Electro-bunny! Tatadada!

Well, if you tried to call me recently (not that you have--I'm taking liberties to setup for the following) the reason we were incommunicado is because our rabbit likes electricity ... apparently. He gnawed through the power cord to the central phone unit and charger. All wires have now been relocated to a hopefully less accessible level.

Now, I must admit I'm not sure what's going on with electro-bunny. Beneath the computer is his favorite place to be. I was under the impression that he was relocating wires so as to make his den less cluttered, but it seems I was wrong. One of the cords he chewed was an extension cord, which nearly always has power drawn on it. Can it be that he likes being electrocuted? I looked. Most of the chewed wires were electricity-bearing. I'd think he'd be fried. Yet he looks healthy enough.

Any input out there? How did Smudge chew the wires without getting zapped?

He Will Shine

Faith without works is dead ... What?

But I thought we are saved by faith and not of ourselves! It's a gift of God, not our works! How does this tie together?

Jam 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

Let's say one carries a blinding searchlight into a room covered with blackout curtains. The room is lit, but from outside there is no sign of the light inside. Add layers of drapery over everything in the room, covering dark corners and smothering furnishings. Light shows up these coverings, but doesn't necessarily illuminate what is beneath them.

Now, let us say that this room is a person. Christ's emergence into a life shines like the brightest light. Yet it isn't always seen so clearly from outside. Self-righteousness in any form will block the light. But the light of Christ has special properties. It dissolves the curtains between it and anything that needs to be revealed or illuminated.

What does this have to do with works and faith? When Christ illuminates, that is faith. The dissolving of obstruction to the light is works. Where the light shines through, that activity will be the acting out of faith. Sometimes the work of the light is internal, removing the blocks and sins of the heart. But there will always be a glimmer of light shining through.

It isn't that we do anything to deserve redemption from sin, it's that once we're redeemed, Christ WILL shine through. It isn't our business to cover up our sins, but to uncover them before Christ so His light can pierce and purify. It isn't our business to claim the beams of light as our own, but to rejoice that they are there even when we feel we're submerged in sin. Faith without works is dead, just as a room without light is dead.

Works without faith are dead too. We can do the right things and have the right furniture in our lives, but without the light of Christ shining out from within, these things become just another drapery between us and the glory that penetrates through our facade to self's core, dislodging whatever we esteem the most to make place for an eternal light that will never fade.

So, when one walks up to a believer to say, "I want to be like you," or, "You're so great!" what is really meant is, "I see Christ shining in you and it's attractive."

I'm so grateful that people have seen Christ in me despite my failures, sins and weaknesses. I'm so glad He's brighter than my darkness. Praise God for piercing my life and changing it. May all the darkness fade away till only Christ's light can be seen!

God is good when there's vomit on the carpet

God came through today, just as He has every other day of my life. But I'm going to tell you about today before I put away the groceries and go to bed. Yes, it's 1:00 am. I need to recover from the vomit before I handle food.

This morning I snatched two kleenexes from a box at church for no reason. I didn't have a runny nose, but the kleenex beckoned, and I gave in to the impulse of the moment without thought. Two minutes later, my FIL needed a kleenex. It was nice to hand him one ... and a little strange that I'd grabbed a kleenex moments before, but I didn't think much on it. An hour later, while we laid hands on our dear friends K. and L. who are heading away from us to go minister in Mexico, the second kleenex helped L. as she cried. Ok ... maybe God cares about kleenex.

I had a long nap this afternoon. This doesn't often happen. God cares about making sure I get enough rest when I'm going to be unavoidably up late.

Grocery shopping was a late evening affair tonight. The kids were up later than usual, and I waited to tuck them in before going. I returned about midnight, got all the bags in the door, closed it, and heard my son slam out of his bedroom to retch in the bathroom. God cares that I get home in time to help him in his illness.

God also made sure I had a ripped up old towel, white vinegar and extra baking soda on hand to clean up the mess. He also let me hear Munchkin mutter a prayer as he dropped off to sleep, talking to Him about his illness. Finally, he's beginning to understand that God is there all the time! Thanks, God. You cared to let me know that he is getting to know You better.

Sometimes, when life isn't the way we want it ... when it's just not a good time for there to be vomit on the carpet (like there's ever a good time for that...EWWW!) ... when friends are leaving ... when I'm up really late when I thought I'd finally get a good night's sleep ... these are the times when God seems really close. Maybe that's part of why He gives us trials? I don't know.

