with the dog and basically we're all gearing up for next week.

Thank you for all of your prayers...

Anne

Please Pray

I've maxed out my credit card and I'm taking the girls and flying to Nairobi in the morning. My mom's procedure in on Monday.

Family!!!

I found Auntie Kay!!! She's fine. She was out and about. You may all return to your regularly scheduled activities.
Good Night.

Weekend in Review

We're puttering about in general controlled chaos this morning. I, for one, am completely tired. These 'holidays', especially when they involve Matt rowing 70 miles down the Susquehanna River, always take it out of me. I only took one child with me, this year, as opposed to the three of last year, and the weather was pristine, so we had a really lovely time. Matt and Darrell made better time than last time, which also seriously helped. I will pictures later, once I locate my camera, and try to think through the day.

Right now I'm trying to think my muddled way through the day. We need milk, as usual, and everything is basically in disarray, so it would be helpful of me to leap out of this chair and clean up and pick up and organize.

But I'm having a terrible time concentrating.
My mother gave some particulars here. While I am sitting here not cleaning, I am considering in my own mind what it would take for me suddenly to pack up and go be with her, wherever she is (where you go, I will go, as it were) and how many children I could reasonably take with me, and how quickly, if that were the case, could I churn out two IHIPs for the fall, make Sunday School providentially fall into place for the summer, what to do about a month left of ballet, and how on earth to buck up and face the sickness of my cat in the coming days.

So...I think I'll go take two Tylenol and carry my cat downstairs to sit in the sun for a bit, and ask God to do whatever it is he was planning to do anyway.

you can listen to this as you pray for my mother, if you'd like

Sunday Morning

Meant to post all day yesterday but couldn't concentrate enough to sit down and write. Please please pray for my mother. She had her procedure, by the grace of God, and the doctors are on their way to discovering exactly what is wrong. She's probably facing some surgery. And now she is recovering from the procedure itself. Most sorrowfully to me, they won't be able to come visit us in a week as they had planned. But I'm so grateful for modern medicine and that sensible people are doing their jobs. I will update as I talk to my parents.

Have a blessed Sunday.

Odds and Ends

I've already been derailed by Gladys sprinkling sugar carefully into my printer, so who knows how the day will proceed (although I'm sure we can all make an educated guess). In light of this fact, I'm scrapping a beautifully written post (constructed blissfully at 5:30 in bed while Gladys tried to strangle me with her milk and mighty little arm--she slept the whole night across my neck, screaming whenever I tried to move her over slightly. Romulus settled himself carefully on my shins and wouldn't be moved either. Isn't this what we always dreamed of as conjugal bliss? Two large children, two cats and a husband? Actually, I only ever dreamed about the husband. The children and cats are a surprise) about the providence and grace of God and the graciousness of his order in our lives in favor of a list.

1. PLEASE pray for my mother who is having a medical procedure done this evening (it'll be Kenya time). She is having to be admitted to the hospital for what is normally an outpatient procedure because of insurance issues. Please pray that everything goes smoothly and we find that she's Perfectly Healthy!!!
Here are the flowers I gave to all the mothers on Mother's day. They're for my mother really but I somehow missed posting on Mother's Day.



2.Here is the 'material' I invented for my 'level 3' Sunday School class. I'm using scare quotes because even though it is in the spirit of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, its my own invention and by no means a sanctioned material.


