Happy Easter

Saturday, March 30, 2024

It's a low-key day without social media. W and I meditate on the long Sabbath endured by the disciples of Jesus, between Good Friday, when Jesus was executed, and Easter Sunday when he was raised from the dead. It's an impossible story, even after 2000 years.

But you could have asked any eyewitness at the time the gospels were written: "Did this happen?" and they would have confirmed it. On the other hand, the political and religious leaders wouldn't have raised such opposition if hadn't been so revolutionary and earth-shattering. The tomb of Jesus remains empty and the resurrection changes everything.

We split a box of kids' blocks and each create a little something. Our personalities show even in simple things. Guess which is whose!

We lay down a maroon rug that I'm rehoming. The colors make me feel like I'm in a lollipop shop.

PakG takes the stage bouquet (last week's palm fronds crammed with yellow flowers from the garden) and a dozen table arrangements to the hall. I spend the evening cooking 3 sauces (curry, spaghetti, and black pepper); air-frying 200 sausages; and boiling, marinading, and baking 260 meatballs. Not a lot of people have signed up to bring food but every potluck seems to work out in the end. [Yes it does, as usual.]

I spray on Deet insect repellent as I always do. While I am cooking, I get 14 bites on one ankle and 10 on the other. My wrists are bitten, too. Not even the minyak gosok (a smelly anti-bite oil) soothes the itching.

Sunday, HAPPY EASTER! 

I get up at 5:00 to cook 3 kg of spaghetti and heat the other dishes. W wraps the food in blankets and hauls it to the hall to keep it warm.

"He is risen," we proclaim at IES Bandung.

"He is risen indeed," we respond to each other. Titik has assembled 2 floral sculptures for the hall. Her husband Chandra has made a stand for the flower pot so the arch doesn't hit the floor. Clever man.

The table centerpieces are casual.

To last week's leftover bouquet, I add the spare roses after the table arrangements are done.

The hall is ready. This day is the highlight of the year for followers of Jesus, when we celebrate his death and resurrection. You can read eyewitness accounts from scripture here: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.

We enjoy time together, discussing 2 questions at our tables: 1) what value does the sacrifice of Jesus have for us? and, 2) What are you looking forward to after death, when we experience the eternal life he won for us?

The answers are interesting and personal. We have no fear of death because the chasm of sin and failure that separates humans and God was bridged at the cross of Jesus. There is no long purgatory or post-death torture for those who accept God's solution. Our salvation is assured, though "we work it out with fear and trembling," says the apostle Paul (Philippians 2:12).

Three women, Laurel and Sayaka (below) plus Alice work hard to make the Easter Potluck a success. It's a feast of tastes - Western and Indonesian. Afterwards, lots of people stay to clean up. The food is dispersed and the pots are emptied.

We are delighted to meet Ruth's family: she was part of the IES team before marrying and moving to Jakarta. We're happy that she found a sister community the family loves to attend: #IESWest.

I choose one bouquet for our living room and rehome the others. W and I head for bed: after unpacking and a morning of speaking, we are exhausted. 

We were looking forward to attending the wedding of a friend's daughter in the afternoon but it's a "no-go."This flu would be a lousy gift for bride, groom, and their families. I'm disappointed when we have to stay home. We send treats for the family with other friends.

Monday

We cough our way through one loop on the morning walk. These bright weeds bloom along the street. Typically, someone has dumped their garbage. Without regular garbage pickup in some neighborhoods, people just throw it out in other's areas.

Along the Porch, the guava tree has fruit again.

While W and I check in with our moms (yay for FaceTime), PakG gets mangosteens from a tree at the back of the yard. We knock the fruit off when it's green before the critters get them. He finds almost 20 that are already purple. We plunge them in hot water and cold, washing away swarms of busy black ants.

I butter and bake small yellow potatoes for lunch, along with lentils and yogurt. Yum. Our helper volunteers at a posyandu (neighborhood clinic for pre-schoolers and moms) the first Monday morning of the month. It's nice to cook what we're hungry for instead of planning the schedule for the day at 6:00 a.m.

The Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix is 1 1/2 years after its expiry. A sniff (no, the oil hasn't spoiled) and a mix, and they're baked and delicious. I munch a few with a cup of tea on the Porch, while W eats his with his feet up in his office.

And how many more "resting" days can we bear? The e-newsletters are sent on schedule, the class reading is underway. I'm most of the way through an insightful book: Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I'm generally uninterested in American history but Goodwin presents an exceptional look at 4 leader who shaped governance: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. Those guys would be horrified by the politics of today.

Wait, she's won a Pulitzer? No wonder her writing is so well-researched and easy to read. (My complete review here.)

I write a few reviews before turning to next Sunday's talk. It's my turn to write it.

