Archive for April, 2010
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
Measure twice, cut once
When I went to China a few months ago, Talitha sent me with one gift request–red silk to make a dress for this spring’s father-daughter event at church.
The event is soon–very soon–and if it looks like I’m blogging to put off cutting into the silk, I am. Here’s the mental conversation.
Me: I’ve never sewed with such expensive material before.
The other me: You’ve already cut the dress out of an old tablecloth and fitted it on Talitha, so you could make your adjustments there, so what’s the problem?
Me: Yeah, but to actually touch scissors to the silk. What if I mess it up?
The other me: How many yards to you have?
Me: More than I need.
The other me: So-o-o?
Me: Well, I guess I could cut another piece if I mess one up.
The other me: And how many years have you been sewing?
Me: Since I was Talitha’s age.
The other me: So close that computer and get off your . . .
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
I am David
I’m pretty picky about movie reviews–very picky, actually. The reviews I want are from friends who think like I do, who can tell me whether there is (even minor or suggestive) sexual content and what’s up with bad language.
I’ll probably look at “regular” reviews too, but I’m not surprised if I disagree in the end. That usually means I don’t watch even though the reviews are great.
Here’s a prime example in the other direction. My very good friend Karin recommended the DVD I Am David. Before we watched, I discovered the mediocre-to-bad reviews the movie received when it was first released.
But Karin said, “It’s a very good film. You ought to watch it.” I trusted her and she was right. How is it that I’d never even heard of this story before?
It is the story of 12-year-old David who escapes a Soviet Communist gulag (work camp) in Bulgaria in the early 1950s. He has just a compass, a stale loaf of bread, a sealed letter, and instructions to carry the letter to Denmark. David tastes freedom for the first time as he treks through Europe trying to follow those instructions. Along the way, he gradually learns to smile and even begins to trust one person, the woman who connects him with his life-changing climax in Copenhagen.
Artistically, the details unfold gradually through the story until the AHA moment that makes me want to watch again to realize the full implication of scenes that were intentionally sparse first time through.
Okay. Now I’m imagining the next question from my children, “Did you read the book first?”
Well, no. But I plan to. How can I resist it after enjoying the movie so much and then reading a review like this:
It is quite simply the best children’s novel I have ever read.
The story follows David from his life in a eastern European concentration camp to freedom in Denmark. Along the way David learns self reliance, finds faith in the God of “the still waters and green pastures,” discovers love, compasion and friendship. Through the book, David transforms from a victim to a human. I can’t remember the last time I cried reading a book, but I did several times with this.
If you want a book to teach a kid about self respect, love, forgiveness,and faith this is the book for you. If you don’t want a book that teaches these things it is one heck of a story.
Sunday, April 11th, 2010
Beach family: follow-up
In order to find and tell the story of the testimony of Larry and Melissa Beach, I had to search all around the Internet to get details.
Then I discovered more of the story right here at home. When Jenny (who lives in our downstairs apartment) read what I’d written, she came straight up to tell me a follow-up story.
Jenny is from Houston. Sagemont Church is her home church there. Sagemont learned that there was still $30,000 lacking to pay off the mortgage on the Beach’s original house–the one that was ruined by the hurricane and was razed to make way for their new house. So they passed buckets for the Beaches on a Wednesday night.
$30,000 was the amount that would complete the mortgage payment. Want to guess how much was put into those buckets?
$30,000.25.
So God used the testimony and need of the Beaches to build the faith of people who didn’t even know them personally, by providing exactly what would bless the Beaches.
(Here’s an article published today, listing of donations toward the Home Makeover for the Beaches. Sagemont Church’s gift is in the 3rd bullet near the end of the article.)
Saturday, April 10th, 2010
The heart of the Beach family’s story
I expect some of you saw the story of the Beach Family on Extreme Makeover Home Edition , Part 1 and Part 2. (I’m not sure how long these links will remain available.)
Talitha and I watched online and we were thrilled with the blatant pro-adoption and pro-life lives of Larry and Melissa Beach and their 13 children, several of them with severe disabilities. Over the years, they also have fostered dozens of children.
