We won!

Hockey is not exactly my thing,  but all true-blooded Canadians are most thrilled judging by the whooping in the street.  Watched a bit at McDonald's this afternoon when it was 2:1.

i-phones/i-pods/daily hours CD

Maybe i-phones are not such a good idea, after all.  First of all they cost a lot of money and you think, how can all these people afford i-phones but not winter tires?

Secondly, since they are rather costly, portable and small, they are easily lost or stolen and nobody will return them to their original owner when forgotten somewhere because they want to keep them for themselves.  Very bad.  This one items contains people's contact lists, music, pictures, documents...  A minor disaster when lost or stolen.

Personally, I am very happy with the newer i-pod, which not only plays the music, but also records audio and video, has a pedometer and alarm clock, and uploads documents and plays radio, too.  As with the older models you can still load your podcasts and audio books.   In addition to the i-pod the old cell-phone will do.  Nobody will steal it.  I'm on a $10.00 a month pay-and-talk plan, which has always sufficed.  Unlimited texting is available but I don't use texting anymore. Stefan was the only one I texted with.  So, I'm not getting an i-phone until they are much cheaper and maybe by next year it'll be something else, anyways, that we want to use.

Lately, we've been accidentally enjoying the alarm clock feature on the i-pod.  I was just playing with the machine and set the alarm for 8:15 and chose the Matins to play for the alarm.  The first night I had the i-pod laying in the bedroom without sitting on a dock to connect to speakers.  It still work me up with the little clicking sound and the tiny built in speaker it has.  The next few days, it was sitting in the living room on the dock and we had Matins playing loudly in the living room as the alarm wakes up both the i-pod and the speaker system (the speaker system is usually in "sleep mode".)  So now I don't have the heart to change it and no matter when we get up, the Matins play at 8:15 in the living room.

Martin loves this new Concordia CD.  He says play me this, play me that, play me Vespers, etc.  I don't know, he could play it himself.  You just have to push a button or two;  it's not like playing the piano.  But this is one little service I can do for him along with all the other ones that he wants done which require the interface of technology or computer (Luddite).

I think the music and the prayers calm him down, sometimes it feels too lullaby-ish too me.  I'd rather pick up the hymn book and sing it viva voce and put a little more energy into it. 

Find the CD here.
(Pretty soon I will be asking for commissions from CPH.  I see that the Treasury of Daily Prayer price has gone back down to $29.00.  I am right out of them after giving away/selling my box of 10 from May.  I get people to try it out.  If they like it they can buy it or keep it.  If they are not using it, I'll take it back.)

Daylight

What is it with this daylight.  How is one to sleep past 7:00 AM?  Maybe it's time to come out of hibernation.

I'll want to spend a little time learning about Mendelssohn

After watching the Mendelssohn video, I am wondering who this man really was.  He lived at the crossroads of ideas and music styles and resurrected Bach's music.  On Wikipedia he is a "Lutheran", on Deutsche Welle he is a "Protestant." 

Apparently, the court in Berlin had Calvinist leanings.  Yet, Mendelssohn was the reviver of Bach, surprising himself with the irony.

"It also led to one of the very few references which Mendelssohn ever made to his origins: 'To think that it took an actor and a Jew's son (Judensohn) to revive the greatest Christian music for the world!' (cited by Devrient in his memoirs of the composer)."

He strikes me an interesting man living in an interesting time and place, I would not mind reading more about.

Martin and I once went to experience "Elijah" at the Winspear Center.  It was phenomenal. The taunting of the false gods I can still recall in my mind.

Before Christmas, our famous local Rev. M. played an organ work at the hymn festival.  It was also most impressive.  Andrea always enjoyed her Mendelssohn pieces much more than any Bach. 

Nice one on Mendelsson

Consolation from Gary

Moods

Got the stuff done, I did not feel like doing today.  Not a great mood.  For that we get a great Mozart aria.

This is from an opera that we children were allowed to play the vinyl record over and over on the old record player in the house.  It's rather aggressive and a little violent, sung by a fabulous bass.  Wonderful for belting out full blast while cooking dinner.



It strikes me that this is the bass who sang on my mother's record.  

Attempt at a direct translation of "Ich steh and deiner Krippe hier"

I completed this translation myself.  Anyone may have it.