Read more:

*Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel. Genesis 35:15

*Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” Matthew 27:54

*At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Mark 15:33-39

*For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16

Moravian Prayer: O crucified Lord, as we gaze upon the cross this day, may we not be too tempted to see it as a place of defeat, but as the place in human history where God’s love and power triumphed. May we add our voices to the confession of faith of the centurion, “Truly this man was God’s son.” Amen.

Yellow frogs, beetles and the ants who clean up

Tuesday, March 26, 2024 (Lent Day 36)

A short night. A long morning. A huge dead beetle right by the entry as I open the sliding doors. It swarms with columns of ants reclaiming it as food.

My sum of creativity is swapping out a muted beige table cover in the nook for a brighter one. The sun's out in the morning but the rest of the day is rainy and dark.

Meanwhile, W is miserable, 5 days into the flu. If he stays on track, he'll be through the worst by Friday. If he talks and moves a lot, he'll set himself back and will still be coughing his lungs out on Easter Sunday. (I'm on the third day of overhang after Sunday's exertions.)

It's a prayer day for people who are sick, accompanied by a chocolate 'n coffee cookie to keep me alert. Laurel lets me know the prayer group has almost polished off the baking in the IES office fridge. The helpers bake new cookies and some banana bread.

My big chore is assembling "stuff" for Sunday's Easter potluck. Others are leading it. My part includes keeping it on track and resourced - plus a whack-load of cooking before Sunday. I work as far in advance as possible since W and I are speaking that morning, too.

This morning, I drag the supplies into my office and outside the door of the storage room. The piles include recycling pails, 100 rattan plates and liners, cutlery and serving pieces, tablecloths, a rice cooker and rice, and folding tables. Two of our crew take the load to the hall. Now that I can see the rug, I can breathe again. Back to work.

I manage to write a partner e-newsletter for the end of the month. My head is fuzzy so hopefully it makes sense. We're not hungry at lunch - this bug depresses the appetite.

Wednesday (Lent Day 37)

Out the door. Yellow frogs now? I ask the yardman about it. He says these are non-toxic.

Walk. I pass only one couple on the mile-loop. Muslims harbor their strength for the long day ahead without food and water.

Writing. Calls. And a walk around the yard to see what needs doing. Oh oh ... the cushions have been out since last Friday? Usually they're set on the rattan hanging chairs when we sit in the lower yard. They're put into storage bags when we're done, to keep animals from sitting or pooping on them. "Put the cushions into the storage bags" was on the Friday checklist. That's not good. PakG assures me he has taken them in every evening. Thank you! (and today I show him where I tucked the storage bags.)

W and I indulge in fruit and banana bread (thanks to IbuA) and drink the herbal throat-soothing tea Martin brings by on his way to work. Thanks, Martin - going out of his way, for sure! It's rare to find a couple where both are care-rs, but that's Martin and Sayaka. They bless many people.

A quick trip to Setiabudi Market yields groceries and the box of mac and cheese I've been craving. I make a lunch tray for W, who is sitting in the sunshine.

Our northern friends are posting pictures of snowstorms, snowdrifts, and ice. Brrrr. I've blocked out how short the growing season was in Canada and the USA. The gardeners are dreaming through seed catalogs and tamping down their eagerness to plant impatiens and other spring flowers. (We pluck impatiens out of our Indonesian flowerbeds and toss them into compost; they grow like weeds all year long.)

Our friend Mary sends a daily forecast about 4:00 a.m. The weather usually looks like this: nights of 19oC = 66oF; days of 30oC = 86oF. When temperatures drop under 21oC/70oF, we don sweaters or coats. We don't need air conditioning though a fan is nice if the day's been hot and the drapes left open.

Thursday - 68th Bday (Lent Day 38)

W brings out the back-to-back batiks that my friend Kim quilted into a lap quilt. What a lovely gift!

Each side is beautiful.

Her handwork feels like love. When you make something for a crafter, s/he knows what it cost you. Thanks, Kim, for this and years of friendship and mentoring.

Another very special treat is the chocolate-coffee cookie sent along by Keelee, who owns the #quietwatersbakery. Yum.

I put my feet up as the sun shines in the morning. (It pours rain in the afternoon.)

My mom and I call in her evening and our morning, 14 hours apart. She corrects me, "Today is not your birthday. It's not until tomorrow. I did not have you on the 27th." haha

First stop after breakfast is the food wholesaler. I'll make 3 dishes Saturday but the meat stays cold in the freezer bag until then. The owner of the wholesaler asks about W and wishes us the healing power of Jesus. Thanks!

I love the improvements, small and large as we drive through the city. The round concrete balls, spaced just off the curbs to keep motorcycles from ruining the sidewalks, have been painted. (Wish I'd gotten a better shot, but this made me smile.)

