belly button fuzz

Years ago, my mom noted my tendency to spend too much time analyzing my own belly button fuzz. As a person about whom this is a true statement, I actually liked it when she said it -- it was more fuzz for me to examine.

Now, this is who I am and it can be a helpful, healthy thing. It can also be annoying (to me and to my friends) and even unhealthy when I can't get past it.

Why all this confession? I supposed I was just thinking about stuff and caught myself thinking too much...and figured that this is exactly what the blog was created for. Ha.

This tendency is enhanced or magnified by holidays in general, by glowing fires (camp fires, candle flames, fireplace fires, etc.) and twinkling lights, by birth and death -- by all sorts of beginnings and endings, in fact, and even by hormones.

So, what have I been thinking about besides thinking about thinking too much? That will have to wait for another blog another day.

Blogging while Traveling: Lessons Learned

This is pretty simple, really. If I intend to blog while traveling I need to have a plan for dealing with inconsistent access to the internet. ANYwhere I travel this is a possibility. Many of the places I travel, this is reality.

I also need to set more realistic expectations for myself so this does not go the way of exercise -- expect too much, fail quickly, give up.

I experienced the limitations of my laptop battery and am investigating reasonable options.

Finally, if I want to make any type of video and upload it, I would benefit from having some short, royalty free music available to use as background.

So, thanks for your input (those of you who put things in via "Comments" or who mentioned things in email) and I'll keep working on this.

Panama: DAY THREE - World View

I'm going to write more later when I have time, but wanted to post this video while I had a good internet connection (there is much competition for the band width here) and battery on the laptop. When I do write, I'll explain what this silly video has to do with the conference here. Someone (Justin?) shared the dog video with me...I added the "title" to the beginning and end and the music (still practicing...).

Panama: DAY TWO - "God accepts langauge"

Kirk Franklin (Executive Director-elect for Wycliffe Bible Translators International) shared a future-looking Vision 2025 presentation this morning. I found it engaging and inspiring.
Kirk focused on the importance of defining MISSION -- pointing us to Chris Wright who defines MISSIONS as the "committed participation of God's people in the purposes of God for the redemption of the whole of creation."

From there, Kirk listed and discussed briefly the realities of mission. I'll list the main points (outline headings, really) and make a comment or two about some of them at least. Maybe all. No promises. (Some of this will be directly from the Session Abstract we received and some from the notes I took and some of my reflections in the meantime.)

Mission and the Spirit

God's mission is dependent upon the Holy Spirit regardless of whatever cultural, social, economic, political and linguistic realities and barriers exist. His Spirit empowers his children in an outward movement to the nations.

When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, God not only confirmed that reality, but also affirmed that LANGUAGE is an acceptable way to connect with and express God and His truth. And not just ONE language -- many languages. Vernacular languages. Common languages. Like the language I speak.

Mission and the Church

Chris Wright says "God has a church for his mission in the world." He does not say that God has a mission for his church. This statment may have been one of the most significant things I heard today. I've been chewing on it all day long and have a feeling that I'm not through with it yet.

What is the difference between a church that believes that it is on a mission from God and a church that beleives that God is on a mission and has invited them along for the adventure?

Mission and Translation

The Bible as God's living word speaks for itself in all human situations. The Gospel is infinately translatable and is intended for everyone regardless of what language they speak.

Lamin Sanneh speaks to this Word of God as being alwasy translated. The Greek NT, for instance -- the one we consider "original" -- is a translation from Aramaic language that Jesus likely spoke as he walked on this earth and spoke with common people. And when he read from the Scriptures, he likely read Hebrew.

Sanneh speaks of this Word this way: "It moves from place to place...[and] takes root among simple people as well as in cities and towns.

Holistic Concern

Two discussions here caught my attention. One was a discussion of SHALOM (and I'll leave that for another day). The other is the reality that holistic ministry is one that proclaims AND demonstrates the Gospel. Simple. Complete. Whole.

Mission and Empire

This discussion of "empire" and the reality that the Kingdom of God is NOT a human empire -- but that empires have usually tainted mission as missionaries have been caught up in empire building and lost their focus on God's mission. (I've had versions of this discusisons a number of times in the past few weeks. I wonder what that is about.)

Organizational Health and Development

My simple take away from this discussion about how mission organizations are being held accountable in ways they may never have been before by donors and governments, etc. is that we are called now as we always have been and alwasy will be to be excellent stewards of whatever resources, influence, relationships, etc. that God has given to us.

Mission and Wycliffe International

I'm not going to share these details that adress the new organizational structure of WBTI, etc. It was good stuff -- informative and consisten with what Kirk has set out as values and goals in his soon-to-emerge adminstration.

Panama: DAY TWO - Tres Leches

No, we have not had tres leches yet (three milk cake is one of my favorites) but we have experienced something else in "3" that I find wonderfully interesting and good.

When Kirk Franklin (Executive Director-elect for Wycliffe Bible Translators International) did his presentation on Vision 2025 and the future this morning in our 10am session (more about content later) his power point was in Portugese, Spanish and English -- three projectors, three computers, one presentation. He did the presentation in English (his heart language) and those who needed transalation had headphones.

Most of the presenting at this conference is done in Spanish, as it should be.

Panama: DAY ONE

...for those who think TRAVEL = SEXY

I've been up since 3:30a. I didn't mean to be up until 4a, but once I was awake, I was awake. I did try to doze back into a light slumber while waiting for my alarm to go off, but it was no use.

I left the house around 4:30a (and sure do appreciate that Dad will get up and be taxi man for these trips -- just makes my life easier).

I have spent most of the day standing in line waiting for something.

• Waiting to check in .


• Waiting to go through security.


• Waiting to get on the plane.


• Wiating for an electrical repair so we could fly the plane.


• Waiting to get off the plane.


• Waiting to use the toilet.


• Waiting to immigrate.


• Waiting to get a tourist visa that I didn't know I needed until I was all the way through the immigration line...and which I couldn't purchase until I went up stairs to a perfume store for change. (Yes, I waited in line for the change.)


