Music Notes

Tonight I witnessed the beautiful fiery orange and red glow of the setting sun in the west on sharp, frigid snow, and the pale pink reflections in the east… It reminded me of Christ and the beautiful, awsome glow of His love as it burns on our otherwise cold hearts, and the often too pale reflections of that amazing love we give to those around us. It also reminded me of the full glory of the Home that awaits us, and of the faded shadows in which we now live.

We are a reflection, a mere flicker of the perfection of the Perfect One.

This world is a shadow, a soft echo of the world beyond.

“We are a moment, You are forever

Lord of the ages, God before time

We are a vapour, You are eternal

Love everlasting reigning on high. 

Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty

Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain

Highest praises honour and glory

Be unto Your name

Be unto Your name

We are the Broken, You are the healer

Jesus Redeemer mighty to save

You are the love song we’ll sing forever

Bowing before You blessing Your name.”

  Here’s to the great white… er, wet, winter……… Personally, even with the inconvieniences it sometimes causes, snow - not RAIN -  in the winter is preferrable. However, more water means thicker ice for a better skating rink, so my siblings’ desire for snow is somewhat abated…. for now…. Peter affectionately calls it the “wading pool” because we’re “wading” for it to freeze :D . Ah, I love Pete’s upbeat sense of humor!

  Anyways, on to more important news. Yesterday I attended a very exciting birthday party for two special boys! Keith and his twin brother Gus threw a “Penguin Party” and everyone received their own S.A.P. (Secret Agent Penguin) photo identity card complete with Alias! I give my heart-felt regrets to those of you who do not have eight-year-old friends - they’re so much fun!  Here’s an old(er) picture of Keith, taken shortly after he lost his two bottom teeth!

 I cannot claim failure to compute or some big computer glitch (other than last night when the computer wouldn’t let me connect - Gertrude’s a bit cantankerous at best ) or even a large package of spam or evil virus that ate up all my time and so left me out of the blogging world for a number of weeks. Rather, it all comes back to that one, small word (with big implications) that came up in one of my previous entries: “Busy”. Not very glamerous, eh? 

 Anyways, my humblest apologies for those of you who flooded my inbox with heartfelt pleas to “Please write on your blog”… or was that “Please ‘write off’ your blog” ? Yes, I know that the gift of writing is not really mine to share (read Amy’s or Cheryl’s or Ruth’s blog to find some great writers!), but I will attempt again nonetheless.

 The latest developements over here include buying a new (2005) Mini Van (!), affectionately called ”Cookie” for its cookies and cream color scheme; having another um, interesting episode with the pickup truck involving snow… ; finally getting to see my cousin, Katrina for four days and having a blast together; going skating twice and having so much fun tucking snow down a blissfully unaware brothers’ necks for amazing reactions (they really do put up with alot from me!); becoming a new Sunday school teacher of an adorable 3-year-old boy and privileged piano teacher of 11; writing an exam; taking up Spanish again with a great teacher (yay!); putting the trampoline into hibernation for the winter - in other words, taking it down - yesterday and building a “skating/hockey rink” on the volleyball court today/currently in process. Phew. Now you’re up to date. Oh, and its my Violin’s second birthday today… and my 19th…. that makes me feel old!

I’d better close, but before I do I’d like to share a small verse from the Bible (a far better read!) - my “Birthday Psalm” which struck - and convicted - me as we recited it this morning:

 ”Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, oh God, my strength and my Redeemer.”

 !Que Dios le bendiga, mi amigos/amigas! 

Tim, one of my younger brothers, was reading in his Grade 9 Liturature book yesterday and commenced to laugh quite often as he read. My curiosity got the better of me, and I asked him what he was reading. “Every Dog Should Own a Man”, he replied. I wish I could give you the whole essay (by Corey Ford), but that would be a little too time-consuming; instead I have decided to share a few beneficial excerpts for your enjoyment - and, hopefully, amusement!  

 ”Every dog should have a man of his own. There is nothing like a well-behaved person around the house to spread the dog’s blanket for him, or bring him supper when he comes home man-tired at night. Properly trained, a man can be a dog’s best friend… I have decided to set down a few basic rules of manhandling, as a guide for other dogs who happen to own other friends of mine. 