I stop at IKEA's As-Is and pick up some building blocks and a few odds and ends in the sale bins. I'm in KBP for another quick stop so I'm here and gone.

The evening falls as we wrap up a lovely day. I'll read the birthday wishes in my friends' timezones "tomorrow." Meanwhile, I read a #FutureMe note I wrote last year. Not much has changed.

Good Friday (Lent Day 39)

W and I walk to #NaraPark for breakfast: W's feeling better. By the time we get home, he's wobbly and ready to lay down. Yup - this is a nasty flu.

Along the way, we check the progress of the building project nearby. It's strange to see supporting pillars and walls go up outside the original structure.

From the side lane, we see gaping holes in the original house; maybe they tear it down bit by bit? 

I talk to most of my family and am delighted by a video of my Uncle E, who's been my "Best Uncle" since childhood. Thank you, Ruth - brought tears to my eyes. Uncle Erich, in his 90s, still lives in Winnipeg and I miss his face. I last saw him in person at my "Best Auntie's" 80th. Good thing that Mom and Ruth pass messages between us. He can no longer hear my voice (wrong timbre).

It's a day of remembering the utterly unfathomable love of God for us. Who would have thought of living as human, dying to pay our sins to bridge the distance between us and our Creator? Only God. "The cross is foolishness to those who are dying," says the scripture, "but it is the gift of God for eternal life to those who are being saved." Amen.

Read more:

*You have blessed it, O Lord, and it shall be blessed forever. 1 Chronicles 17:27

*Jesus said, “You will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven’.” Mark 14:62

*Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Matthew 24:34

Moravian Prayer: God with us, you were not content to dwell in heaven afar or be confined to a temple built by human hands. You chose to come among us in human form to be God with us and God for us. You came as a humble servant and redefined for us our fitting response to you as being the loving response to the needs of your human family. Hosanna, blessed are you who came in the name of the Lord. Amen.

10 "Alignments" (What if you could align your life with the center of the universe?)

Saturday, March 23, 2024 (Lent Day 34)

Tomorrow our youngest is officially "middle-aged." When I turned 35, I gleefully told a friend 10 years ahead of me, "Hurrah, I'm finally middle-aged."

She looked at me, laughed, and said, "Forget it, youngster. That won't happen until your 40s." haha

Think about the passing of time, one tick of the clock, one day after another, and the blur of years already spent. Today is Day 24834 for me. Check out your own day here. That represents a host of opportunities, taken or squandered, forgettable or remarkable.

I'm coming back to life after the flu. W and I walk our 1-mile circuit (just once). It's the first walk for me this week. Going uphill takes my breath away but it feels SO good to move in the sunshine and fresh air.

In the Padma Hotel parking lot, building material is waiting to be slid down the metal chute to a construction site below. Workers send one item at a time - one concrete block, one bag of cement, one shovelful of dirt or gravel ... to be caught by men waiting below. Thus supplies that are impossible to deliver through narrow lanes and down precipitous slopes end up where they are needed. Clever.

Yesterday, W and I read through the Palm Sunday talk, accompanied by a paroxysm of coughing. Oh well. Hopefully he doesn't catch it and I'm better tomorrow. He sends a heads up to the team that someone else may have to deliver the message. His throat is raspy since yesterday.

Lew heads back to Jakarta, finished with his comps and relieved to have achieved a big step in his doctoral work. Next comes his dissertation. I look forward to reading what he writes. He has a sharp mind and is an articulate communicator. I think he'd be an outstanding lecturer; we can recommend him highly when he sends off resumes.

This morning I rework the faded arrangement from last week. The scraps are ready for composting.

But a cheery bouquet of leftovers enhances the entry.

I haul out my Bernina to hem a tablecloth from a linen square bought in Bali in February. There's enough for a slim fringed scarf, too. As soon as art-making, music, crafting, or cooking restarts, I'm coming back to life. Hurrah.

By mid-morning, the dogs are snoozing at our feet. Their recall of a late meal or resentment at a skipped walk is nil. They have total confidence in us though they rarely know what we're planning. When they see us, they react with excitement for whatever we offer: a pat, a treat, or a "good boy/good girl!" Oh, may I greet the words and activity of my Master the same trusting way.

Without the leisure of novels, I have loads of time to think about big topics. How about the 10 Commandments?

--- what I'm thinking--- (skip if you want)

The list of 10 Commandments used to be posted on plaques and monuments in public spaces. Don't steal. Don't lie. Don't make idols. Don't ... don't ... don't. Then people who despise religion insisted on their right not to view those basics of civilized society. And the boundary signs were removed.