I'll try to take some better pictures again this Sunday, but basically I wrote prettily on cards, all the resurrection appearances (the references only) and laminated them. I made the cards a reasonable size and then on tiny strips (again laminated) I wrote names, places, times of day, and items of interest. For a quick example of the strips I have: Mary Magdalen, Mary the Mother of James, tomb, stone, spices, Emmaus, two men, two men in shinning apparel, Jesus (although I forgot that card and had to go back and make it, heh), Peter, John, fish, 153 fish, boat, Galilee, Jerusalem, etc. etc. For the actual presentation, you lay the first card down, read the story, (after distributing the strips) and then everyone lays down the strips that they heard. I also printed pretty and famous art and they had to decide which pictures to lay down. Then we read the second account and they moved the strips which applied and added any new ones. As we progressed through the resurrection accounts, you could see, visually, what was the same in each and what was peculiar to each. Its taken us a long time, because we've been repeating, quickly and briefly, each previous story before adding new ones. Every week I think we're going to finish but we never do. The discussion about the details has been instructive and interesting, and amazingly, this whole process seems to be hitting them exactly where they are (9 to 12 on the ages scale). Its been very helpful to have a visual and its interactive. Its been so good that they've asked if we can do the same thing for the 'End Times' or rather 'Parousia' as we say in the atrium. I'm not sure how I would put that together, but I think it could be cool. Anyway, if you're interested and you want a better explanation, email me. For heaven's sake, if you REALLY wanted it, I'd make it again and sell it for a small and reasonable price.

3. Chicken BBQ this Saturday!!! You all better be there. 11-3.
4.Having babies is a huge consolation in times of difficulty. I've noticed, lately, that Matt, who has been under ENORMOUS stress, visibly relaxes while watching Gladys and Romulous. He can just sit and watch them being ridiculous, and they're so cute and basically pleasant (I say that with obvious reservations). I can see his shoulders relax and his brow unfurl. Of course, I recommend having older children as well, but as a pure stress reducer, if you find life especially difficult, gather yourself up a baby. It makes all the difference in the world.




5. And finally (although by this point I'm Practically doing 7 Quick Takes), here is the very nice Tea/Coffee I served to our departing students (those graduating and leaving) in the middle of their week of finals. I was forced to make brownies from scratch, being unable to locate a box, and they were delicious. We will miss the students very much and hope they will visit us periodically. One is on her way to China to do short term work, one to Korea to be in the army before returning to resume his studies, one is on her way to Cornell, and one to grad school in NYC.

And that, as they say, is that.
See you at the BBQ!!

Another Busy Day

Alouicious and Gladys were due for 18 month and 5 year well babies today (so grateful to have a doctor who will see kids back to back). They were both supposed to have shots, but Gladys arrived with a fever already and escaped them. Alouicious is milking his trauma for all its worth. They're both healthy and, as I suspected, Alouicious has NO hearing issues. He speaks perfectly and clearly, but I just wanted professional backup that he does have selective hearing, another problem all together.

Now that we're home, we're going to spend the afternoon outside learning stuff, or rather, reviewing all the stuff we already know.

And for you, I thought you might enjoy this lovely gem (h/t Jen). So perfect.

Too busy to blog, but

isn't this a lovely picture of my grandmother?

She died in 1999, just before I started seminary. And I've been missing her more every day since. She (like my own mother) was remarkable and quirky. Anyway, have a nice day. I'm making pizza dough and fighting with Elphine about how we're going to do school today.