• Waiting to go through customs (short wait).


• Waiting for enough people to arrive so the Hotel bus could justify a trip back from the airport. Waiting to get on the bus.


• Waiting to get my room assignment. (I'm in room 5005...and had to take the elevator DOWN from the lobby to get there. The ground-level lobby is on the 9th floor. The hotel is on the side of a mountain.)


• Waiting for the elevator.

I parked my bags in my hotel room around 1:45p...just over ten hours after climbing out of bed. Subtract an hour of "getting ready" and 3 hours flying and a total of 1 hour in the car or on the bus in transit between sleeping places and airports...and that means I've waited 5 hours today.

And it has actually all been pleasant and easy -- it was not a frustrating day, just a waiting day.

Does that make me a "lady in waiting?"

Traveling to Panama

Mon, Nov 12, 2007
Departs 6:00am -- Arrives 9:15am
COPA 435
Orlando, FL to Panama City, Panama






Fri, Nov 16, 2007
Departs 10:05am -- Arrives 1:28pm
COPA 404Panama City, Panama to Orlando, FL

Getting myself packed finally tonight and I had to stop and look up some critical info: voltage and plug type for one. I couldn't remember what time zone Panama is in, so I Googled that and found this site with LOTS OF LOGISTICAL INFO about Panama. If you're curious, you can find out things like weather and time and all that with a quick click of the mouse.

I'm not sure how all of my plans to "test" blogging and posting while traveling will work -- this is an experiment to see how I'll need to plan for my trip this Spring to the Philippines and Thailand. Thanks for your patience...participation...endurance. :)

Happy Birthday to me...

This is me and my mom...a number of months after I was born (I'm holding up my own head and am bald -- something that happened later. I was born with a full head of dark hair according to Hubbard family legends.)

I really have no idea what we were both looking at - but we were looking none the less.

These days (almost 6 years since my mom died) I miss her more on days like MY birthday than on hers - because my missing is more and more about me and less about her. And yes, I know that sounds selfish - because it is. I don't "wish" her here for her sake or because she would want to be here.

I'm not delirious. She's in heaven with Jesus in eternity - not bound by time and space, not confined by a body that creeks and hurts and frustrates. She has seen Christ face-to-face.

Mostly when I miss her it is because I miss the richness and fun she added to my life. I am especially grateful for friends who God had brought into my life to filled in some of the gap left when she moved Home.

So, way too late on my birthday I'm blogging this...missing my Mom a bit, but far more content than sad in the midst of it. Far more thankful than anything else. It has been a very good day.

I am Celebrating...

One of the things I've added to the Wycliffe website pages that are promoting the Kagayanen Trip and Celebration is a collection of statements from people who are somehow connected to this deal. They all begin, "I am celebrating..." You might enjoy seeing some of the people I work with and especially some with whom I am working on this project. What a joy it is!

Happy Birthday, Deb!

It's Deb's birthday today.

Deb is Cootie's "mom" in that strange way that humans include dogs in their families sometimes. In fact, Deb and I met because of Cootie who needed a place to live for a few weeks when they first moved here from Tennessee.

I borrowed this photo from Deb's daughter's FaceBook page.

Anyway: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

(Hmmmm. It's Erik Smith's birthday today too. Happy Birthday, Smitty!)

A Celebration in India

These women are dancing -- celebrating that God's Word is finally available in their heart language. You know, I've got more than one really good translation of the Bible in my heart language. I should really dance more.

This celebration took place in 2005 -- the year that Word For All in India celebrated the completions of five New Testaments in Indian languages.

Jacob George, the Director of Word For All tells part of the story in an article on Wycliffe's website.

My Rock Collection - Part 1

(FYI: I am testing some technology and my ability to use it well (without too much frustration) so I can be better prepared to do a daily update from the Philippines this Spring when I go for the Kagayanen Celebration. )

This is about a rock. Not a "rock star" or "rock and roll." In the Psalms God is declared to be a ROCK more than once, but this isn't about that either. Not exactly. It is about a softball-sized rock that sits on my desk. I'm not making this up.

Afternoon Distractions

not so bloggy

October has not been much of a blogging month. Maybe it's due, in part at least, to FaceBook and Scrabulous -- the FaceBook online Scrabble-like game that I do enjoy. It's also just me not writing much of anything to anyone. I do that (or, more correctly, DON'T do that) sometimes.

I've also not been doing any flower arranging this month. In fact, there are a lot of things I've not done in October:

bowling
roller skating
bread or cake baking
swimming
weaving (baskets or blankets -- though I did weave in and out of traffic one day)
model airplane building
oil changing or tire rotating

There is, in fact, a longer list of things I didn't do in October then of things I did. And that is perfectly fine by me.

Jeepnees

Have you ever asked yourself the question "If Jesus...what would he...?

Ever since those WWJD? bracelets were all the rage, I'm sure most of us have at least considered it. Well, I think that if Jesus lived in the Philippines today, he would ride in jeepnees.

I spent just over a week in the Philippines (Manila and Bagabag) a couple of years ago and I can give witness to the fact that jeepnees were everywhere I went. They are a kind of jeep looking vehicle -- long -- with room for more passengers than you'd probably imagine. Each one sports custom decor and, if I remember correctly, custom "horn" songs. They look like a party on four wheels. They are a fairly cheap form of reliable transportation.

They are one of the sights and sounds I'm looking forward to encountering once again when I return to the Philippines in April. Wycliffe is hosting a Vision Trip to Manila and Puerto Princesa where we will attend a huge celebration with the Kagayanen-speaking community as they receive the New Testament and Genesis. But that is a story for a different day.

Old Friends @ Some Guy's

No kidding, I think the kitchen crew was suspicious of this table full of women carrying on like, well, like there was no way we were just drinking water with lemon with our pizza.