1. Ich steh an deiner Krippe hier,
O Jesu du mein Leben;
Ich komme, bring und schenke dir,
Was du mir hast gegeben.
Nimm hin, es ist mein Geist und Sinn,
Herz, Seel und Mut, nimm alles hin
Und laß dir's wohlgefallen.


I stand at your manger here, oh Jesus, you, my life.
I come and bring and present to you the things you have give to me:
receive it, it is my spirit and mind, my heart, my soul, my courage,
take it all and let it please you.


2. Da ich noch nicht geboren war,
Da bist du mir geboren
Und hast mich dir zu eigen gar,
Eh ich dich kannt, erkoren.
Eh ich durch deine Hand gemacht,
Da hast du schon bei dir bedacht,
Wie du mein wolltest werden.

When I was not born yet, you were born for me,
and have chosen me to be your own before I even knew you.
Before I was made by your hand, you have thought already,
about how you would become mine.


3. Ich lag in tiefster Todesnacht,
Du warest meine Sonne,
Die Sonne die mir zugebracht
Licht, Leben, Freud und Wonne.
O Sonne, die das werte Licht
Des Glaubens in mir zugericht't,
Wie schön sind deine Strahlen.

I lay in the deepest night of death, and you became my sun;
the sun that brought me light, life, joy and delight.
O sun, who fitted me with the worthy light of faith,
how beautiful are your rays!

4. Ich sehe dich mit Freuden an
Und kann mich nicht satt sehen;
Und weil ich nun nichts weiter kann,
Bleib ich anbetend stehen.
O daß mein Sinn ein Abgrund wär
Und meine Seel ein weites Meer,
Daß ich dich möchte fassen !

I look at you with such great joy and cannot tire of it;
and because I am not able to do anything else, I will just stand here in adoration.
O, that my mind were a huge canyon and my soul a wide ocean
that I might be able to hold you.

(Thus far we had to memorize as kids.
Remaining is new to me.)

5.Wann oft mein Herz vor Kummer weint
Und keinen Trost kann finden,
Da ruft mir's zu: "Ich bin dein Freund,
Ein Tilger deiner Sünden.
Was trauerst du, o Bruder mein?
Du sollst ja guter Dinge sein,
Ich sühne deine Schulden."

Whenever my heart weeps with sorrow, and can find no comfort,
Then you call out to me: "I am your friend, the forgiver of your sins.
Why do you grieve, oh you my brother?
You shall be of good cheer, as I pay for all your guilt."


6. O daß doch so ein lieber Stern
Soll in der Krippen liegen !
Für edle Kinder großer Herrn
Gehören güldne Wiegen.
Ach Heu und Stroh ist viel zu schlecht,
Samt, Seide, Purpur wären recht,
Dies Kindlein drauf zu legen !


Oh, that such a dear star, should lie in the lowly manger!
Noble children of great Lords have golden cradles.
The hay and staw is much too lowly;
velvet, silk and purple would be appropriate
as bedding for this child.

7.Nehm weg das Stroh, nehm weg das Heu!
Ich will mir Blumen holen,
Daß meines Heilands Lager sei
Auf lieblichen Violen;
Mit Rosen, Nelken, Rosmarin
Aus schönen Gärten will ich ihn
Von oben her bestreuen.

Take way the straw and the hay, I will go and fetch flowers,
which shall be the bedding of my Savior, so he can lie on lovely violets;
also from above I will strew him with roses, carnations and rosemary
from the beautiful gardens.


8. Du fragest nicht nach Lust der Welt
Noch nach des Leibes Freuden;
Du hast dich bei uns eingestellt,
An unsrer Statt zu leiden,
Suchst meiner Seele Herrlichkeit
Durch dein selbsteignes Herzeleid;
Das will ich dir nicht wehren.

Yet, you do not care not for the desires of this world, or the joys of the body;
you have arrived to be with us and suffer in our stead,
to seek the beauty of my soul through your own suffering of heart;
--I will not prevent you.

9. Eins aber hoff ich wirst du mir,
Mein Heiland, nicht versagen:
Daß ich dich möge für und für
In meinem Herzen tragen.
So laß mich doch dein Kripplein sein;
Komm, komm und lege bei mir ein
Dich und all deine Freuden !

I just hope for one thing that I might do, which you will not deny me
--that I might carry you henceforth in my heart.
So let ME be your cradle;  come, come and lodge with me,
you and all your joys!