My Sermon for This morning: John 20:24-29

I’m preaching this morning with hesitation and reluctance. First, of course, because Matt has been preaching so exceptionally on these resurrection accounts—and it is fairly impossible to preach in his wake and measure up. I had been looking forward to his next installment and am disappointed to be giving it myself. Second, this is one of my least favorite texts in the Bible. You all have been used to me saying about practically every passage, ‘Oh, This is my favorite!’ Well, today we’ve reached one of those few texts I like less well. Not only so, I have already preached several unremarkable sermons on these very verses. It seems a sadness to add anything to my already considerable pile of words on this subject. However, duty to my husband, to you and certainly to the gospel compels me to try, and now having sufficiently lowered your expectations to ensure general success, I beg you will turn in your Bibles to John 20 verse 24. Remember, for a moment that Jesus appeared on Easter Sunday first to the Marys and other women, then to the two on the Road to Emmaus, then to Peter and finally to a general assembling of disciples and friends excluding Thomas, who, I always liked to think, popped out for a late run to the shops. However, Matt says it would be impossible to get any man to run out this late, probably 9pm or so, for shopping. In other words, we have no idea why he left the group and went out into the night on his own. But go he does, and that’s when Jesus shows up. And let us also remember, before we go any further, that None of the disciples believed right away that Jesus Rose, certainly not based on the Scriptures, which should have been enough, but then on the testimony of those who had seen him, i.e. the women. Although their account certainly inspired hope, it did not bring about belief. The men on the road to Emmaus were intrigued,
but they didn’t believe them until Jesus appeared to them himself. Likewise the disciples. When Jesus appears to the group, he twice tells them to calm down—‘Peace be with you’. So it is not unusual that Thomas, having missed Jesus, wouldn’t immediately believe. Furthermore, he has missed the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus breathed on them and filled them with the Holy Spirit. If you’re confused about this, please go look up Matt’s sermon from last week on the difference between ‘filling’ and ‘indwelling’ of the Holy Spirit. But look at verse 25: “So the other disciples told him.” The tense of the verb, in Greek here is important. The word means ‘told’ and ‘kept on telling’. They didn’t just say it and then let the matter rest, they kept on telling, over and over for a whole a week. It may have been that first telling that evoked Thomas’s harsh response, but it seems rather overblown to be the first thing he might say, more the result of being told over and over and over and over and of finally stating rather too strongly the darkness of doubt. “Unless I see the marks, and put my finder into the mark, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” I want to say, before we continue much father, that nothing in the gospels indicate that Thomas is of a remarkably doubtful disposition. No more than any of us. Rather, do not neglect the terrible implications of the crucifixion itself. All of the disciples had seen it—well, I say that metaphorically, only John saw it, all the rest were hiding. But, they had understood very well what had happened. Here they had been following someone they thought was going to save them, someone they thought was the messiah, someone they thought was God. But who had died the death of one accursed. This was not lost on them. Everybody had been despairing last Sunday. Even so, we must examine the case against Thomas. Thomas has been hearing eye witness accounts of the Resurrection For A Week. And not just any eye witnesses—those of people he knows intimately. I, as Matt can verify, am frequently taken in. Several years ago, A nice looking guy and his fiancée came looking for help. It seemed he had been accused of something
And his life was ruined by the legal fees And he just really needed to be allowed to do some charitable work in the church and then have the church give him a letter on church letter head indicating that he was a wonderful person. To this end he kept bringing large amounts of canned goods. More than we could ever cope with, and always seemed to arrive just as the service was over. And I was completely taken in. Wiser heads intervened and protected the church, many of them pointing out that I should have caught on sooner and not encouraged him so much. But I am just a naturally trusting person. I think this is many a modern objection to the eyewitness accounts of the gospel—I wasn’t there, how do I know I’m not being scammed? Plus, Christians are so weird, how could I possibly trust them? But Thomas knows the other 10. He knows the women. He knows the change wrought in them over the last three years—from being morally dubious, confused, proud, unbearable rabble rousers from the back water of Galilee, to Real Lovers of Jesus. He knows them. Furthermore, the testimony of two or more trustworthy witness, according