I'm just glad He's here right now as I wash vinegar out of my hands, put away the groceries and assemble a lunch for David tomorrow. If I'm tired tomorrow, He'll provide for that too. Because that's the way He is ... good in the little things, not just the large.

Ice!

The gravel is ice. The windshield is ice. The path is ice. The snow is ice.

I stomp on the snow.

There is almost no mark.

Our yard seems to be covered in nature's rendition of styrofoam, rather inflexible and prone to chip off in chunks or squash flat.

BUT

We still have snow.

I was afraid the rain would wash it away.

It didn't.

Lovely.

edge of thought

There, upon the edge of consciousness, stands the great Truth I wish to impart, a concept I cannot grasp nor surround. It stands greater, higher, broader, wider, brighter, deeper, further, nearer than I can define.

I walk its path, a hanging bridge, anchored upon the existence of its truth. No matter the social claims to the contrary, it is real and strong. It is there. I cannot change what it is, nor perceive all it contains, but this path is firm beneath my feet. I find substance in thin air, they say,... yet somehow I must be able to fly, for I do not hold myself up. I have no wings.

Come, believe and see that Christ is good! Let us exalt His name together.

He said it better than I could...

but it turns out I'm going to talk anyway.

I've been receiving the "great warning letter to all Christians" about The Golden Compass "threat". I've read half the trilogy, and while it was interesting story-telling, it seemed to be headed nowhere fast. A story loses meaning without the spirit and soul, just as a body loses life without them... but we'll not talk too much philosophy right now.

I certainly don't suggest just taking ones kids to this movie based on the quote below, but we must know what we are facing or we will be taking shots in the dark. Informed attack is so much better than vague accusation. Therefore, watch wisely. This may be an opportunity to teach your children to develop perception and to see how much more powerful God is than the enemy's propaganda.

Here is the article that prompted my post: Gold Plated Compass Can't Find North
Marcus has said what I wished to say, far better than I ever could.

If we’re threatened by something so hokey, what does that say about the substance and strength of our story? And this is why I don’t worry about these “threats” too much.... God’s truth will always be more powerful than a lame movie.

And a later addition... Jeffery Overstreet has a long, thought-provoking post on this subject. I agree with nearly everything he says. If you're bitter against the movie or author, or just confused as to why there's a fuss... the two articles linked above are the best resources I've found for framing a reference point.

Well, meaningful takes more time, so...

Here's a brief update to fill some of that time-gap.

I dipped many, many, many chocolate pretzel sticks for David's work last weekend, and made a few discoveries.
1. Crockpots do very well to melt large amounts of chocolate.
2. If you add butter or margarine to your chocolate (in an attempt to make it smoother), it chunks up instantly. Turns out they both have water in them.
3. White chocolate won't melt as well as dark, for some reason. Please explain! I wanted to drizzle the white and ended up having to paint it onto the sticks and drizzle with milk chocolate instead. Not that it turned out badly... but I wanted to drizzle the white!
4. Those Heath chips are really good mixed in with leftover chocolate, as are walnuts.

It's a good thing David decided to limit the banana bread loaves to just his key people. After waiting for all those bananas to turn brown, then mashing them, etc, it made just enough, plus a few gifts for the kids' co-op teachers. Next year, I'll get the bananas a week early, and buy twice as many. The baking part wasn't too bad. The new pans David bought me are great and the mini-loaves just popped right out without oil.

The kids are building a fortress in the snow pile left by the guy who plows our driveway. They are finishing their schoolwork in record time these days, with the snow luring them.

Next week I'll have to print out everything Princess and Munchkin have done and mark any bad grades that need to be improved and check if we're on track for January. They won't like it if they have to do more, but I think Munchkin will be fine. Princess, on the other hand, will likely have to add at least one more assignment per subject per day. She won't like it, but usually they take less time than she imagines they will.

Pixie is reading as well as Munchkin. I've been assured that sometimes boys just take longer with the same information. We shall see. He does KNOW more. He simply needs constant assurance when he's reading. "You know that." "See? You did know it!" Heh. I figure one of these days he'll get tired of me saying it, and will just read. Can anyone think of a can't-put-down book that would persuade a seven year old boy to persist in figuring out the words? One problem is that the software we're using will read to him the first three times through a story ... hmmm ... I wonder if I can turn it off ...

In all, I am blessed. Life continues on. Snow is a beautiful creation. Time to finish cleaning so I can decorate with the kids today.