2009 Favorites

Well I'm no film critic or editor or anything, but I thought I'd wrap up this year by sharing my favorite things from different categories. I'm sure you're all very intersted to know.


Fiction book - "Christy" By Catherine Marshall. My faithful readers will know I liked it a lot. It was by far the best fiction work I read this year (even though it's based on an actual person and events, it's still fiction). I did read more than two books this year, too! I actually read more than 20, which might be a record for me since fifth grade when I actually had time. It's the story of a well-bred young woman who goes to work as a teacher in Appalachia. It takes place at the turn of the century, and is filled with adventure, romance, love, and spiritual insights.

Nonfiction book - "Under the Overpass". Account of a young man who became homeless for most of a year, just so he could learn about their plight and understand that part of our country better. From a Christian perspective, it was convicting and enlightening.

TV Show - "In Plain Sight" (USA) This did not come out in 2009, but we began watching it this year. It's about a US Marshall in charge of witness protection, and all of the cases she deals with. Well-written, with ends and plots that keep you guessing even when you think you've got them figured out. I like the dynamics she has between her co-workers. I could probably do without her family life, but it does develop her character better. (Warning, I wouldn't call this a "family friendly" show, but it is fairly clean after the first couple of episodes). Daniel and I both really like it, so much that we watched both seasons within a couple of weeks. It's a summer show, and last season ended with a huge cliffhanger, so now we can't wait.

Movie - This was not a year of movies for us. It's hard to get away. I enjoyed "Up" and "Star Trek" the most. Right now I don't recall others that I saw in the theater. Movies just aren't as big of a part of my life as they used to be.

CD - Steven Curtis Chapman's "Beauty Will Rise". Basically, this is Steven's own journey through his grief after losing his 5-year-old daughter. It's hard to listen to, but at the same time, I loved it. Sort of like putting peroxide on an open wound. It hurts, but it heals. I love the honesty and purity in his words, and the hope that they leave behind. Probably this won't become one of his big award-winning albums, but it will definitely be cherished.

Bible Verse - Isaiah 43:18, 19, 21 "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I shall do a new thing; now it shall spring forth. shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert... to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people I have formed for myself."
If you're a reader of my blog, you know the significance this verse held through my pregnancy. Now that Jayna is here, I can revel in the "New thing" God has done.

We are waiting outside of the door, looking for God in every day life, reaching for Him and experiencing the pieces that we can, waiting... "New things" and "former things" and ways to remember God have become a part of my life that I cherish. I hope that 2010 is full of new things for you, as well as for me.

Christmas Highlights

[editor's warning: skip this paragraph if you aren't intersted in reading about my meidcal conditions] If you haven't heard yet, I had surgery on Tuesday. To make a long story short, the doctor wanted to do a laparoscopy to explore possible causes of pain I've been having. They've treated it and scanned it and come up empty, so on Tuesday he went in with his lighted scope to look around. He cut out a bunch of scar tissue that had bonded to muscle tissue and probably organs. He also discovered that I have endometriosis, which you can google if you're super interested in knowing more about. Basically it means that my pelvic organs have the potential to experience a lot of pain and other annoying side effects. Fortunately, there is treatment for it (part of which he did by cutting them away and cautarizing the areas).

I didn't want this to be a post complaining about my ailments, though. The surgery spout was to tell you that, because of it, I have been forced to slow down and rest a lot the last fwe days. It's been nice for me to have a little time to think about Christmas. So, let me share a few highlights from my thought life and real life as well.

Kids make Christmas fun. It's sweet to give gifts to your spouse. Giving gifts to your kids is a whole new level of happiness and joy. Looking at Christmas lights is so exciting. The eagerness over cookies and candy, the excitement of their waiting and opening new presents. This year Arlene is old enough to express her thoughts and feelings, and it's been great. It's so cute.

I like my new computer. Daniel found me a good deal on a net book and gave it to me the day of my surgery. It is portable and easier to lug around, therefore allowing me more opportunities to write and play games. :) Technology is fantastic.