This past weekend I was in Indy and on Thursday night I met some friends at Some Guy's Pizza for dinner. We were there for three hours. I've not laughed that hard, that much for a very long time. I love these women. I love they ways they follow hard after God and long for those around them to love Him and follow Him too. They don't pretend to have it all "together" and they don't blame everyone else for their "stuff." Each one, one step at a time, is moving closer and closer to the wholeness that comes through suffering and celebrating. They count on grace. They wallow in the wonder of Christ's love.

(One woman who was there but left before the photo was taken and a couple others who couldn't come...I'm talking about them, too.)

The Names of Jesus

This past week I was struck by a passage from Matthew 1 that speaks of two of His names: JESUS and IMMANUEL. "Jesus" because he would save his people from their sins. "Immanuel" which means "God with us" because He is the incarnation of God himself. I love that these two names are declared of Him at birth and practically in the same breath of text.

He is not a God who hangs around me because He is ignorant of my lostness -- He knows full well that I need to be saved and is the only One who can. And He does.

He is also not a God who comes to save me from my mess and then leaves me alone to figure out what to do next. He remains. "I am with you...always. To the end." He promised.

Jesus. Immanuel. I love those names.

This graphic is something I designed a few years ago for the Women of Solid Faith Retreat in Indiana.

PL'ing is a good thing...

This past Saturday I traveled with some friends to the Tampa area for a high school cross country meet. When I was in school (you'll notice I did NOT say, "when I ran cross country") our runners used to have dual meets on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. They competed all the time, it seemed. (Good for yearbook photographers like me -- we could wait for a sunny afternoon with little homework to get those riveting shots of people running past. Not so good for runners who competed more that trained once the season began.) There were dozens of schools there -- Varsity and JV, boys and girls. Apparently this is how they do it here in Florida and I think it's brilliant.

My friends' two kids both run for Timber Creek Timber Wolves.

Ellen is a freshman and runs JV -- her team described their race as "we were all just a little off today." They usually compete in the morning and this was a late afternoon meet in the Florida heat and humidity. We were all just a little off when they ran at 4:45pm. Personally I thought they looked pretty strong and competed well. And really, any one who can run over 3 miles and still smile gets my vote.

David, the first born, is captain of the boys' varsity team but he didn't run on Saturday. He was at Yale in a debate tournament. (I'm still trying to get my head around that. I did learn that it's a good thing when your kid is in debate and sends a text message saying "WE BROKE." It means they made it through the first elimination -- in the top half, I think.)

Anyhow, we watched the other races with Timber Creek students competing and at a cross country meet you don't sit on a bench and watch -- you move from place to place on the course and watch then run past. One mile mark. Two mile mark. Finish line.

(Oh, we did sit for a short spell while other races were being run and that ended in a rain storm. I'll not give you those details -- but if you'd have seen us, you would have laughed.)

Both the girls' and boys' varsity teams won their races. It was quite extraordinary to watch. All seven of the runners on the girls' team finished in the first 35 runners. (Yes, I was counting.) And the boys all PL'd (I think that means they got their personal low time -- or I know that's what it means, I just think that's what the letters stand for. "Personal Low.")

So, I have a few things to say about all of this:

1. There may be a lot of crazy people who do stupid, bad stuff and get in the news for it and it can feel like "kids these days" are so bad. There are kids who are pretty cool and who do great things -- like encourage team mates and compete hard and receive praise with a fair mix of satisfaction and humility.
   
2. Yes, sometimes I do miss teaching.
   
3. Go Wolves!
   

Singing Vegetable Pirates...

Well, I've never been to Greenland
(But I have flown over it on my way to Europe a few times...it's BIG and not all that green.)
and I've never been to Denver
(Actually, I have been to Denver. I lived there from 1964-1971.)
and I've never buried treasure in St. Louie or St. Paul.
(No, not in St. Louis, but maybe St. Paul, since I probably did bury something there while in college at Bethel.)
And I've never been to Moscow
(Oh, but I want to go there some day. I won't likely be going to Starbuck's when I'm there -- I hear the Mocha Latte is $9.)
and I've never been to Tampa
(Again...been there. Going there Saturday for a Cross Country meet, in fact. I wonder if we'll see the ocean. I've not seen the ocean for months.)
and I've never been to Boston in the fall!
(I was there this past summer and I did not fall while there, so I think this remains true.)

'Cuz we're the pirates who don't do anything!
We just stay at home and lie around.
And if you ask us to do anything,
we'll just tell you... we don't do anything!

And I never hoist the mainstay
(I'm not sure what a mainstay is, actually.)
and I never swab the poop deck
(Oh, I think I've done enough babysitting that can say I've swabbing the poop deck...)
and I never veer to starboard 'cuz I never sail at all.
(That's true.)
And I've never walked the gangplank
(But...figuratively. I have walked it figuratively.)
and I've never owned a parrot
(I caught a kind of parrot in my backyard a couple days after one of the hurricanes a few years ago. Eventually found the owners. Does that count? And are you counting all the "qualifier" words in that sentence...good grief!)
and I've never been to Boston in the fall!
(Yeah, I think I already talked about this.)

'Cuz we're the pirates who don't do anything!
We just stay at home and lie around.
And if you ask us to do anything,
we'll just tell you... we don't do anything!

Well, I've never plucked a rooster
(True again.)
and I'm not too good at ping-pong
(I've never been too good at ping-ping unless I was playing against an 8 year old who enjoys the fact that I want us to "hit is as many times as we can" more than I want to win.)
and I've never thrown my mashed postatoes up against a wall!
(Can a person plead the 5th in a blog?)
And I've never kissed a chipmunk
(I kissed a pig when I was teaching as a homecoming stunt. I'd do it again.)
and I've never gotten head lice
(But I have treated head lice a few time. There are worse things in life.)
and I've never been to Boston in the fall!
(This is getting redundant.)

Dangerous Women Creed

Dear God, please make us dangerous women.

May we be women who acknowledge our power to change, and grow,

and be radically alive for God.

May we be healers of wounds and righters of wrongs.

May we weep with those who weep and speak for those who cannot

speak for themselves.