10. Zwar sollt ich denken, wie gering
Ich dich bewirten werde:
Du bist der Schöpfer aller Ding,
Ich bin nur Staub und Erde.
Doch du bist so ein frommer Gast,
Daß du noch nie verschmähet hast
Den der dich gerne siehet.

I know I should realize how humbly I will serve you:
you are the creator of all things, I am just dust and ashes.
But you are such a pious guest, that you have never
cast aside one who loves to see you.

___________________

"Ich steh an deiner Krippe hier", verses in German and English translations

There exists an older, rhyming, English translation of this hymn, beginning on page 32, at:

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=fg8DAAAAQAAJ&dq=j+kelly+spiritual+songs&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=9aC5LGBK5H&sig=N7s_7OSEy6hLJv8oeS5KuIEaoXk#v=onepage&q=&f=false

After searching for a bit, I have not found anything better. This translation mostly pleases me, though translation of lines such as "Wie du mein wolltest werden" as "How Thou Thyself shouldst give me"--don't work for me. What does this mean? For one thing we are missing a preposition in this profound phrase, such as "to me", to make it clearer. "How you would become mine" or "my own" is direct.


Here is a translation of my own.



 
Paul Gerhardt, 1653 (1607-1676)











I completed this translation myself.  Anyone may have it. 

1. Ich steh an deiner Krippe hier,
O Jesu du mein Leben;
Ich komme, bring und schenke dir,
Was du mir hast gegeben.
Nimm hin, es ist mein Geist und Sinn,
Herz, Seel und Mut, nimm alles hin
Und laß dir's wohlgefallen.


I stand at your manger here, oh Jesus, you, my life.
I come and bring and present to you the things you have give to me:
receive it, it is my spirit and mind, my heart, my soul, my courage,
take it all and let it please you.


2. Da ich noch nicht geboren war,
Da bist du mir geboren
Und hast mich dir zu eigen gar,
Eh ich dich kannt, erkoren.
Eh ich durch deine Hand gemacht,
Da hast du schon bei dir bedacht,
Wie du mein wolltest werden.

When I was not born yet, you were born for me,
and have chosen me to be your own before I even knew you.
Before I was made by your hand, you have thought already,
about how you would become mine.


3. Ich lag in tiefster Todesnacht,
Du warest meine Sonne,
Die Sonne die mir zugebracht
Licht, Leben, Freud und Wonne.
O Sonne, die das werte Licht
Des Glaubens in mir zugericht't,
Wie schön sind deine Strahlen.

I lay in the deepest night of death, and you became my sun;
the sun that brought me light, life, joy and delight.
O sun, who fitted me with the worthy light of faith,
how beautiful are your rays! 

4. Ich sehe dich mit Freuden an
Und kann mich nicht satt sehen;
Und weil ich nun nichts weiter kann,
Bleib ich anbetend stehen.
O daß mein Sinn ein Abgrund wär
Und meine Seel ein weites Meer,
Daß ich dich möchte fassen !

I look at you with such great joy and cannot tire of it;
and because I am not able to do anything else, I will just stand here in adoration.
O, that my mind were a huge canyon and my soul a wide ocean
that I might be able to hold you.

(Thus far we had to memorize as kids.
Remaining is new to me.)

5.Wann oft mein Herz vor Kummer weint
Und keinen Trost kann finden,
Da ruft mir's zu: "Ich bin dein Freund,
Ein Tilger deiner Sünden.
Was trauerst du, o Bruder mein?
Du sollst ja guter Dinge sein,
Ich sühne deine Schulden."

Whenever my heart weeps with sorrow, and can find no comfort,
Then you call out to me: "I am your friend, the forgiver of your sins.
Why do you grieve, oh you my brother?
You shall be of good cheer, as I pay for all your guilt."


6. O daß doch so ein lieber Stern
Soll in der Krippen liegen !
Für edle Kinder großer Herrn
Gehören güldne Wiegen.
Ach Heu und Stroh ist viel zu schlecht,
Samt, Seide, Purpur wären recht,
Dies Kindlein drauf zu legen !


Oh, that such a dear star, should lie in the lowly manger!
Noble children of great Lords have golden cradles.
The hay and staw is much too lowly; 
velvet, silk and purple would be appropriate
as bedding for this child.