Word of the Father now in flesh appearing. Every year some old carol hits me in a new way. Since Christmas is all about the incarnation, God coming to earth as a man to live among us, the lyrics usually have something to do with that truth penetrating my heart yet again.
This year, two songs found new meaning in my heart. Joy to the World and Hark the Harold Angels Sing. "God and Sinners reconciled" Wow. Jesus' coming rearranged the entire God concept. He didn't change, but our ability to know Him did. He came and made His blessings flow "far as the curse is found". I love what that means. His being here gave us a way to overcome the curse of man. One day, every nation will "prove the glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love." And, I will be among those singing with the angels "Joyful, all you nations rise! Join the triumph of the skies!" (Insidently, that song is actually about Christ's second coming, but that's part of advent, isn't it!)

Advent Conspiracy This year our church participated in advent conspiracy (see previous post). The presentation of this idea got me in the mood to give more than I wanted to, to give not only out of abundance but also out of what I would normally reserve for myself. I stretched myself a lot. My favorite chance to give came as a surprise when friends of ours who were visiting invited us to go and "bless a family". This family has been unemployed for a year and have TEN kids. We went to the store and picked up two cart loads of food. Their family had adopted this family and instead of giving gifts to each other, bought gifts for the ten kids and the mom and dad. I didn't meet the family. We sneaked into their house and dropped the food off in the kitchen and the gifts under the tree. It was great. One of the girls in the family asked her mom who did it, and her mom said, "Jesus did. He answered our prayers for food". Then the little girl spun around with a box of cereal and said, "Jesus loves me enough to give me Fruit Loops!" That's what it's all about, man.

Glory to God in the Highest! We listened to a sermon by JOhn Piper given to evangelical pastors. He preached about the Glory of God, and how we as humans can revel in it. How it is intregal to knowing Him and experiencing Him. How it is God's ultimate goal to glorify Himself. I was hit hard with that truth, becasue frankly, I'd rather think about God and His relationship with me and what He does for me and for man. But the more we think about what He does to glorify Himself, naturally we see what He has done for man through the course of history. I listened to Todd Agnew's Christmas CD (see previous post) and heard the angels song right after hearing John Piper's sermon. I couldn't keep from dancing and singing GLORY, GLORY IN THE HIGHEST! Of all the ways God chose to glorify Himself, sending Christ here to die for us and give us real and abundant life was the HIGHEST. Nothing would top it. Nothing ever will.

Peace on Earth and good will to men. Peace fills my heart in these times as I reflect on God and His power and ultimate plan for the world. While everything looks like it is spinning out of control and getting worse and worse, He reigns. We don't understand all of His purposes, but because of Jesus, He lives in our hearts. We can commune with Him now, and for eternity.

So. That's what's been on my mind these last few weeks. Hoepfully my words explained things well enough that you could understand and nothing came across as bad theology. I wish peace to all of you also--the peace Jesus left us. "Not as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." He will return for us and heaven and nature will sing!

Exmas

XMAS AND CHRISTMAS
A lost Chapter from Herodotus
From "God in the Dock" by C.S. Lewis copyright 1970

And beyond this there lies in the ocean, turned toward the west and north, the island of Niatirb which Hecataeus indeed declares to be the same size and shape as Sicily, but it is larger, though in calling it triangular a man would not miss the mark. It is densely inhabited by men who wear clothes not very different from the other barbarians who occupy the north-western parts of Europe though they do not agree with them in language. These islanders, surpassing all the men of whom we know in patience and endurance, use the following customs.

In the middle of winter when fogs and rains most abound, they have a great festival which they call Exmas, and for fifty days days they prepare for it in the fashion I shall describe. First of all, every citizen is obliged to send to each of his friends and relations a square piece of hard paper stamped with a picture, which in their speech is called an Exmas-card. But the pictures represent birds sitting on branches, or trees with a dark green prickly leaf, or else men in such garments as the Niatirbians believe that their ancestors wore two hundred yes ago riding in coaches such as their ancestors used, or houses with snow on their roofs. And the Niatirbians are unwilling to say that these pictures have to do with the festival, guarding (as I suppose) some sacred mystery. And because all men must send these cards the market-place is filled with the crowd of those buying them, so that there is great labour and weariness.