They were chosen for a home makeover because their Kemah, Texas, house had been destroyed by a hurricane, so they were living in a medium-sized travel trailer. Despite living conditions that would seem unbearable to most of us, the family was overflowing with words and spirit and attitude that said, “We love each other and what better thing could we be doing?”
I sensed Christ in their lives, but never heard or saw anything specific that would confirm it. The closest was this–and it was powerful. As Melissa lay one of the most severely disabled children down in the crib, she said something like, “Every child has a purpose. If that purpose is just to smile, then that is his purpose.”
I guessed editing might have removed the heart of their heart. So here’s some follow-up that helps complete the picture of who the Beaches are. They are an active, integral part of their church. And they give testimony to God’s power and strength in their lives upon the death of their youngest child.
I can’t remember ever recommending a TV program, but I hope you might catch those Home Makeover episodes to hear Larry and Melissa’s–and their children’s–passion for adoption, especially for adopting children who most would consider unadoptable.
One caveat: Adoptive parents, we have to grit our teeth and bear it when there are several mentions of the Beaches’ “own” children and adopted children–not by the Beaches, though. I put my arm around Talitha and said, “You are my own child.”
Saturday, April 10th, 2010
Your story, which has become my story, which is still today God’s story
Earlier I pointed you toward Greg Lucas’s stories about being a police officer.
Today is his son’s birthday–a good day to tell you to go see his other blog–Wrestling with an Angel– where he writes stories and insights from his life with a son who has multiple disabilities.
. . . just as we were about to give up, we found someone who could help. He picked us up off the floor of our hopelessness, held us up with His strong arms, wiped away our tears with His gentle hands, and healed your seizures with His mighty power. He changed our lives forever. His name is Jesus, and you know Him well—for it was you that introduced us to Him.
From that point on, everywhere I went I told people your story, which has become my story, which is still today God’s story. He turned your tragic disability into a wonderful ability to impact lives and spread His fame. I am still amazed at your one simple life, so well lived in His amazing grace, with such a display of His fantastic glory. You were (and still are) an All Star on His team.
Be sure to read all of his birthday letter to his son.
Saturday, April 10th, 2010
For anyone who cares about someone with autism or Asperger’s
A few days ago, I posted a short video from Temple Grandin, a leading voice for those with autism spectrum and Asperger’s syndrome. She is an excellent communicator and has autism.
That was an appetizer for this fascinating presentation. This one is over an hour and packed with information for parents, teachers, and anyone who cares about a person or family affected by autism. I think you’ll want to have your pencil and paper handy.
I haven’t read or used yet most of the resources that Dr. Grandin mentions in this video. But I’m posting below links to those resources to make it easy for us to follow up on what she says.
ABA – Applied Behavioral Analysis
Autism Asperger Publishing Co.
I receive a small percentage for purchases made through the
Amazon links which are included here for your convenience.
Thursday, April 8th, 2010
I’ll never be a traffic cop
There are some jobs I know I’ll never have — a lot of jobs, actually. And there are some tasks I hope I’ll never have to do.
I will never be a police office, and I hope I never have to direct traffic.
It’s a rare thing to get inside the head and heart of a person who does perform those services. I heard a policeman say one time that his job is 90% boredom and 10% terror.
This morning, when I read Greg Lucas’s account of directing traffic, I knew that some big-figure percentages of impatience, patience, and compassion also need to be stirred into the mix.
I came away with perspective that will grow some patience and compassion in me, I pray.
(Greg’s blog is Defending Mayberry: The Prodigious Adventures of a Small Town Police Officer. He’s a good storyteller with good stories to tell. I hope you’ll subscribe to it.)
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
Brass is my dogwood
It’s been a tradition in my Georgia family to take a trek out into the woods sometime around Easter to see the lush wild azaleas and dogwood blooming amongst the pines. I haven’t been home at Easter time since we were married, so the hills of oranges, pinks, magentas, whites, golds, reds live for me only in my mind.
When I visited the flower show here in Minneapolis a week ago on the last day of March, the first thing I saw transported me to Georgia on about that date in 1992.