7.Nehm weg das Stroh, nehm weg das Heu!
Ich will mir Blumen holen,
Daß meines Heilands Lager sei
Auf lieblichen Violen;
Mit Rosen, Nelken, Rosmarin
Aus schönen Gärten will ich ihn
Von oben her bestreuen.

Take way the straw and the hay, I will go and fetch flowers,
which shall be the bedding of my Savior, so he can lie on lovely violets;
also from above I will strew him with roses, carnations and rosemary
from the beautiful gardens.


8. Du fragest nicht nach Lust der Welt
Noch nach des Leibes Freuden;
Du hast dich bei uns eingestellt,
An unsrer Statt zu leiden,
Suchst meiner Seele Herrlichkeit
Durch dein selbsteignes Herzeleid;
Das will ich dir nicht wehren.

Yet, you do not care not for the desires of this world, or the joys of the body;
you have arrived to be with us and suffer in our stead,
to seek the beauty of my soul through your own suffering of heart;
--I will not prevent you.

9. Eins aber hoff ich wirst du mir,
Mein Heiland, nicht versagen:
Daß ich dich möge für und für
In meinem Herzen tragen.
So laß mich doch dein Kripplein sein;
Komm, komm und lege bei mir ein
Dich und all deine Freuden !

I just hope for one thing that I might do, which you will not deny me
--that I might carry you henceforth in my heart.
So let ME be your cradle;  come, come and lodge with me,
you and all your joys!

10. Zwar sollt ich denken, wie gering
Ich dich bewirten werde:
Du bist der Schöpfer aller Ding,
Ich bin nur Staub und Erde.
Doch du bist so ein frommer Gast,
Daß du noch nie verschmähet hast
Den der dich gerne siehet.

I know I should realize how humbly I will serve you:
you are the creator of all things, I am just dust and ashes.
But you are such a pious guest, that you have never 
cast aside one who loves to see you.

Ich steh an deiner Krippe hier

For L.P.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAPO-K67f4Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XbhW5-tEQ0

Objective Justification vs. Faith

I haven't followed this poperly, so forgive me.  I don't get this-yet, or maybe won't be.  LP (Extra Nos)  has a conversation on his blog about Objective Justification vs. Faith,... that's how I read it (am a little confused).  It appears to me a useless dichotomy, especially in the light of eternity.  And somehow Walther and Pieper fit into this--or rather not.  Walther is "wrong" or "overstated".  On Beggars and Reformation he was also saying that for Missourians it is ok to disagree with Luther here and there, but not Walther and Pieper. 

First of all, I find that most confessional Missourians I know have issues with Walther.  For one he is too pietistic, for others not sacramental (or maybe that's the same thing). As for Pieper, I don't know if one is "allowed" to disagree with him.  I find him a little dry.  I'll read Luther instead, you go  read Pieper.  I have all three volumes on my shelf in German and have read in them.  I think I agreed with him.

So, I'm the wrong person.

What I was trying to write to LP, and which did not get saved properly to his post twice now (I don't know why), I will type here, so I don't have to type again.

This was the Treasury reading from Feb. 10, by Herman Sasse:

"It is the height of senselessness for the sentiments of the modern man when, in Luther's Little Baptismal Book and in the old agendas of our Church, the child continues to be asked whether it forsakes the devil, if it will be baptized according to is faith, and if it will affirm the question:  "Will you be baptized?"  But it is not merely avowed liturgical conservatism or even thoughtlessness when the Church for nearly two thousand years has thus baptized infants as though they were adults, as though they could already confess with the mouth and believe with the heart.  This is not the "as though" of mere fiction.  It is much rather connected with the eschatological "as though" of the Sacrament of Baptism.  God views us in Baptism as people who have already died and been raised, put to death with His beloved Son on Golgotha and raised from the dead on Easter morning.  Thus he already views us as such who already believe, the poorest, weakest little child which we bering ot Holy Baptism in "the understanding and hope that it will believe" in a way no different from a Basil, an Ambrose, or an Augustine, who as grown men and conscious Christians came to Baptism."

Wachet auf ruft uns die Stimme

Listened to this on LP's blog.  So lovely.

Easy Easter "crafts"

Put in my first order with the Oriental Trading Company and spent $100.00 including shipping (30% of the order) on six different items times 24 each, so that's 144 items, or 70 cents per craft on average.  That's not too bad.

This is the kind of thing you can get: click here. I just searched for "Christian Easter", thus bypassing most of the Easter eggs.