But having bought as many as they suppose to be sufficient, they return to their houses and find there the like cards with others have send to them. And when they find cards from any to whom they also have sent cards, they throw them away and give thanks to the gods that this labour at least is over for another year. But when they find cards from any to whom they have not sent, then they beat their breasts and wail and utter curses against the sender; and, having sufficiently lamented their misfortune, they put on their boots again and go out into the fog and rain and buy a card for him also. And let this account suffice about Exmas-cards.

They also send gifts to one another, suffering the same things about the gifts as about the cards, or even worse. For every citizen has to guess the value of the gift which every friend will send to him so that he may send one of equal value, whether he can afford it or not. And they buy as gifts for one another such things as no man ever bought for himself. For the sellers, understanding the custom, put for all kinds of trumpery, and whatever, being useless and ridiculous, they have been unable to sell throughout the year they now sell as an Exmas gift. And though the Niatirbians profess themselves to lack sufficient necessary things, such as metal, leather, wood and paper, yet an incredible quantity of these things is wasted every year, being made into gifts.

But during these fifty days the oldest, poorest and most miserable of the citizens put on false beards and red robes and walk about the market-place; being disguised (in my opinion) as Cronos. And the sellers of gifts no less than the purchasers become pale and weary, because of the crowds and the fog, so that any man who came into a Niatirbian city at this season would think some great public calamity had fallen on Niatirb. This fifty days of preparation is called in their barbarian speech the Exmas Rush.

But when the day of the festival comes, then most of the citizens, being exhausted with the "Rush", lie in bed till noon. But in the evening they eat five times as much supper as on other days and, crowning themselves with crowns of paper, they become intoxicated. And on the day after Exmas they are very grave, being internally disordered by the supper and the drinking and reckoning how much they have spent on gifts and on the wine. For wine is so dear among the Niatirbians that a man must swallow the worth of a talent before he is well intoxicated.

Such, then, are their customs about the Exmas. But the few among the Niatirbians have also a festival, separate and to themselves, called Crissmas, which is on the same day as Exmas. And those who keep Crissmas, doing the opposite to the majority of the Niatirbians, rise early on that day with shining faces and go before sunrise to certain temples where they partake of a sacred feast. And in most of the temples they set out images of a fair woman with a new-born child on her knees and certain animals and shepherds adoring the Child. (The reason of these images is given in a certain sacred story which I know but do not repeat.)

But I myself conversed with a priest in one of those temples and asked him why they kept Crissmas on the same day as Exmas; for it appeared to me inconvenient. But the priest replied, it is not lawful, O Stranger, for us to change the date of Crissmas, but would that Zeus would put it into the minds of the Niatirbians to keep Exmas at some other time or not to keep it at all. For Exmas and the Rush distract the minds of even of the few from sacred things. And we indeed are glad that men should make merry at Crissmas; but in Exmas, there is no merriment left. And when I asked him why they endured the Rush, he replied, "It is, O Stranger, a racket; using (as I suppose) the words of some oracle and speaking unintelligibly to me (for a racket is an instrument which the barbarians use in a game called tennis)."

But what Hecataeus says, that Exmas and Crissmas are the same, is not credible. For first, the pictures which are stamped on the Exmas cards have nothing to do with the sacred story which the priests tell about Crissmas. And second, the most part of the Niatirbians not believing the religion of the few, nevertheless send the gifts and cards and participate in the Rush and drink, wearing paper caps. But it is not likely that men, even being barbarians, should suffer so many and great things in honor of a god they do not believe in. And now, enough about Niatirb.

My Friend Mark

Last week, a whole lot of people celebrated the anniversary of our youth pastor being at our church. He's been there for 17 years, which, if you know much about youth ministry, is pretty remarkable in and of itself. I sent him a note thanking him for being a part of my life, and this morning he replied. I've been thinking about him all day, remembering some awesome youth group moments and reflecting on the impact one person can have on a life, even with little interaction.

When I first started going to the church I attend now, I was a freshman in high school. We'd been asked to leave the church I'd grown up at. I was in a crisis of belief. Most of my friends there stopped talking to me and staying in touch with the ones who still wanted to be friends was hard since we didn't see each other that often. On top of that, I didn't really have good friends at school. I was insecure and awkward and really lonely. Mark, the youth pastor, did something that meant the world to me then. He noticed me. I hung around in my brother's shadow a lot that year, but Mark made an intentional effort to include me. He made me feel welcome at church, even though I didn't know anyone else. The guy in charge wanted me around, so I guess that was good enough.