 ”The first problem is to pick out the right man. A dog should exercise great care in making his choice, since he is apt to become quite attached to the man and will find it hard to get rid of him later if he proves to be usatisfactory…

 ”The main things to look for in a man are sound teeth and gums, a good coat, and a self-confident manner. Remember that a dog is judged by the man he leads, so do not accept a specimen that is scrawny or a runt…

 ”The first thing to teach a man is to stay and heel. To accomplish this lesson, the dog should hook one end of a long leather leash to his collar, and loop the other end around the man’s wrist so he cannot get away. Start down the street slowly, pausing at each telephone pole until the man realizes that he’s under control. He may tug and yank at first, but this can be discouraged by slipping deftly between his legs and winding the leash around his ankles. If the man tries to run ahead of the dog, brace all four feet and halt suddenly, thus jerking the man flat on his back. After a few such experiences, the man will become leadbroken and will follow with docility…

 ”The matter of phisical conditioning is important… The best way to keep him in shape is to work him constantly, and never give him a chance to relax. Racing up and down the street at the end of a leash, for example is a great conditioner…

 ”Last but not least, it is up to the dog to see that his man has the right companions. If he does not approve of a guest who has been invited to the house for dinner, he should express his dislike by removing a small section of the visitor’s trouser leg as a gentle hint…

 ”The dog must be patient, and not work himself into a tantrum if his man cannot learn to chase rabbits or wriggle under fences as well as the dog does. After all, as my setter says, it’s hard to teach as old man new tricks.”

 Yup, Jack still has lots of training to do!

Oh to see the dawn
Of the darkest day;
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

This the power of the cross:
Christ became sin for us,
Took the blame, bore the wrath -
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Every bitter thought,
Every evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

This the power of the cross:
Christ became sin for us,
Took the blame, bore the wrath -
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Now the daylight flees,
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as it’s Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two;
Dead are raised to life;
Finished! the victory cry.

This the power of the cross:
Christ became sin for us,
Took the blame, bore the wrath -
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

This the power of the cross:
Son of God, slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

That was the essence of the CCEF Conference I attended last weekend. I was exposed to the light of God’s Word - it revealed to me more of the depth of my sin, the frailty of my flesh, the relationship I broke, the death I should have died. Jesus was totally forsaken by His own Father that I may be adopted, loved, free to call Him “Father”! The height of God’s grace toward me is incomprehensible — how could He even stoop to know my name, let alone send His One and Only Son to live a life of suffering and pain, marked by broken relationships - One of His own followers betrayed Him (with a kiss, no less!), another denied Him, and His very Father, with Whom He had had perfect communion, left Him, utterly rejected, forsaken, alone. All this so that I may be restored to a relationship with God! Words are inadequate… 

Conference quote: “Sin in its essence is not about breaking rules, its about breaking relationships.” - Paul Tripp  

Here are some pictures from the weekend trip that Amy, Cheryl and I took this past summer. We had a blast!!

Time goes on without our consent

We cannot linger here

But the moments we have shared

Will never wash away

Here I sit in with the sound of pleasant classical music and the sweet company of a little bouncing baby on my lap. We have the privilege of borrowing Nathan for today as his parents are spending the day at the Royal Winter Fair with their two oldest girls (ages 2 and 4). I’m impressed at how he’s managed to put up with all the fussing of four “mothers” over the course of today - no wonder he was too distracted to want to drink his bottle at first this morning! He’s a very happy and content baby though, with wide blue eyes and cute, rosy cheeks that are “two sizes too big for him” — in Peter’s words. He’ll grow into them someday, I’m sure… “mnk,, h jh b ” (That’s the current extent of Nathan’s typing abilities :o)

Now that I can type again (Essie kidnapped Nathan), I can write what I came here intending to write (if I don’t get sidetracked again!).

Today when I was on my way to teach a couple of students, I saw what looked like a puddle on the right side of the the road, close to the middle — but somehow it seemed different than the other ones scattered about as it rained. Soon enough I realized it was not a puddle at all, but rather some dull, gray cylindrical object — and not too little either! By the time I realized this though, it was too late to completely avoid it, and so I stradled it with the brown pickup truck instead. Immediately there was this horrid grinding sound underneath the truck and I hit the brakes and stopped as quickly as possible. Upon looking under the truck, I found out this gray thing was near the rear axle, very stuck. I tried backing up and driving forward a few times to try to get it loose, but realized in a matter of moments that I couldn’t do this alone. As I stood out on the country road under the bleak sky with the rain falling, I prayed for God to send help quickly — and He did! I looked up to see an old blue pickup slowing down behind where I was stuck on the road and walked towards it. There, in the form of a man with a short, scraggly beard and a checkered shirt was my answer to prayer! He asked me what was wrong as He hopped out of his truck and I quickly explained. He took a quick look, told me to slowly reverse, and in short order I was free of the old pressure tank (I took it home and Dad identified it :). I thanked him for his help and continued on my way, praising and thanking God for His tender mercies to me.

How amazingly God provides! Before I left to teach, I was perhaps going to take the mini van, but I didn’t because Peter was maybe driving the van to school… Dad said the pressure tank could have ripped into the front end of the van or worse, if I had been driving it and reacted the same way.