As described before, Bethel holds a "craft" afternoon to bring in the young families from church and neighborhood, and described before, one can easily give these items away in which ever way one conceives.

Just once more about Christmas

Just to be clear, there were wonderful things that happened during December.  We attended many beautiful and fun get-togethers.  Our friends and family did not forget to invite us to all kinds of things.  All of which means more than they can imagine.  Andrea and Thomas took us to Dicken's Christmas Carol, which we'd never seen before in its entirety and certainly not in live drama.  Awesome time, well performed.  I sang in two choirs and we did exciting things such sing at the legislature rotunda and in the Fort prison.  At Corcodia there were lovely concerts including the sing-along Messiah. 

My Gibbons choir is a hoot involving more comedy and teasing than singing.  It's the British people in it that make it so much fun;  the back and forth banter of British humor is an artform they have perfected as a culture.  You'd have to be there. Currently, choir members have lent me three books, I am supposed to be getting to.  One Richard Dawkins, one Oprah selection and one on Afghanistan.  I need to work on the Lutheraner, though, someone's precious old book.

We had an advent pot-luck and craft afternoon at church.  We planned a January wedding.  Life continues to be rich,  but you can keep only so busy and there are still enough hours to ruminate in.

Done with that

Ok, I'm done with that.  Doesn't help to keep going over it.  But it does feel a little like having come out at the other end, having gone through a whole year and all the "firsts" , as they say. 

How was Christmas

I've been debating whether to write  this sorry chapter.  What would anyone possibly get out of it, except me getting to whine.  But the psalmist whines, too, and it's not always pretty.  And then there's Job.  He does not quit.

Well, he quits eventually.
And we get something out of that.
Quite a bit, actually.

So, therefore:
Christmas Eve we were all alone.

And you know for Germans Christmas Eve is the sacrosanctest of  all sacrosanct holidays.
I don't want to complain much.  A number of people where in Hawaii, etc. and nobody asked us to come along.  Not that I wanted to.  I felt that I did not want to escape this time.  It needed to be taken head on and that's what we did.  And I had a flu.  And we were not invited anywhere either.  Except for my sister-in-law who figured it out last-minute but I said, it's ok, after church it's already late and it will be alright.  So no faulting her.  And it would not have been hard to figure something out.  It just happened this way and we let it be.

There was also the issue of traveling some place nice vs. agreeing to play organ on Christmas Eve.  So I played organ.  I wanted the full church to have it full blast.  Some of the others don't blast like I do.  I felt it my duty to go and play as well as I could.  With my flu medication and a bunch of coffee I went off and played organ  full blast.  I like doing that.  People like it,too.

We stayed at church a long time and I did additional good deeds by handing out the Christmas crafts to the smaller children, which I had bought at Bethel and forgotton to bring to Bruderheim when I had meant to and had to improvise that day;  now I still had them.  I had also given a bunch of them to a women at CURVES who has a dayhome and permission from the parents to engage the children in religious activities.  (I was talking with her last week.  It's time to order Easter crafts).

Then we went home.  Martin had not wanted to set up a tree, a thing he never likes to get involved in.  But I had set up a tree and garlands as usual.  We did not exchange any gifts.  We had bought a new computer some time ago and had agreed that that was enough.  So, I sat there all by myself, with the tree I had set up by myself and no gift opening.  (There were some presents from other people, but I just let them sit for now.)  I did not even put on any music.  I just sat there and cried and prayed til I was done.

Which was around 1:00 AM,
when I decided to buy some hymn prelude books on Amazon.  (Of course, my favorite editor, Mr. Trevor.)
(Later I realized I had done my first shopping on Christmas Day, ever, sorry, but I don't think any people were inconvenienced.)

The rest of the time, was an equally mixed bag of everything.  My husband must have been an equally messed up because he also drove me nuts.  I probably drove him nuts. 

I see why people talk about the frequency of divorce after heavy losses, or just plain after Christmas.  I found I had the devil in one ear and C.S. Lewis in the other (Screwtape letters 8 and 9). (Well, Screwtape letter is supposed to be the devil, too, but it still is C.S. Lewis.)

I did have the cats-in-law with me through all this, which were kind of amusing and one liked to sit in laps. (Unfortunately, we still seem to have some mice.)