As I became part of the group, I made a lot of great friends and had chances to serve and be in leadership as I grew. I really enjoyed going on retreats and summer trips and hanging out with my church friends. We did so many fun things, and Mark was part of almost all of them. He was always available to listen, always careful to speak and usually said something wise when he did. He offered me invaluable insight into some major problems in my life, without judgment and without jumping to conclusions. (He was also directly responsible for my meeting Daniel, so I will forever be indebted to him). My memories of him and times with him are fond and special. I respect him. I admire him. I love him.

He used to joke whenever I'd say something about one of my best friends. He'd look offended and say, "I thought I was your best friend." (I think he did that with all of the kids in the youth group). But, when I look back on the years of high school youth group, I do think of Mark as a friend. A good friend.

Simeon

Luke 2:25-32
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. ²⁷Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
²⁹"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss^d]">[d] your servant in peace.
³⁰For my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."

I always tear up when I think about Old Man Simeon taking baby Jesus in his arms and praising God. He'd waited his whole life for this consolation. And then he basically says that he can die in peace now because he's seen God's salvation. I wonder what Mary and Joseph thought. I wonder if they really understood everything Jesus would do.
I can only imagine how beautiful of a moment it was, as the Holy Spirit danced and sang through Simeon, rejoicing over what that baby was going to do for all of human kind. God probably watched with a satisfied smile, nodding His head at Simeon.

Nowadays the Bethlehem story is a trite little fairy tale told at Christmas. We don't really think about it after Christmas is over, at least not very often. For Simeon, it meant everything. The climax of his entire life, and a moment he would probably recount to the saints in heaven.

I love to share a poem or song at Christmastime that shares some of my feelings and thoughts. Todd Agnew wins again (which only means anything if you've read my blog for the last three years). I highly recommend the album "Do you See What I see?" It has multiple styles and tells the Christmas story from different perspectives. This was last year's post.

<sup>He Is Called Jesus - By Todd Agnew

A young couple walks through the temple door
Carrying salvation in their arms
a sight for old eyes
Redemption draws nigh
in the guise of this little baby boy

The prophecies are weaving together
and the waiting is coming to an end
God promised I'd see His Messiah
With these failing eyes before I went home
And God kept His word

He is called Jesus
Son of David, son of Joseph, Son of God
HE is called Jesus
Prince of peace and the Holy One
Of Israel, Messiah, Redeemer and King
He is called Jesus
God's word made flesh for me

They brought Him to me for a blessing
With no idea of the blessing they bring
Two doves as a ransom for their little lamb
who will break their hearts but redeem their souls

You can take these eyes for I have seen Your salvation
You can take this breath and bring me at last into Your peace
You can take these hands for I've held the light to the Gentiles
And the Glory of your people Israel</sup>

Advent

At church our pastor is preaching about the book "Advent Conspiracy". Substituting compassion for consumerism. I always think about that at this time of year, but I haven't been able to come up with a great solution to the buying gifts thing. My family loves giving and receiving gifts, and to be honest, I do too. I don't care how big/expensive they are. I just like gifts. I like seeing what everyone gets for other people, and I like the anticipation when you're pulling paper off of a box.
I guess that, since we can't eliminate this piece of our cultural celebration fully, I've made a commitment this year to worship God more fully and enjoy Him during Christmas more than I do the rest of the year. Maybe it will continue and carry into this coming year for me. Because I truly love Him.

So, my first advent thought came today while I put up decorations to Steven Curtis Chapman's "Music of Christmas" (which is one of my very favorite Christmas albums ever).
"And our God is with us, Emmanuel.
He’s come to save us, Emmanuel.
And we will never face life alone
Now that God has made Himself known,
As Father and Friend, with us through the end, Emmanuel."

I love that God is with us. I love Him because He put aside godness and became a baby. And because He came to live on earth, He can now live in us. It become a trite thought because we're so exposed to it so often, but trutfully, it is so big and important and wonderful. we can't ascribe enough greatness to the idea. We can't understand it. But we can appreciate it.