to Old Testament Law, were to be believed. The Bible is remarkable in the vastness of its First Hand Eye Witness accounts—accounts, no less, that agree with each other. Most other primary source material is not nearly so impressive. To have one eyewitness is usually considered very helpful. Thomas had them All in one room, over many days—details, agreements, a timeline. And yet he persists in unbelief. “I will not believe” he says. I think this is where the average Christian, like me, becomes frustrated with poor Thomas, with this text, and with the culture at large. How intransigent! I think, What is your problem? Just believe. The fact that the disciples keep on telling Thomas for 8 days indicates that they were similarly frustrated. “What’s not to believe?! I’m here telling you. Are you calling me a liar?” Recently I came away from speaking with someone about a serious moment of doubt they were experiencing,
and I found that I was feeling personally insulted. They must think I’m an irrational idiot. That’s the implication. I’ve built my entire life around this fact, this knowledge of a risen and living Jesus. I’ve been willing to suffer, though not, perhaps, as much as some. My entire life would be sheer lunacy if this wasn’t all true, objectively, not just true for me. Its not enough for it just to be true for me. My truth—what is it that Britney Speers said? “Can you handle my truth? No, it has to be true for everyone to justify the kind of life the Christian is called to live. But we live in a culture that cannot accept this claim. Doubt is the only acceptable life choice—It might be true, maybe, but I don’t want to know for sure. I’m not going to accept it unless I can see it. You telling me, the Bible telling me, the Bible being coherent and measurably and historically verifiably true isn’t enough. I will not believe. And this deep societal cultural and sometimes personally encountered unbelief, or persist doubt, for those of us who really believe, can feel like a stunning personal indictment. Our word, the word of the Scriptures, isn’t good enough. But it must not be so. Helpless and frustrated the disciples Keep On Telling Thomas, even though nothing will change his mind but Jesus himself. John says that it was 8 days later which, by the way of counting days at that time Puts us again to Sunday, one week after the resurrection. `Verse 26: “Jesus came” again into the same locked room, and said again “Peace be with you” and then, because he perfectly well knew what the problem was, he addressed Thomas directly, inviting him to do what he boasted would be necessary for belief. “Put your hand in my side, your fingers into my nail wounds.” This is the painful reality of conviction and Truth. Whatever you have been so proud and stubborn about—that will be what brings you to your knees before the Lord. I doubt very much that Thomas had to actually do those things. Seeing Jesus, alive, was enough. It is always enough. And it is the reason we must not give into frustration and discouragement in our proclamation of the gospel. Jesus is enough, Not only so, it is only Jesus who is enough. No words, no actions, no intention, no Chicken BBQ, no pony rides, no perfectly written guest letter can achieve what Jesus does in a look, a word, himself. But no means do I mean that our striving for the sake of the gospel is useless, unnecessary, or in vain. The disciples Kept On Telling him. But rather, we strive, we preach, we welcome, we organize parties, we persist, we go into all the world knowing that at the critical moment, when the time is perfect, when everything is ready, Jesus will show up, Suddenly, and he will be enough. Jesus gently rebukes Thomas and then encourages us—everyone of us who hasn’t seen Jesus in his flesh, though the eyes of our hearts have seen him, though we have heard his voice in the scriptures and seen his over powering action in our lives. ‘Have you believed because you have not seen?’ one of those terrible questions that are really statements of fact. ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.’ Not irrationally leapt into a psychological ‘faith’ with no basis in fact, but rather who have been honest enough to consider the evidence as it stands, who have submitted to the evidence, who have seen the truth, acknowledged the truth and who are then welcomed into an amazing relationship with Jesus all without seeing his flesh, the color of his eyes, the expression of his face, the wounds in his hands. Blessed—well are you who believe. But I have skipped over practically the best part, verse 28: “Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God.’” Certainly Thomas believes that Jesus is alive, but he also gets the full implication of that fact. Do you remember how John starts his gospel? Right, ‘In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.’ John makes sure we know that Jesus, the Preincarnate Word, is God, but he doesn’t bring it up again for 19 chapters. ‘Lord’ slips in here and there, infrequently, sometimes meaning ‘Sir’ sometimes more than that, but finally in chapter 20, out of the lips of the Greatest Doubter in all Scripture, we get this thunderously resounding adoring acclamation, ‘My Lord and My God.’