My father died on March 26, 1992. His funeral was just a couple of days later. So it would have been on the 30th or 31st that Johnny and our sons and I hiked out to the azalea hill. I hadn’t known how much I was counting on God to soothe my spirit through the beauty of the sweetly-remembered azaleas and dogwood. I hadn’t known until we got there and discovered all the buds still closed–not one bloom in sight.
While Johnny and the kids climbed on nearby stone wall ruins and splashed in the rocky creek, I lay face down in the pine needles and wept as I hadn’t wept after the first moments when I knew Daddy was gone. My grief over the absence of the azaleas sucked into itself my grief at the absence of Daddy.
EASTER FLAMES
A Villanelle Far from Home
by Noël Piper
Azalea and dogwood blooms hide the old mill,
dead pine straw ablaze as the hearthplace of spring. But here,
brass is my dogwood and far from its hill.
When Daddy’s fire died and forever was still,
his granddaughters gathered white blossoms out where
azalea and dogwood blooms hide the old mill.
I thought, when our kinfolk had all gone back home, “I will
look for his flowers of flame while I’m here.”
(Brass is my dogwood and far from its hill.)
Sparks of tight buds were the promise I found – still
too early for flames; so the pine straw caught tears where
azalea and dogwood blooms hide the old mill.
The dogwood that hangs from the chain on my neck, still
carries the heart of the ones at the mill, though here
brass is my dogwood and far from its hill.
My northern azaleas resist winter-kill,
and bear flickering flames, pink and orange, of where
azalea and dogwood blooms hide the old mill.
Brass is my dogwood and far from its hill.
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
Sponsor a pallet, win a prize
The other day I mentioned the opportunity to sponsor a pallet in one of the containers for Haiti that will be shipped this month.
Here are more explanation and details.
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
Beginning the day with music
Here’s another free album download.
I especially like the simple sound of the piano, occasionally accompanied by a wind instrument (recorder?). Not to mention that there are some favorite tunes of mine–Greensleeves (with a different title) and Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, for example.
There are a few glitches, like one track that abruptly moves to the next and a mislabeled track. Maybe that’s why it’s free? But unless you listen with your eye glued to the play list, who cares?
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
Why did God create music – 2
Yesterday, I asked that question: Why did God create music? I linked to the video of Paul singing the Resurrection Chant that had filled his heart and mouth at church on Easter morning. Many were blessed and moved by his praise.
Today, his father writes of even deeper, broader blessing that God gives through Paul and others we might think of as disabled:
My boy is not a baby or an infant – he’s almost 15 years old. But he has been graced with both innocence and confidence. When he sings, he sings without fear or any thought to what other people may think. He sings at school and he sings on the bus and he sings in stores and he sings at home. He proclaims, frequently, who God is.
Can you imagine what that does to the evil one when my boy, and all the other girls and boys like Paul, sing? How many unclean spirits have our children with significant cognitive disabilities silenced by their innocent praises? How often have we been spiritually protected through those in our care? How frequently has God smiled at the God-centeredness of those the world considers expendable?
He has been brought into that reality by pondering Psalm 8:2:
Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
I hope you’ll read all Paul’s father had to say about the power his son has from God.
Monday, April 5th, 2010
C’mon. It’s just sitting there
I’m receiving huge thanks on behalf of all of you who are making donations and sewing for Real Hope for Haiti Rescue Center.
Here are a few larger items that would be a blessing.
- rototiller
- leaf blower — to clean the driveway/front of clinic fast
- food dehydrator –to try to conserve fruits – mango, pinapple, breadfruit, bananas, etc.
Your rototiller’s been sitting in the corner of your garage ever since that aborted first attempt at gardening. You never pull out the leaf blower because it’s easier just to let the wind blow the leaves into the neighbor’s yard. And you haven’t used the food dehydrator since your earth mother days.
Or maybe we’re talking about your neighbors, not you. In that case, you need to go let them know you can help them simplify life.
Items need to be received by April 17th to make it into the containers that are being shipped now.
To make connection for shipping or delivering an item:
- If you live in or near Indiana, email lori@realhopeforhaiti.org
- If you live in or near Minneapolis, email debra_woodward@msn.com