May we cherish children, embrace the elderly, and empower the poor.

May we pray deeply and teach wisely.

May we be strong and gentle leaders.

May we sing songs of joy and talk down fear.

May we never hesitate to let passion push us, conviction compel us,

and righteous anger energize us.

May we strike fear into all that is unjust and evil in the world.

May we dismantle abusive systems and silence lies with truth.

May we shine like stars in a darkened generation.

May we overflow with goodness in the name of God and by the power of Jesus.

And in that name and by that power, may we change the world.

Dear God, please make us dangerous women.

Amen.

Lynne Hybels penned these words and offers them in her book titled Nice Girls Don't Change the World. I offer them for your consideration... inspiration... to challenge myself.

September 07 E.Postcard Update

As has been true with my other postcards, if you want to see this image full sized, click on it and it will open in your browser.

Introducing: Tara Lynn Thompson

Click on the title of this blog and you'll be transported to Tara's blog.

I can't tell you much about her. I was looking for an old friend this morning -- Googled her and found a blog she'd started in 2005 and ended in 2005. I've had those too.

I followed a link on her blog to another.

And followed a link on that blog to another (maybe thinking some how I'd run into my friend?).

So, I went looking for Tomi Nicole and ran into God in a blog by someone I've never met. I love it when God does stuff like that!

Negative Spits or Banana Splits

These are my friends, Mark and Charlene. They're on a journey to a whole new thing that is perfect for them. They're letting me help them put together some "media" that will help them tell the story of their journey as they invite people to be a part of it. Above is the Title Slide for the Power Point I designed this weekend.

They suggested the theme -- inspired by Mark who has been developing into a "real runner." He's done marathons. He's even done some sprint triathlons.

I'm learning about running as I develop stuff like this for them. Like, I learned about "negative splits." When a runner runs a better second half of a race than the first half of the race...that's a negative split. I guess it's counter-intuitive, but also really effective for those who can pace it properly.

Personally (and I know you'll not have any trouble believing this at all), I prefer banana splits.

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds

MATTHEW 13

24 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

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As I read from Matthew this morning, I was struck by this parable of Jesus. Here is the question I am chewing on (yes, kind of like a cow chews her cud): How much time and energy do we waste trying to pull weeds out of the fields in which we are growing as Kingdom wheat?

Motivated externally by the desire to produce a perfect harvest for Christ -- and internally by the desire to not be associated with the weed by those looking on from the outside -- we yank and tug and tear. Doesn't this passage tell us to not waste our time and that God will do the sorting later?

We should just grow and quit trying to kill off the weeds around us.

Can Long-Standing Racial Trends in Missions & Bible Translation Be Broken?

This press release hit the wire yesterday. One of my responsibilities is working with the DeMoss Group as Wycliffe presents various slivers of the Bible Translation story to the public through the media. I'm quite excited about this story -- about this relationship between Wycliffe and Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, so I decided to share it with whoever might be reading my blog this week.

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Wycliffe Bible Translators & Dallas-Based Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Partner to Develop Missions & Bible Translation Opportunities for African-American Churches

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 14, 2007 - Orlando-based Wycliffe Bible Translators and Dallas-based Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship (OCBF) have partnered to launch a nationwide effort to alert African-American churches to the needs and opportunities around overseas missions and Bible translation.

The partnership between Wycliffe and OCBF - founded and led by pastor, author and radio host Dr. Tony Evans - is the first of its kind and will challenge long-standing attitudes within African-American Churches regarding Bible translation and overseas missions.

"For generations, African-American Christians didn’t have the luxury of investing resources to serve people groups outside of our own communities," said Dr. Evans. "We had urgent equal rights issues right here at home. The minimal involvement of African-American churches in international evangelism and Bible translation efforts is a remnant of earlier civil rights injustices. Through this partnership with Wycliffe, we aim to change that."

The partnership leverages Wycliffe's 65 years of expertise in missions and Bible translation with OCBF’s ability to mobilize thousands of African-American Christians in a culturally relevant way.

Wycliffe is an international association of ministries dedicated to making God's Word accessible to all people in all languages. Although racially diverse, OCBF is one of the nation’s most influential, predominantly African-American churches with a congregation of some 8,500.

For Wycliffe Bible Translators, this is an opportunity to develop a new and creative model of partnering with the church that has the potential to impact lives for Christ. "Wycliffe is passionate about Bible translation and mission work," said Bob Creson, President of Wycliffe Bible Translators. "The African-American church has been passionately committed to - and successful in - breaking down social barriers and opening doors of opportunity in this country. We believe this is a God-given opportunity to combine our efforts to change the world for Christ."

WHAT: Wycliffe and OCBF will formally acknowledge the partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding

WHEN: Sunday, Sept.16 at 7:30 a.m.

WHERE: Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship at 1808 W. Camp Wisdom Rd, Dallas 75232

WHO: Wycliffe President, Bob Creson and Dr. Tony Evans

ABOUT WYCLIFFE BIBLE TRANSLATORS: There are more than 6,900 language groups in the world today. Of these, more than 2,200 languages are still without a Bible translation program started. Founded in 1942, Wycliffe is one of more than 70 organizations around the world that are assisting the Church in making disciples of all nations through Bible translation. The combination of tried and true language development techniques and technological advances are significantly accelerating the pace of Bible translation and impacting global evangelism and ministry efforts of every kind. Wycliffe and its partner organizations are working to start a Bible translation program in every language that needs one by the year 2025.

ABOUT OAK CLIFF BIBLE FELLOWSHIP: OCBF was founded by Senior Pastor Dr. Tony Evans and his wife, Lois, 1976 with ten people in their home. Today it is 8,500-member church that includes a state-of-the art Christian private school educating some 600 students, a social outreach program serving 6,000 people annually. OCBF serves nationwide via two major conferences and TV (broadcast in more than 100 countries) and radio broadcasts, including The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans (broadcast on 600 U.S.-based radio stations and in more than 40 nations worldwide).