I’m going to stop there.
Matt will pick up from this point next week.

The first onslaught of pictures

I want to wish my very own father most hearty Congratulations!!! on his ordination as a priest in the province of Kenya this last Sunday. He was ordained by Archbishop Nzimbi along with a lot of other wonderful people and as far as I can make out, an excellent time was had by all. My mother arrived in the nick of time from England and didn't miss anything (which had been the great worry). So here are a few pictures of the occasion.

Here he is with my mom, actually being ordained.


Archbishop Nzimbi asked him to be one of four to stand with him at the altar during communion.


Here he is in the general crowd.


Here he is milling around during the peace (you can also see my mom in back of him).


I must say, I'm totally delighted. I, and many others, have felt strongly over the years that my dad should pursue this course. For one thing, he's an excellent preacher. And for another, he knows everything already (that is, all the stuff that the rest of us have to go to seminary to learn). But timing is everything. And this was the right moment. We look Very much forward to him preaching and celebrating when he arrives here this summer (if you're in the area, do stop by).

More pictures of other things as the day ufolds. Right now I have to shove everybody in the car and go buy Milk and diapers.

What I Really Wanted to do

was post some pictures. I took some very nice ones over the weekend and even today, and I intend to get them up online. BUT, I'm beat. For some bizarre reason, in the last three days, I have scrubbed my kitchen floor on my hands and knees, vacuumed nearly the whole house (I never vacuum, if I can get someone else to do it), rearranged furniture, made brownies from scratch, made mango cobbler, cooked two awfully nice dinners, kept the children at their school work, the list goes on. I'm in no way trying to brag here. I'm as confused about it as all of you probably are. Lately (for the last 14 weeks) I've been lying around on the floor, on the couch, in bed, in chairs, completely wiped out and unable even to take a shower without having to recuperate afterward. So I'm surprised to find that its only 8:30, the house is in order, and I can collapse into bed if I want to, without feeling like there's one more thing I should do. So, I'm not even going to blog, I'm going to read Pride and Prejudice (again) in bed with my sick cat and will have a go at those pictures tomorrow.

Home School Update (sort of)

I'm waiting for my slow children to finish their morning chores so we can try to learn something. I was thinking about getting in there and speeding them up, but then I thought, 'Why on Earth would I do that? when I can sit here and blog.' The best thing that has happened to me in months has been to decide that the 'day', school or otherwise, shouldn't begin before 10:30, sometimes stretching towards 11. And also that its ridiculous to try to read the Holy Scriptures in the morning when I'm not awake, and better to read them in the kitchen at 4 in the afternoon with a super sugared mug of tea (I have to sugar everything these days, just make it go down and stay down). And also, its helped to realize that we're 'homeschooling' (I know, most of you have already figured this out, but its taken me almost a year) by which I mean that there's no reason to sit down at the table at a particular hour and do everything in a certain order. That's why people go to school. No, it actually works just fine to go through the business of learning and reviewing at the same time as cooking lunch or packing up winter clothes. Since I've chucked our nonexistent 'schedule' we've actually been making progress. And I've also Finally figured out, after months of struggle, that Elphine works best independently and really all her work needs to be done with me not breathing down her neck. I'm always worried that she's not working, but then it turns out that she knows lots more than I even planned on.

Looks like they're just about finished. Right on time, 10:46. Now if only the sun would come out, we could go outside and really apply ourselves.

New Shop (Shameless Appeal)

Matt's wonderful mother and sister have just opened a new Etsy Shop. They're designing and making baby clothes and things--So Pretty. I happen to know, from personal experience, that Matt's mother is an excellent designer and seamstress and I'm equally positive his sister is as well. So, if you need something beautiful for a baby, go check out Mimi and Meg. Now! Go! What are you waiting for!!

PS. I've carefully added them to my sidebar, so if you happen to be reading along, and suddenly think, Oh BLAST, what am I going to get for that baby shower!?, you have only look over just slightly to the left and click and there you'll be.

If you have a moment, pray

I REALLY don't have time to thinking about this. My school area is covered in salt put there by a roaring lion of a baby, seeking what she may devour, and I'm trying to work my way to clear up the breakfast things, and my oldest is insisting that she's sick and must lie languidly and unhelpfully in bed reading Laura books, and my two little boys are supposed to be 'carrying' laundry down to the laundry room, which really means they're scattering it willy nilly around the house and pretending to be knights on horses, BUT, I just wanted you all to stop and pray for the real dio of San Joaquin in California, which is realistically looking at the loss of a lot of property. Of course, this is an opportunity for the glory and providence of God to be on display, and it will be, but I plead that you pray for them anyway, particularly as going to court and being involved in this mess brings with it an uncomfortable helpless feeling. As if all of ones enemies are arrayed on a vast plane, and then an outside, liberal secular judge comes in and sort of wildly swings opinions around, and there's nothing you can do about it, except trust God. Which is, of course, what he's been wanting us to do all the time anyway. However, trusting in the sovereign providence and goodness of God doesn't diminish the deep foul injustice of a 'church' that is bent on the utter destruction and ruin of those who love and serve Jesus. And I've found, it doesn't get rid of that helpless knot in the pit of your stomach. God will be glorified, and he will work miracles, a million tiny miracles we will all never know about, but pray anyway, because this is the valley of the shadow, and the enemy is waiting for an opportune moment to pounce. And now, I will go deal with all that salt. Good day to you all.

