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"the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." john 1:5
Thursday, May 3, 2012
the light
"the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." john 1:5
Saturday, April 28, 2012
couldn't live without . . .
dear emily,
i was hemming through my day, crookedly as always, and thought of
something that i could not live without.
books.
for lent one year i fasted books. it was excruciating. take my chocolate,
my desserts, my phone, but give me my books.
sometimes i have three or four books humming through my mind at the same
time. beautiful or tragic phrases become cadences in my soul like, "sleep
was spooned into her." other times i remind myself of elf saying interesting
words repeatedly, "francisco, franCISco, F R A N C I S CO!"
i love the silliness of amelia bedelia as much as i adore the heroism of
gentle atticus. big books, little books, tragedies, comedies, mysteries . . .
the book i've read the most? the Good Book.
no matter how late the doctor is for my 1:00 appointment or how long the
traffic is piled up at 51st and harvard, i have the means to escape into the
tale i keep with me at all times. sometimes i look forward to waiting, so i
have another excuse to read.
what thing could you not live without?
love,
lea
"do not let this Book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate on it
day and night . . . " joshua 1:8
i was hemming through my day, crookedly as always, and thought of
something that i could not live without.
books.
for lent one year i fasted books. it was excruciating. take my chocolate,
my desserts, my phone, but give me my books.
sometimes i have three or four books humming through my mind at the same
time. beautiful or tragic phrases become cadences in my soul like, "sleep
was spooned into her." other times i remind myself of elf saying interesting
words repeatedly, "francisco, franCISco, F R A N C I S CO!"
i love the silliness of amelia bedelia as much as i adore the heroism of
gentle atticus. big books, little books, tragedies, comedies, mysteries . . .
the book i've read the most? the Good Book.
no matter how late the doctor is for my 1:00 appointment or how long the
traffic is piled up at 51st and harvard, i have the means to escape into the
tale i keep with me at all times. sometimes i look forward to waiting, so i
have another excuse to read.
what thing could you not live without?
love,
lea
"do not let this Book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate on it
day and night . . . " joshua 1:8
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
dear emily,
do you remember the hilarious movie, lost in america, with albert brooks and
julie hagerty? it's about the downward spiral of a yuppie couple who sells
everything to take an adventure in an RV. brooks is dumbfounded to realize
his wife is a compulsive gambler and has, in fact, lost all their money (the
nest egg) in a casino.
he tells her that she is no longer allowed to even say the phrase, "nest egg."
my husband adores this movie and frequently quotes the funniest lines. he
has even coined his own for me. last summer oklahoma endured the longest
string of unbearably hot days in the nation's history. i only know this
through other people's accounts, because i was in colorado the entire time.
so, i am not allowed to say, "man, did we ever have a hot summer!" i can't
even say, 'hot' or 'summer' in the same paragraph, which is a small price to
pay, really, for a summer in colorado.
i hope this summer isn't as hot as last summer (don't tell him i said that.)
love,
lea
"my brothers are as undependable as streams . . . that cease to flow in the
dry season, and in the HEAT vanish from their channels." job 6:15-17
do you remember the hilarious movie, lost in america, with albert brooks and
julie hagerty? it's about the downward spiral of a yuppie couple who sells
everything to take an adventure in an RV. brooks is dumbfounded to realize
his wife is a compulsive gambler and has, in fact, lost all their money (the
nest egg) in a casino.
he tells her that she is no longer allowed to even say the phrase, "nest egg."
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| google image |
my husband adores this movie and frequently quotes the funniest lines. he
has even coined his own for me. last summer oklahoma endured the longest
string of unbearably hot days in the nation's history. i only know this
through other people's accounts, because i was in colorado the entire time.
so, i am not allowed to say, "man, did we ever have a hot summer!" i can't
even say, 'hot' or 'summer' in the same paragraph, which is a small price to
pay, really, for a summer in colorado.
i hope this summer isn't as hot as last summer (don't tell him i said that.)
love,
lea
"my brothers are as undependable as streams . . . that cease to flow in the
dry season, and in the HEAT vanish from their channels." job 6:15-17
reassessment
dear emily,
i received a facebook message from a woman that my grandmother used to
mentor 40 years ago. she reminded me from whence i came, of my godly
heritage, thereby encouraging me to step it up a little. after i recovered
from the shame, i re'ass'essed. (that little word is in the bible.)
it is good to stop and reflect on the state of one's condition. mine has been
better . . . and worse. it is harmful to compare oneself with others, though.
as i serf blogland, many seem to be putting on a very good show: amazing
recipes, breathtaking interior designs, incredibly gifted children, bionic
husbands! can all these women's lives really be that wonderful?