Madeline L'Engle's Bibliography

1. 18 Washington Square South: A Comedy in One Act, 1944
2. The Small Rain, 1945 (This is one of my favorite books.)
   
3. Ilsa, 1946
4. And Both Were Young, 1949
5. Camilla Dickinson, 1951
6. A Winter's Love, 1957
7. Meet the Austins, 1960
8. A Wrinkle in Time, 1962 (I know it makes some crazy that L'Engle wrote science fiction with Christian twists and turns -- it's not "modern" in it's clear, linear apologetic, that's for sure.)
   
9. The Moon By Night, 1963
10. The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmas, 1964
11. The Arm of the Starfish, 1965
12. Camilla, 1965
13. The Love Letters, 1966 (I found this one accidentally and have enjoyed it more than once. The first time was over Spring Break in Johnson City, Tennessee. I also was introduced to southern sweet tea that week. Hmmmmmm. It was good.)
    
14. A Journey With Jonah (a play), 1967
15. The Young Unicorns, 1968
16. Dance in the Desert, 1969
17. Lines Scribbled on an Envelope and Other Poems, 1969
18. The Other Side of the Sun, 1971
19. A Circle of Quiet, 1972
20. A Wind in the Door, 1973 (I read this one first -- before the first one in the then trilogy.)
    
21. Everyday Prayers, 1974
22. Prayers for Sunday, 1974
23. The Risk of Birth, 1974
24. The Summer of the Great Grandmother, 1974
25. Dragons in the Waters, 1976
26. The Irrational Season, 1977
27. A Swiftly Tilting Planet, 1978
28. The Weather of the Heart, 1978 (I believe that this is the first thing of L'Engle's I ever read -- a collection of her poetry.)
    
29. Ladder of Angels, 1979
30. The Anti-Muffins, 1980
31. A Ring of Endless Light, 1980
32. Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art, 1980 (I read this as a freshman at Bethel. As an art major it was life changing.)
    
    "Stories are able to help us to become more whole, to become Named. And Naming is one of the impulses behind all art; to give a name to the cosmos we see despite all the chaos… When we look at a painting or hear a symphony or read a book and feel more Named, then, for us, that work is a work of Christian art. But to look at a work of art and then to make a judgment as to whether or not it is art, and whether or not it is Christian, is presumptuous. It is not something we can know in any conclusive way. We can know only if it speaks within our own hearts and leads us to living more deeply with Christ in God." (from Walking on Water)
    
    
33. A Severed Wasp, 1982 (Oh, yes!)
    
34. The Sphinx at Dawn, 1982
35. And It Was Good: Reflections on Beginnings, 1983
36. A House Like a Lotus, 1984
37. Trailing Clouds of Glory: Spiritual Values in Children's Literature, 1985 (with Avery Brooke)
38. Many Waters, 1986
39. A Stone for a Pillow: Journeys with Jacob, 1986
40. A Cry Like a Bell, 1987
41. Two-Part Invention, 1988
42. An Acceptable Time, 1989
43. Sold Into Egypt: Joseph's Journey into Human Being, 1989
44. The Glorious Impossible, 1990
45. Certain Women, 1992 (One of my TOP FIVE by L'Engle...)
    
46. The Rock That is Higher, 1993
47. Anytime Prayers, 1994
48. Troubling a Star, 1994
49. Glimpses of Grace, 1996 (with Carole Chase)
50. A Live Coal in the Sea, 1996
51. Penguins and Golden Calves: Icons and Idols, 1996
52. Wintersong, 1996 (with Luci Shaw)
53. Bright Evening Star, 1997
54. Friends for the Journey, 1997 (with Luci Shaw)
55. Mothers and Daughters, 1997 (with Maria Rooney)
56. Miracle on 10^th Street, 1998
57. A Full House, 1999
58. Mothers and Sons, 1999 (with Maria Rooney)
59. Prayerbook for Spiritual Friends, 1999 (with Luci Shaw)
60. The Other Dog, 2001
61. Madeleine L'Engle Herself: Reflections on a Writing Life, 2001 (with Carole Chase)
62. The Ordering of Love: The New and Collected Poems of Madeleine L'Engle, 2005

The Name-Ox

God, by his grace, prepared the Murle people of East Africa to hear the Good News that would come to them in the form of His Word long before anyone began to translate the Scriptures into their mother tongue. He built a perfect illustration of himself into their culture.

A teenage Murle boy receives his title of manhood through a special ceremony in which he is given a secret name and a gift of an ox. Bonding takes place between the boy and his name-ox, and the ox goes wherever the boy travels.

The boy has a natural desire to be part of his age set group. If he commits a sin, the ultimate punishment is to be ostracized from his age-set. To restore his relationship with the age-set, he must kill his ox in a special ceremony. His beloved animal is sacrificed for the boy's sin.

The Murle understand that Jesus became the name-ox for mankind.

Psalm 51:1-17 - The Message

Psalm 51

1-3
Generous in love—God, give grace!
Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt,
soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I've been;
my sins are staring me down.

4-6
You're the One I've violated, and you've seen
it all, seen the full extent of my evil.
You have all the facts before you;
whatever you decide about me is fair.
I've been out of step with you for a long time,
in the wrong since before I was born.
What you're after is truth from the inside out.
Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

7-15
Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean,
scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don't look too close for blemishes,
give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don't throw me out with the trash,
or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God;
I'll let loose with your praise.

16-17
Going through the motions doesn't please you,
a flawless performance is nothing to you.
I learned God-worship
when my pride was shattered.
Heart-shattered lives ready for love
don't for a moment escape God's notice.


The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Magdalena: Released from Shame

I previewed this film last night. Mary (Magdalena) introduces her friends to Jesus through her own story and the stories of other women whose lives he touched by his love and grace.

(Click on the title of this blog to go to the Magdalena website.)

Go Big Red!

Behind dominating performances from its middle blockers, the top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team claimed the 2007 AVCA Showcase crown with a 30-23, 22-30, 30-18, 30-21 victory over fifth-ranked UCLA in front of an event record-crowd of 11,076 at the Qwest Center.