Christmas Eve I also sang at Bethel in the morning, which was a very beautiful service (including Power Point and Youtube video.  The lady reader almost broke down reading Isaiah 61, but I was with her.  Excellent text to break down to. )

 

Oh, and my husband dealt with this time by picking all his funeral hymns. 

He did not want anything with "thee's" and "thou's".  He figured it out in the end.  I won't post the video of him doing that.

 

I should post them here, in case we die together.  They are fine with me:  Jesus, still lead on.  I am Jesus little lamb.  O God our help in ages past.  Jesus priceless treasure.

Just remember, no version with "thee" and "thou", and the organ playing not too mopey.  Thank you.

More on adoption

Someone, M. phoned me about adoption, yesterday, because of what I've written.  It was very kind of her and I thank her.  Thanks for reading my blog, too.   We are getting to know each other better and I appreciate that very much.  I also very much enjoy her son, who is my I-pod guru.

Among the things she wanted to say, and I am assuming she will be ok with me saying this here, is that I should not feel second best or think that adoption is second best.  And I just want to say, that's not what I meant.  I feel that some people act and talk as if adoption were second best and one comes across this not infrequently.

Turning into an Eskimo

Properly called Innu. They can distinguish between how many types of snow?

I am beginning to distinguish between different types of frost. Here is today's view of frost.

Please, note in the comments the kind correction and explanation regarding the words:

Innu is "Indian",
"Naskapi" and Inuit (more than 1) is "Eskimo".
Inuk means one.
Innu and Inuk means Human Being technically although I am told Inuk means "The one who is here now".

Opa's verse

(Translation further down.)

About memories:  in Germany, we had the habit of keeping "poetry books", people would write into your book a verse or any sort and perhaps draw a picture.  With my SS and VBS classes, I usually also worked on similar books, including morning and evening prayers, hymns and their friends' and family's favorites.  My god-children have books like these. 

This is the page my Dad wrote when he could still write decently.  Parksons' made things worse for him not too long after this.  He would always use this same Psalm verse when dedicating anything.  I have the same written by him into my hymnbook.  Some of the other grandchildren might want to copy this page for themselves.

My Dad knew many, many songs, poems and verses by heart.  As he was aging he seemed to come up with more and more digging deeper in that well.  After the war, there were no books for the schools.  They children spent ages memorizing things.  I head the same story from other post-war school children.  Memorizing, memorizing and more memorizing of poetry.

You can see a photo of my Dad a couple of post back, getting "injected" by the toddler Stefan.  

This is what his verse page says:
"Commit your way to the Lord;  trust in him and he will do it." Psalm 37:5.   (He capitalized in HIM.)
Then he talks about how Paul Gerhard wrote the hymn, that has each verse begin sequentially with the words from this verse, i.e., the first verse begins with "Befiehl du" and the second verse begins with "dein"... (I don't know what that artistic form would be called.) 

We have a version of this in the LSB now:  #754, "Entrust Your Days and Burdens."

He signs it:  "Your Grandpa from Europe."

In looking up the Psalm I note the context:

"Commit your way to the LORD;  trust in him and he will do this:  He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;  do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;  do not fret--it leads only to evil."

He was indeed not a fretful man, generally happy, calm and gentle.

A man and his pistol, or whatever that is supposed to be.

 

Every mother of a boy (or man) has pictures like this.  We once had an orange plastic pistol taken away at the Frankfurt airport and promptly forgot to pick the precious, dangerous item up at the other end of the flight.  

If they can't get their hands on the real thing or replicas, they will resort to using sticks or even bananas.  As long as it does not make a hell of a noise, I can live with it.  Of course, noise is good to them, too.

At some point the neighborhood boys got very elaborate about making bows and arrows with amazing heads.  I am not sure what they did with them, but none got injured--that I know about.

It is interesting that the psalmist likens the having of many sons the having the quiver full of arrows.  I wondered sometimes at the aggressiveness of the image.  But there they are.  That's how they are made.  Power to hunt, provide, protect.

Open Adoption

Stefan's birthmom and her family came to see us after Christmas. It was such a gracious time and a real good release for me. She brought me a lovely present I will always cherish.  It's the pendant you just see above.

I have to say as an adoptive mother I've often felt second best, that people viewed me as not a "real" mother.  I still carry that chip.  N., you are such a trouper and such a good friend.

I've always done my very best to be open, loving and respectful with the birthfamilies and they have been truly amazing people.  God bless them all.