A Gray and Cluttered Monday Morning

Apart from going out to buy milk and returning our wildly overdue library books, I expect we will be in the whole day, cleaning and cleaning and cleaning and cleaning until we can bear to live here again.

My Hope (Matt, are you reading this?) is that we will rearrange the living room furniture, deMarker the walls and carpet, put all the laundry and clutter away where it belongs, vacuum, dust, and bring in a toddler bed for Gladys who appears to be able to get out of her crib, ridiculously small though she is.

Of course, if he suddenly suggests a family outing or something, I will forthrightly chuck this plan and figure out a way to do it all later.

In other words, I'm not really blogging, I don't have anything to write about, and so you'll all just have to amuse yourselves for the day.

7 Quick Takes

1. Its extremely unnerving having a baby (well, an 18 month old) who basically can talk, who thinks she can clean, who climbs up the ladder to the slide, pushing your hands away as you try to help her, who runs around with an arrogant little swagger and who often takes your face in her fat little hands, tilts her head to one side and says condescendingly and loudly 'Mommmmyyyyy'. I feel so bossed and managed. Good Lord preserve me.

2. I was also totally unnerved to find my husband, who already does all the laundry, kitty litter and fully half the cooking, bring a basket of laundry up last night already folded. 'Who folded this!?' I asked in hysteria. 'I did' he said, 'are you mad?' 'Of course, I am,' I said, 'here I am, sitting in front of the computer, watching ancient episodes of The Thin Blue Line, amidst the wreckage of a filthy and cat pea laden house, feeling foul and guilty already. And you, after a full day of stressful work, come home and fold the laundry too! Can't you see that I feel bad enough already.' Said thank you later. Turns out some wonderful lady in the church told him, by way of casual conversation, that if you fold the laundry as soon as it comes out of the drier, nothing gets wrinkled. And since I also don't iron, he thought he'd give it a try.
3.Turns out, due to the size of the head of the baby, that I'm a week ahead of my previously calculated due date of November 6. The doctor moved it up to Nov 2, which makes us all very happy. The very nice ultrasound technician lady, when I cringingly lifted my shirt and bore my flesh for all the world to see, exclaimed, 'You have Battle Scars! What baby is this?' 'Number 5' I said. 'Wow,' she said, 'you're never the same, are you?' But the baby is super healthy and cute, and I think its a boy, mostly based on the size of that enormous head.
4.This Sunday is Good Shepherd Sunday and there's going to be food between the services (well, there's always food, but I think its going to be fancy). I so enjoy these eating days at church. Really makes the whole morning worth while. So, if you're in the Binghamton area, come by and help us celebrate our name day.
5. I have tulips growing in my front planter/bed thing. They're really lovely. I'm so surprised and impressed.
6. Elphine has decided she would like to be a professional ballerina who dances Swan Lake at Carnegie Hall. Told her she has to be Really good in Math, be able to read and enjoy it, and know the Time line perfectly. I'm not sure she believed me, but she did buckle down to work on the Time Line for the rest of the day, so maybe she really means it.
7. I can't wait for my parents to come. Wish they were going to be here the whole summer. Think about it every day instead of doing important things (like cleaning the house). REALLY wish I could eradicate the cat pea before they arrive (without eradicating the cats, don't even suggest it, its not an option).

Go check out Jen for more Quick Takes.