Meandering Moments by Elsi

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
…
to the One who remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies,
His love endures forever.
and who gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

Sallie writing here:

This is really ridiculous! I don’t mind going to visit my Aunt Morgan at PetSmart every Monday. She wants me to do silly things (sit, down, stay, leave it …), but she hands out lovely treats. So I don’t mind amusing her.

But this evening—really! She put a whole handful of treats on the floor, and we started to walk toward them. I bounded eagerly, of course. And she said, “Uh uh,” and we went back to where we started. We kept doing that, and every time I hit the end of the leash, she made me start over! Isn’t that ridiculous?

Finally I got to the treats and was slurping them up … and she pulled me away and made me do it all over again with Mama! Harumph! I do not see the purpose of this exercise at all.

What a fun afternoon I had! One of the BMW (Boulder Media Women) ladies put out a feeler for anyone who wanted to sell books at Art & Soul, a gallery in Longmont featuring Colorado artists. Always looking for ways to sell my books, I immediately signed on.

So, after church today, I drove to the Twin Peaks Mall and found my way to the gallery, where I met Marcie Rusco, the new co-owner. I was the first to show up with books, which was fun. She had me sign each of them, and she plans to showcase them near the entrance.

Come travel season, when tourists are eager for Colorado goods to take home, my RV Tourist should hop off the shelves (I hope!). Such fun! And I’ll get to see the books of fellow BMW people, too—great!

If you were Sherlock Holmes, I asked, or a police investigator, what can you tell about us—individually or as a group—from what we’re wearing? Not jewelry, not face or hair, just the clothes …

Braden said he likes Madrid, which is what’s on his shirt. Lindy pointed out that the house is cool; almost everyone had long sleeves or a sweater.

I reminded us that Cathy Howe spoke one Sunday about old TV westerns, where the good guys wore white hats, and the bad guys wore black. She said God doesn’t see us that way, with white or black hats to identify us.

However, I think God does have a way of telling us apart by our clothes …

Psalm 30:11
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.

Isaiah 61:10
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.

Revelation 3:4-5
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.

Galatians 3:26-27
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Happy Chinese New Year!

My youth group did the “Everything skit” for their part in the church celebration, and it was phenomenal! There were adults in tears, and even the pastor agreed the skit showed what the kids are facing and will be facing as they go through life. They planned and practiced and performed it all on their own; all Vicki and I did was admire. Impressive!

I don’t have a copy of my kids doing this, but you can go to YouTube and watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyheJ480LYA

“The main thing,” a friend said to me yesterday after our writing group, “is to keep the main thing as the main thing.”

Once I processed that, it made perfect sense. Whatever the main thing is in what I’m doing, it will be best if I focus on keeping that in the center.

Example: we’re in the writing group, and a member reads a piece that brings up a lot of questions as to theme and direction. The reader, however, responds to these questions with comments about the topic, which isn’t what we’re there to talk about. The main thing, in our writing group, is clarity and freshness in writing.

Similarly, in Bible study, the main thing isn’t what a preacher said, or what a novelist surmised. The main thing is what the Bible actually says. That’s where we need to keep our focus.

I should personalize this, of course. The main thing in house church is that we discuss the questions and support one another, not whether I’m comfortable with the direction the discussion’s going in. The main thing in Sallie’s obedience classes now is that she learn to tolerate other dogs and allow me to pat them, not whether she’s learning the tricks being taught. The main thing, as I fight depression, is that I continue to be open with my therapist and remember that God is sovereign.

The main thing for me to do, in other words, is figure out what’s the main thing I should be doing, and make that the main thing that I do!

It’s a week full of changes in leadership. And since I am terrified of change, it’s a hard time for me.

First, and most obvious, of course, is our new president. I think the expectations set for him are impossible, and I’m praying he will be able to keep on his feet as he finds his balance and takes the reins of this out-of-control vehicle called the USA.

Next, my church has a new pastor. We were introduced to him Sunday; he’ll start in March, I believe. So I don’t know him at all. For me, the issue is more, again, that I’m uncomfortable with change.

And today we started Bible study with our new leadership team. We’ve been working together on the curriculum, but today was the first time the three of us led together.

So it’s just a good thing that the Lord is in control of all of this! My country, my church, my Bible study … and my life—He’s at the helm. Can’t think of anyone better!

Elk Creek Elementary School’s oral spelling bee was yesterday. I drove down there (it’s about an hour south of here, in the foothills), starting in fog but ending in bright sunshine. We began with children from all grade levels, working through phonetically regular words. But before long we’d moved into words from the Dutch (rabbit, caboose, furlough) and Spanish (vigilante, filibuster). By the end, words from Slavic languages winnowed the crowd down to three, then two finalists. A well-fought contest … an excellent morning!

Is this necessary? people ask me. Does spelling matter anymore, what with spellcheck available and all?

Oh, let me tell you! I’ve been reading a series of fantasy books (you’ll pardon my not mentioning the title or author), and asked the author’s permission to proofread his next manuscript before it goes to print. Using spellcheck, he has managed to find every wrong choice of homonyms, plus some unique errors to boot. In isolation, they’re funny; in context, they do a good job of hiding what is an excellent story.

Example: The soldiers are wearing amour as they fight with furry. They become tired from the excursion and shutter with fear.

(Translation: The soldiers are wearing armor as they fight with fury. They become tired from the exertion and shudder with fear.)

Yes, Virginia … spelling matters!

I submit regularly to compilation books in the Cup of Comfort series. And I’ve had pieces accepted for several of them, so they feel like home to me.

My favorite editor, Susan Townsend, had requested a story on the Proverbs 31 woman, a couple of summers ago. And then another on Mary Magdalene. So I was pleased but not surprised when, Friday, I got a contract for those two (plus a devotional) for the Cup of Comfort Book of Bible Women.

Then I was both pleased and surprised to get another contract today, for a Cup of Comfort for Mothers and Daughters. Yes, I’d submitted a story to that, but with no high hopes. My relationship with my mother wasn’t wonderful, and I doubted what I wrote would meet their needs. So I’m tickled pink that they want my story!

A delightfully pleasant weekend of writing successes, therefore … encouraging, and validating, and comforting!

Speaking of which, you’ll enjoy this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao

I’ve never liked this woman. She’s a construct … a hypothetical, perfect woman, according to King Solomon. She does all sorts of things not on my list: she sews, has obedient children, plants and sells, weaves and decorates … no way I can measure up to her.

I came to terms, sort of, with her a couple of summers ago. I finally realized (in writing an article about her at an editor’s request) that she does her best at whatever is before her. And that I can do (not that I always do it, but it’s at least possible!).

Today in Bible study, Kristi Snyder led a study of this paragon. And she gave qualities of the woman, qualities we all can aspire toward. Verse by verse, starting at 31:10, she helped us see that we can be priceless, trustworthy, good, diligent, enterprising, disciplined, thrifty, energetic, industrious, persistent, charitable, farsighted, elegant, supportive, creative, confident, wise, prudent, praiseworthy, reverent, and virtuous.

Whew! That’s quite a list! But there are some I could make progress on right now, and some I can begin to take steps toward, and … maybe I’ll look just a little more like this woman, when I take stock next December. I’ll try, anyway.