“O praise the Lord all you nations, praise Him, all you peoples, for His merciful kindness is great towards us…”

  Well, Dad & Mom, Tim, Joe, Mark and Essie safely arrived here at home at around 5:30ish yesterday, and so life is beginning to be back to normal. Abby is still in SC keeping Curt & Jen and Phillip company, so for now I must be satisfied with one sister…

  I must admit, it is certainly nice to have everyone back, even with all their little ideosyncrasies (I have a few of my own…)! ;D Its also nice to not be the one soley responseable to keep Jack from eating waylaid Squirrels (but that’s another story…), or attacking unsuspecting bikers (much to my consternation and embaressment), or leaving the safety of the roadside for the purpose of attempting to launch full tilt at the dreaded Yellow School Bus… Thankfully he failed to pull the “[I'll] Hide and [you] go seek [me]” stunt until today, so there were lots of kids to “play” this game with him. Actually, “Doghunt” might be a better word for it (I’ll run away and you try to catch me! :).  Yup, Jack has a few ideosyncrasies he alone seems to be capable of — which befuddle all who attempt to understand his logic…. :S

  Yes, I have learned a few things from having the majority of my family gone (for 2 weeks and 4 days!):

 - There are only 24 hours in a day, and some of them are meant for sleep.

 - Making friends with your Mother’s kitchen isn’t as hard as it may seem.

 - Being “stuck at home” with two older brothers can actually prove to be quite enjoyable… and fattening (for the amount of Ice cream, dounuts and banannas - for milkshake - they each brought home, I began to wonder if they were having some kind of competition to see who could please me the most! I, Princess…

 - Much more, but since I have to leave to babysit, any of you who wish to know more should drop me a line — I’d love to chat!! 

This is my Father’s world,

And to my listening ears

All nature sings,

and round me rings

The music of the spheres.

This is my Father’s world;

I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees,

of skies and seas-

His hand the wonders wrought.

What a gorgeous day! It felt almost like summer again… I took a long walk with Jack on the road first, and finally alongside the creek near our house. It was so refreshing to hear the grass quietly wispering in the cool breeze beside the road. The thought of just going home to be cooped up once again was a little distressing to me, so we meandered off into the deep, dark, woods….. It was so beautiful — the orange carpet of fallen cedar, the gurgling of the swollen creek as it revelled in the filtered sunlight….

After exploring for awhile, we headed home. Pedagogy and Violin still didn’t appeal to me (though practicing Violin outdoors did cross my mind — its the only instrument I can play that’s moveable!), so I ended up on the deck in the marvelous sun, washing windows in my bare feet…. and wishing Essie could come and “help” me in her own unique way as she did this past summer…..

I should head for bed, but before I go, I want to share with you the passage we studied in Bible Study tonight:

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly ABOVE all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Last Saturday I was able to see some wildlife - a squirl excitedly jumping from tree to tree, a fish struggling to swim upstream in a creek, and some crows eating the remains of some unsuspecting roadkill. Okay, that was pretty average wildlife I admit, but at about 8:40 that morning I had quite a shock (not an electric eel, for those of you wondering).

 I had to quickly feed Jack (my puppy) and then I would be on my way to hang out with Marshall for the day. I was about to grab his dog food container, when I happened to glance down at his water bucket, there at my feet. What I saw gave me chills and I inhaled quickly. Staring up at me from his watery grave was a large mouse, eyes glazed over, suspended with forepaws streched out as if to ask for help and long tail partly laying on the bottom. I half wondered if he would move if I touched the pail, but he didn’t. I wanted to call Peter and ask him to get rid of it, but I didn’t have time to do that. Plus, Jack was almost out of his “bed”, and I wasn’t so sure he’d like the idea of some creature swimming in his drinking water, so I took the pail outside and ran to the woods to dispose of Mr. mouse. How did he end up in the water, you might ask? Perhaps he was heroically attempting to get some food for his little family… my theory is that he was a lovesick Romeo, who, driven by unrequited love, thought to win Miss Juliet’s affection by some act of bravery and by some terrible twist of fate, ended up romantically drowning… professing his love for Miss mouse to his dying breath…. ugh. I’ve studied too many operas… hence the tragic ending. 

 So, I guess I’ve learned that I am capable of disposing of dead mice (if they are in one piece, that is - with no blood and gore, etc.). I did think it a rather peculiar death though, don’t you? Thankfully I have had no such surprises since… but I’ll keep you posted. Btw, tonight Ben did the dishes for me — sweet of him eh?! If only every girl could have a big bro like him….. CCM’s at work, but not working too hard on his case yet….