I was one of the 11,076 and it was a great evening of college volleyball! The match between Utah and Tennessee that preceded the Nebraska-UCLA match was a nail biter, too. I was wiped out by the time we got home just after midnight -- but with no regrets!

And here's one of the things I love about the athletic program at the University of Nebraska: the athletes are STUDENTS. One of these women -- (#9 Sarah Pavan -- a 6'5" senior from Canada) is carrying a 4.0 in microbiology.

Dingeldodies

"But then they danced down the street like dingeldodies, and I shambled after as I've been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue center light pop and everyone goes 'Awww!'"

-Jack Kerouac

Nebraska

I mean no disrespect when I say that some of you reading this can never understand my love for this state in which I've never lived (I am the ONLY person in my family who can say that, by the way) and which is mountain-less and beach-less.

In a couple of hours, I'm hopping on a Delta flight through Cincinnati to Omaha where we'll pick up a rental car and drive to Lincoln. Two other colleagues and I will be attending the annual meeting of the North American Forum of Bible Agencies held, this year, at the headquarters of Back to the Bible.

After I drop the two of them back off at the airport in Omaha on Saturday morning, I am staying to hang out with family for a few days. I am NOT being sarcastic (so if you're reading it that way, go back and change my tone of voice in your head and try again) when I say that I'm excited to be going.

Nebraska in August may be occasionally HOT and HUMID, but I hear that the corn is high and green and gorgeous this year! And I hear that the Husker women's volleyball team is #1 in the nation (and we have tickets for Saturday night!!).

Now, I've not found many wi-fi hot spots in the places where I'll be, so don't expect real-time updated to this blog while I'm gone. I'm sure you'll be fine.

It's just wrong...

I was out wandering around the neighborhood early this morning on my Schwinn 1-speed (slow) with an Ahhhhhh Soft seat and realized that there were teen-agers lurking around corners and coming out of houses. Here it was, not quite 6 AM, and they were out waiting for the bus to take them to school.

How can this be right? How can it even be healthy? I mean, really, how many of these kids watch at least through Letterman's Top 10 list before going to sleep (around midnight) and then get up at 5:40 to catch a 6 o'clock bus?!

Here I was feeling all proud of myself for being up early and there they are. A few of them at least are eating Pop tarts with their Throttle Energy Drink. (I wonder if Kellogg's has thought about putting caffeine in their Pop tarts -- I bet that would sell.)

This just makes me sad.

SVP in charge of Rocks

How cool is that?!!

Alright, so here's the deal. A week or two ago I got an email from the Center Services director telling me that he needed to clear some stuff out of a space that was being re-purposed and asking whether one "collection" of items might be of interest to me as we keep looking for ways to creatively tell the Wycliffe story.

The collection? Rocks. Stones. They'd been collected by a former President of Wycliffe USA and were used in a display when Wycliffe was moving from Orange County, California to Orange County, Florida -- reminders of where we'd been and of where we were going.

I immediately responded that I would find a way to use them and please feel free to deliver them to my office any time. They arrived late last week and I couldn't be happier. I'm working on developing "talking points" for them. I'm even thinking about ways to update or add to the collection -- including creating a list of places from which I'd really like to add a stone.

Once I've got a first draft of a script together, I'll probably share it here.

Until then, rejoice with me for this uniquely perfect for uniquely me delivery of big, cool rocks to my third floor office. Some of you know just how much that spoke to me of God's ability to do whatever He wants to do -- no matter how unlikely.

07MA: Days 6-8 - Leadership Summit

Wednesday and Thursday (all day) and Saturday morning I attended Willow Creek's Leadership Summit with Bill and Terri @ Grace Chapel in Lexington (where Bill is an executive pastor -- a great story in itself). I was planning to attend @ Discovery Church in Orlando with others from Wycliffe, but when it worked out for me to visit Burkes the days before, it only made sense for me to stay and attend with them.

The Summit was, as it has been every year I've attended, a well planned and well executed event balancing inspiration with information, admonition with encouragement, reflection with celebration.

Some sessions were favorites right away -- others become favorites later, as the content seeps its way into me.

John Ortberg -- that man is not only a great communicator with a delicious sense of humor, God speaks well through him.

I'm not going to summarize all the sessions in this blog. Maybe there will be times when I'm reflecting on what I heard and I'll do that -- but not now.

Saturday we left the summit and headed directly to Logan International airport when I discovered that Delta had changed me from a "through Atlanta to Orlando" flight to a direct flight leaving 20 minutes later and arriving 2 1/2 hours earlier -- and they'd upgraded my seat to 1st class again. Nice way to end a vacation.

07MA: Day 5 - Hogwarts

On Wednesday I slept in (after staying up late reading) and then spent nearly all the day reading. Finishing #7. I started it on the plane flying up. I moved from the chair to the sofa to the wicker chair on the deck to another chair...and read. It was delicious.

07MA: "The Big Dig"

Click on the title above if you want to read about the Big Dig. I was not really familiar with the project until I arrived in the city and was riding through the under-the-water tunnel and Bill told me about it. It's a rather extraordinary thing.

I'll resist any elaborate comparisons between this project an a certain tower that was central stage in one story in Genesis that didn't turn out as the way-too-intelligent-for-their-own-good city folk thought it would.

Anyhow, the "trivia" we heard from our ConDUCKtor was confirmed on the turnpike website: The Big Dig project placed 3.8 million cubic yards of concrete, enough to build a sidewalk three feet wide and four inches thick from Boston to San Francisco and back three times.

07MA: Day 4 - Boston (Duck Tour and Quincy Market)

After catching a view of the city from the SkyWalk on the 51st floor of the Prudential Building (a story in itself with strange clouds and all) Terri and I took a Duck Tour.