well, mine's not. i think more of us are like lucy than bree.
if i sometimes seem flippant, it's because i am more eager to show my warts
than my lashes. (my warts actually look better than my lashes.) my prayer
is that when you see my frailties, you will be encouraged to think, "if that
crazy old coot could raise a family, well then, SO can i!"
and you're doing a much better job than i did.
love,
lea
"let him who boasts, boast in the Lord." 1 corinthians 1:31
i received a facebook message from a woman that my grandmother used to
mentor 40 years ago. she reminded me from whence i came, of my godly
heritage, thereby encouraging me to step it up a little. after i recovered
from the shame, i re'ass'essed. (that little word is in the bible.)
it is good to stop and reflect on the state of one's condition. mine has been
better . . . and worse. it is harmful to compare oneself with others, though.
as i serf blogland, many seem to be putting on a very good show: amazing
recipes, breathtaking interior designs, incredibly gifted children, bionic
husbands! can all these women's lives really be that wonderful?
well, mine's not. i think more of us are like lucy than bree.
if i sometimes seem flippant, it's because i am more eager to show my warts
than my lashes. (my warts actually look better than my lashes.) my prayer
is that when you see my frailties, you will be encouraged to think, "if that
crazy old coot could raise a family, well then, SO can i!"
and you're doing a much better job than i did.
love,
lea
"let him who boasts, boast in the Lord." 1 corinthians 1:31
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
some like it hot
have you ever noticed how finely we tune the temperature of everything
we touch or eat? our homes can easily hover around 69 degrees all
year around. if we want to take that temperature outside, we can chill
the air with water cooled fans in the summer or heat lamps in the winter.
some of us won't drink a glass of water unless it's ice cold or swim in a
pool unless it's as warm as a bath. my husband likes his coffee and soup
to be scalding hot . . . so hot that i can not even touch the mug or bowl.
thank goodness, that's not how he likes his wife.
i worry, though, that because we have found so many ways to keep ourselves
comfortable and insulated, we will not be prepared for trials ahead. we are
completely dependent on our electricity, available water, heat and air,
mangos from brazil or tea from china.
our grandparents were better prepared for hardship and more capable of
taking care of themselves. in some ways, we are like children . . . or sheep.
love,
lea
"all we like sheep have gone astray . . . " isaiah 53:6
we touch or eat? our homes can easily hover around 69 degrees all
year around. if we want to take that temperature outside, we can chill
the air with water cooled fans in the summer or heat lamps in the winter.
some of us won't drink a glass of water unless it's ice cold or swim in a
pool unless it's as warm as a bath. my husband likes his coffee and soup
to be scalding hot . . . so hot that i can not even touch the mug or bowl.
thank goodness, that's not how he likes his wife.
i worry, though, that because we have found so many ways to keep ourselves
comfortable and insulated, we will not be prepared for trials ahead. we are
completely dependent on our electricity, available water, heat and air,
mangos from brazil or tea from china.
our grandparents were better prepared for hardship and more capable of
taking care of themselves. in some ways, we are like children . . . or sheep.
love,
lea
"all we like sheep have gone astray . . . " isaiah 53:6
Sunday, April 15, 2012
tornadoes create strange bedfellows
dear emily,
people outside oklahoma are always surpised at our cavalier attitude toward
tornadoes. we're as accustomed to them whirling about as the azaleas
blooming each spring. still, they provide some interesting situations. an
adorable young woman recently told me this tornado story.
she and her husband hired a young man to pull some weeds from their yard
to help him raise funds for a mission trip. unfortunately, as he was working,
a three block wide tornado tore through their town, skipping from house to
house. the sirens sounded, and the little bride urged the young man into
their inner closet.
that is what we do in oklahoma.
after they shut themselves in, the poor girl realized that she had barricaded
herself in a closet with another man.
it could have been worse. many people dive for the bathtubs.
love,
lea
"but even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed."
1 peter 3:14
people outside oklahoma are always surpised at our cavalier attitude toward
tornadoes. we're as accustomed to them whirling about as the azaleas
blooming each spring. still, they provide some interesting situations. an
adorable young woman recently told me this tornado story.
she and her husband hired a young man to pull some weeds from their yard
to help him raise funds for a mission trip. unfortunately, as he was working,
a three block wide tornado tore through their town, skipping from house to
house. the sirens sounded, and the little bride urged the young man into
their inner closet.
that is what we do in oklahoma.
after they shut themselves in, the poor girl realized that she had barricaded
herself in a closet with another man.
it could have been worse. many people dive for the bathtubs.
love,
lea
"but even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed."
1 peter 3:14
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