Talking about books

You might like to go read Pastor Bror Erickson's post at Utah Lutheran on the new translation completed by him of the Giertz "The Knights of Rhodes".  The book is now available.  

I haven't read it yet but it must be a winner, knowing the quality of Giertz's thoughts and writing. Recently Bror featured a different summary of the book on his blog.  Maybe we can link to that, too.

The publisher also has an interesting website.  They kindly sold me 5 books at 40% off. 

A Grace Disguised

In helping clean up the church basement, I found this book and took it home for a while.  You can read more about it here. And a cheaper version plus reviews here.

The title intrigued me.  This is one of the things I've thought throughout this loss.  The soul grows.  Not just maybe in maturity or something noble.  That's probably possible.  But in size.  It has expanded in size.  It can hold so much more pain and so much more joy, empathy, etc.  Expanded like a balloon.  (So much for people who think there is no soul.) 

This is what the jacket says:

Sooner or later all people suffer loss, in little doses or big ones, suddenly or over time, privately or in public settings.  Loss is as much a part of normal life as birth, for as surely as we are born into this world we suffer loss before we leave it.  This book shows how it is possible to live in and be enlarged by loss, even as we continue to experience it.

The experience of loss does not have to be the defining moment of our lives.  Instead, the defining moment can be our response to the loss.  It is not so much as what happens to us that matters so much as what happens in us.

LOSS.  It's a word that many of us fear and few of us can evade.  It stalked Gerald Sittser one night and struck with full fury on a lonely road in Idaho.  In an instant, a tragic accident claimed three generations of his family:  his mother, his wife, and his young daughter.

But this is not a book about one man's sorrow.  Rather it is a moving on the losses we all suffer and the grace that can transform us.

A Grace Disguised plumbs the depth of our sorrows, whether due to illness, divorce, or the loss of someone we love.  The circumstances are not important;  what we do with those circumstances is.  In coming to the end of ourselves, we can come to the beginning of a new life--one marked by spiritual depth, joy, compassion, and a deeper appreciation of simple blessings.

If your soul aches, you may be on a journey that will stretch your faith, your understanding of the meaning of life, and your knowledge of God.  If you let it, your sorrow will increase your capacity to live well, to love life, and to experience joy, not after the darkness but even in the midst of it.

Some artwork given and received

 

Same grouping at their confirmation

From a few years ago

Found this in the church basement. Two sons of mine and a god-child and pastor's twins--all God's children.

weekend notes/ "Der Lutheraner" as esoteric reading?

It's been cold, snowy and icy, poor driving conditions.

Someone brought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers.  I think I know I what it's for.  Thank you, dear.  It has white lilies and white roses in it among other lovelies.  I'll take a picture of it, that way it will last longer.

Spoke with a friend after service on Sunday, who thought my reading of Walther, Wyneken and the Lutheraner was "esoteric".  I told him I thought not.  It seems to me highly relevant background.  He suggested a bunch of books for me, which I am surprised I haven't  heard of.   I might borrow them from him, for at least surveying.  I might also "lend" him some of mine.

I did read one edition of the Lutheraner all the way through, the one for January 15, 1872.  It contained a sermon for the opening session of the synod convention at Altenburg, Perry Co., MO, held May 3, 1871. I am happy to see that such an address would be printed off for everyone.  I've never seen such a thing happen.  Now we have simulcasting and videotaping, but really the convention addresses could just have been printed off in the Canadian Lutheran.  Der Lutheraner came out on the first and the fifteenth of the month.  That is quite frequently.  Surely that helped getting and keeping everyone on the same denominator.  All that without the internet.

The sermon by C.F.W.W, surely that is Walther, was very stirring, recalling details of the difficulties of thirty years previous, including the bodily and spiritual sufferings of the beginning period.  It dealt with Hebrews 13:9  "Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.  It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace...".  It laid again a firm foundation of the teaching Gospel for the church and the individual heart, all by God's grace. 

Then there was a portion of the life of Johann Gerhard, written by Fischer, sent in by someone else.  This seems to be a regular series of book excerpts.

Then there was a thing that people from Dresden sent in to their territorial churches.

Then there was a church "chronic", listing a variety of newsworthy items.

At the end, you find a list of monies that were sent in by which congregations for which works, such as orphanages, support of preacher's and teacher's widows and orphans, and missions.  Quite some detail.  I'm thinking maybe we could do with such detail, also.