The fun began as soon as we boarded our "DUCK", an authentic, renovated World War II amphibious landing vehicle. After we all got settled, they moved us to another "DUCK" and there were some misunderstandings about "keeping your old seats" and all. I was mostly amused. Terri and I were with six others on a higher platform off the back end of the "DUCK."

We were greeted, as promised, by one of their legendary tour ConDUCKtor, who narrated our tour. We cruised by all the places that make Boston the birthplace of freedom and a city of firsts, from the golden-domed State House to Bunker Hill and the TD Banknorth Garden, Boston Common and Copley Square to the Big Dig, Government Center to fashionable Newbury Street, Quincy Market to the Prudential Tower, and more. Our ConDUCKtor even took us by Old Ironsides in dock. How cool is that! And, as Boston unfolded before our eyes, your ConDUCKtor gave us lots of little known facts and interesting insights about Boston -- like my favorite Big Dig trivia.

And just when I thought we'd seen it all, there was more. It was time for "Splashdown" as our ConDUCKtor splashed your DUCK right into the Charles River for a breathtaking view of the Boston and Cambridge skylines. It was very cool.

After the tour, we walked to Quincy Market for lunch. I had a Lobster Roll and a cup of New England Clam Chowder from the Chowda Company. FANTASTIC stuff. Another "food from a place" eaten in the place and check off my list!! (Next time, Boston Creme Pie!)

We dinked around in shops and wandered down to the water. I walked barefoot in the "real" grass a while. We sat in Rose Kennedy's Rose Garden for quite a while and talked. As we headed back toward the train, we ran into this performer just finishing his act.

I even found a pair of Clark's shoes (exactly what I'd been looking for, no kidding) on sale! What a day!!

07MA: Day 3 - Boston (Museum + Theater)

Terri and I took the train into the city. I can still hear the automated announcement: "Next stop, Harvard" and "Next stop, MIT." I had the lowest IQ on the train.

We took the red line to the green line and that out to the Boston Museum of Fine Art to catch the Edward Hopper Exhibit. While we waited for our "turn" to enter this special event, we headed to the Impressionists in the European Art section. I love it.

I'm so glad we rented the headsets for the Hopper -- I know so little and don't have the patience to read all the captions I need to read to really get it all. It was all very well done and Hopper's art is quite enjoyable in many ways. I still don't get the thing with some artists for painting women doing mundane things (sitting in a chair, looking out a window, reading the paper, and such) naked. Even more odd to me is naked except for shoes or a hat. Anyhow, I'm not really looking for answers about that...just find it strangely amusing.

We grabbed a late lunch and then, inspired by the RAIN to alter our afternoon plans, we headed to the Lowes multiplex across the street from Boston Common and just down the street from Park Street Church. (I'd like to visit there next time I go to Boston.)

We saw Becoming Jane. Also very enjoyable. Sad story, really...but nicely told. I enjoyed Anne Hathaway in this role.

07MA: Day 2 - Concord

On Sunday after church at Grace Chapel of Lexington and brunch, Terri took me to Concord. We stopped at the Minute Man Visitor's Center and watched a great (yes, Meg, I said GREAT) media presentation that told the story of April 19, 1775 when lanterns were hung in a bell tower and Paul (and another guy -- did you know there was another guy) rode through the night and the "red coats" marched from Boston to Concord, through Lexington.

Of all the "historic sites" around that event that I could have chosen, I wanted to see the North Bridge at the Minute Man National Park. Remember the "shot heard round the world?"



The bridge has been rebuild a couple of times since 1775, but it's the same place and same land. Also, most of these trees were not standing in that day -- the land had been cleared and there was a fairly good view from the hill just behind this into the town (not at all visible now).

Right next to this site is the Old Manse built c. 1770 by Ralph Waldo Emerson's grandfather who was a minister living in the house April 19, 1775 and, it is said, watched history unfold out his study windows.

Both Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote here. So, the trees are new since then and the grass is new since then, but there was this HUGE rock in the back yard of the Manse and it had to have been there when Ralph and Nathaniel were here writing.

It is impossible to think that they did not sit on this rock and look out at the river. So, THAT is where I needed to sit.

And then stand. The Manse is behind me -- I'm facing the river.

We also went to the Concord Museum.

Besides having a great collection of period furniture and clocks from various periods of Concord's rich history, they had a great collection of both Emerson and Thoreau "stuff." I loved seeing some of the things from the small house (cabin) Thoreau built and lived in at Walden Pond, for instance.

07MA: Day 1 - Lake Winnipesaukee

After my plane landed (thanks to Medallion status with Delta I enjoyed a first class seat on my non-stop to Logan International Airport which is one of my new favorite places to land -- beautiful view), Bill and Terri took me to their home in Lexington where we had a quick lunch before heading to New Hampshire. (BONUS...one more state added to my "been there" list!!)

We got to their boat and did all the things you have to do to prepare a boat to launch (I watched) and headed out onto Lake Winnipewsaukee. GORGEOUS! Weather was perfect. They said it was a little choppy, but I loved it.

We motored up to the town of Meridith where we docked and eventually disembarked for supper, a stroll around the town, and an ice cream cone before re-boarding and heading back to the dock where they keep the boat.

By the time we were loading into the car for the drive home, it was dark. Ahhhhhhh!



Bill is a very good captain, if you wondered. And no, we did not see the President of France -- though he was on this same lake at this time.

The water.
The mountains.
The sky.
Perfect way to start a vacation.

[Yes, I am posting these according to the dates they happened and not the dates when I'm finally blogging. It makes more sense to me this way.]

from BOSTON

ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2007, I BLOGGED:
I've been here for a few days and have seen SO much! When I get home, I'll blog about some of the highlights. Until then...

What is on your iPod?

I'm NOT going to list all the songs on my Nano, but I will tell you about one play list that I always have loaded -- even when other lists come and go.

I call it "TO REMEMBER" and it's a set of songs that help me remember what IS and what is NOT. Who GOD is and who I am...and who I am not.

This is what that play list looks like right now:

Who Is God?
Northland Worship Team
One Hallelujah

Come Now Is The Time To Worship
Brian Doerksen
Come Now Is The Time To Worship
2000

Open The Eyes Of My Heart
Paul Baloche
WOW Worship: Yellow
1999

Breathe
Passion
One Day Live
2000

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
Chris Tomlin
See The Morning
2006

John 11
Randall Goodgame
The Hymnal
2002

Redeemer
Nicole C. Mullen
Nicole C. Mullen
2000

I Will Sing Of My Redeemer
Fernando Ortega
This Bright Hour
1997

Hallelujahs
Chris Rice
Deep Enough To Dream
1997

This Is My Father's World
Randall Goodgame
The Hymnal
2002

Share The Well
Caedmon's Call
Share The Well
2004

All The Nations
Michale O'Brien
Voices Of The Faithful
2005

O Praise Him (All This For A King)
David Crowder Band
Illuminate
2003

Hallelujah (Your Love Is Amazing)
Vineyard UK
Surrender
2000

For the Lord is Good
Northland Worship Team

Soon And Very Soon
Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
Tribute - The Songs Of Andrae Crouch
1996

I'll Fly Away
Avalon
Faith: A Hymns Collection
2006

August 3 E.Postcard Update

As always, click on the image above and it will open in the browser in a larger format that is easier to read.

Cabbage Patch Kids

A couple years ago when I traveled to Costa Rica to visit friends, I found that Lucy's girls had a Cabbage Patch Doll. We all thought it bore an uncanny resemblance to me. What do you think?

"good-bye"

Aileen* left town today -- started on her multi-month, multi-state venture.

Once that venture is completed, she'll be headed to the other side of the globe.

Twelve time-zones away.

Half the time when it's today here, it's already tomorrow there.

One more thing that reminds me of just how much I can't wait for heaven when the "space" between us will be transformed by the perfect love of Christ in whom all things are brought together in perfect unity. No more tears. No more sorrow. No more "good bye."



[Here is a photo of the Communications Department + me that Aileen had taken today. When you find me (easy to do) then you can find Aileen over my left shoulder in the white blouse. Heather is behind her in green. Heather and her husband, Jeff, will begin their venture away from Wycliffe USA toward assignments in Africa on August 8. I'll say good bye to her on Friday before I head out on vacation.]


*see post from July

God Speaks..."Ho"

God speaks English.

This makes perfect sense to those millions of us who have grown up in the States with multiple Bible translations and churches available to us. We never considered that God would not speak our language. We are ethnocentric.

And even in our ethnocentricity, we are not surprised to hear that God speaks
Spanish and French,
Korean and Mandarin,
Swahili and Tagalog.

But Chru (14,000* speakers, mostly in Viet Nam),
Jowulu (11,000* speakers, mostly in Mali),
Tboli (120,000* speakers, mostly in the Philippines),
Bribri (11,000* speakers, mostly in Costa Rica)
or Ho (1,077,000* speakers, mostly in India)?

God is the creator of all peoples and cultures and therefore speaks all languages perfectly. I'm convinced, however, that a person does not believe that God speaks her language until she "hears" Him speak.

This summer, through the medium of the JESUS Film, God is speaking Ho. The release of this film marks the 1000th language for which the JESUS Film has been produced. To read more about it, click on the TITLE of this blog and you'll be taken to a press release on the Christian news wire.

(*Information taken from the Ethnologue -- on-line edition.)

COOTIE @ Camp Hub (009)

Cootie has gone home with her family. Her last week of camp was filled with thunder storms and many normal camping activities. She did want me to tell you about one last class she took: Photoshop 101. She asked me to write this, I believe, because she didn't want you to think that the other images of her at camp had been "faked" in any way. I assure you that they were not. The only Photoshop work done in them was the addition of titles.

This is a typical response from anyone newly introduced to the power of Photoshop software -- suspicion that most images we see have been fixed in some way.


Anyhow, I'll put Cootie's class assignment project here for you to see. She thought it was fun.

Sangre de Christo Mountains

This mountain range is one I actually recognize. When I was a kid, we lived in Denver and spent time in this valley and a the foot of Horn Mountain in this range at Horn Creek Ranch. If you look at the photo and identify what appears to be the tallest peak, that's Horn Peak.

We moved away from Colorado when I was in 3rd grade -- returning a few times in the years following for a visit to this place.

Then, after graduating from college, I spent the summer here working at the Lodge. Great summer. But, that was more than 20 years ago and I've not been back since then.

Last week I was looking at some images on Flickr.com and wondered what I'd find if I did a search of places I've visited or lived and found it really interesting. I've decided that when I travel, if I have one of those "oh, the only photo I took of that one building or monument or stream is blurrrrrry!" experiences, I'm gong to look on Flickr and see if I can find what I missed. But, I digress.

I searched for "Westcliffe, Colorado" and found this and other images of places and things I recognize -- including the Sangre de Christo mountain range. Beautiful.

Technically, the range I've always known as the Sangre de Christos is the northern most range in a larger "family" of ranges stretching from Colorado to New Mexico known as the Sangres. Who knew? Thanks to the WWW, I do now. I also read that "The majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains provide a scenic backdrop for ranching activities of the adjacent Wet Mountain Valley. The Sangre peaks pictured here are part of the 226,455 acre Sangre de Cristo Wilderness Area, designated by Congress in 1993."

COOTIE @ Camp Hub (008)

I know what I want to do next summer instead of this camp: I want to be the next Food Network Star!!

Since the season 3 finale was on television last night, I tried to watch as much of the season in rerun as I was allowed on Sunday.

I suppose this is a good time to tell you that I was asked to not come back to the etymology class after a rather unfortunate incident involving spiders. So I switched to the culinary arts and have found my niche in the universe.

I've made (or at least smelled while it was being made and I was wearing an apron, which has to count for something) curry chicken and rice with vegetables and a meatball sandwich on asiago cheese bread. I can't wait to find out what is on the menu today!

COOTIE @ Camp Hub (007)

I don't understand how everyone knows I had a banana for breakfast...