Consider this: do those people really want a thief to take their stuff (stealing)? Are they thankful when someone lies to harms them or their friends (false witness)? Did they thrive if their mom or dad slept around with other people (adultery)? Of course not. They appeal to the courts to defend themselves against lawbreakers and use the law to defend their lawlessness.

Society starts to break down without mutual expectations of how people behave toward each other. Then comes a disintegration of safety and collaboration. Without shared values and consequences, life becomes a free-for-all of bitter attacks and vindictive behavior. "Hurt me once, I hurt you twice."

Jesus said all the commandments are wrapped up in these 2: "Love God. Love others." Those who love a caring, benevolent, and righteous God naturally act with kindness and goodness to each other. 

What if everyone regard the 10 Commandments - not as rules to be broken, but as our "10 alignments" with the nature and holiness of God? For example: 

• Make no idols: although creation is worthy of wonder, only God is worthy of worship and the One and Only cannot share his place. 
• No coveting: God made you unique and provides what you need; envy and comparison rots your bones. 
• No adultery: it's healthier physically and provides family stability (esp if there are kids) when adults are faithful and monogamous. 
• Etc. ("Read more" below.)

--- Done for now --- but thinking about this all day ---

By lunch, I'm hungry for a creamy pasta sauce to go with a side of citrus-infused papaya. During Ramadan, Muslim cooks can't taste food so going out is a waste of time and effort.

We browse the cabinet: do we have linguine? OOOOh, look! 2 packs of dried Italian gnocchi. I cook a batch and taste it - the oil in it is off. (Oops, the date is 2018. Toss into the garbage.) The other package is dated 2022. These came back with us from Kenmore and must have waited when our returning suitcases were overloaded. Anyhow, one's still "fresh". Hmmm.

I sprinkle smoked paprika, pepper, and dried red peppers into hot water to reconstitute soy "bacon bits." After cooking and draining the gnocchi, I fry it in butter and add the "bacon." In a separate pot, I heat a cup of whipping cream and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese (thanks, W). Stir the cheese sauce into the gnocchi and voila! That's the taste I was craving. I can't finish what's on my plate.

In the evening, I interview a potential intern for next year.

Sunday: Palm Sunday

I feel good enough to go to church. Titik has outdone herself with the palm fronds.

Another arrangement has purple and white flowers inside the palms.

Two little boys find each other and sit together outside the hall.

Partway through the morning, after speaking awhile, my cough returns. By the time we get home, my throat feels raw. W orders a #MrRoastman burger for himself and a grilled chicken burger for me. I bite into it but there's no chicken so I open it up.

Such a little piece of grilled chicken! I pull away the bread that doesn't cover meat. That's about 2/3 of the bun. What disappointing delivery from a restaurant known for great food. #mrroastmanbandung 

I reheat the leftover gnocchi for the missing meal. The day passes quietly. By nightfall, W offers a throat-numbing lozenge from his American stash to ease the pain. It burns before it numbs.

Monday (Lent Day 35)

W's caught it. His flu has taken 3 days to ramp up, just like mine did. Friday I told him he might feel sick about Sunday night. Yup. Last night it started to hit him.

The sun is rising as we leave the house.

I think about the earth's rotation, perfectly spun by the Master Mathematician day after day. The sun "moves" quickly! A block later it's near the tip of the Maj (high-rise on the next hill).

Construction is still going at the neighbor's. I'm fascinated by building and buildings.

I cough my way through our 1-loop walk, a few online meetings, and a (masked) trip to the grocer. Then I'm hungry. Oops, forgot breakfast and it's mid-morning.

I splash a scoop of overnight oats from the fridge and some yogurt into a bowl. 2 rambutan from our tree? Yes please. They are so sweet. How about an indulgence? Hot cocoa for the throat, almost the last pack from HEB in Austin.

I wonder what's making you say "AAAAAhhhh!" this morning. Someone making me say, "Argh!" is the plethora of mosquitoes on the Porch. I must have forgotten to slather my feet with repellent and am bitten a few times.

Read more: What's the big deal about the 10 Commandments anyhow?

[Moses twice records that God gave him ten commandments to align his people with his nature. (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5 is below.) The first five affirm the respect due God and the respect due parents by children. The final five keep people from self-harm and from harming others. God was making a nation from slaves, bringing a system of justice to those who had never known it.

Hey, hey, what would the world be like if everyone fully followed these instructions? You could trust your family utterly. A child could walk anywhere in complete safety. Women would know any stranger is helpful and caring ... imagine the freedom! And yet we persistently choose self-rule and self-interest, even when our choices hurt each other.] 

Here goes the list, with this preface:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 

1. You shall have no other gods before me. [= I'm the one-and-only God. Don't give your allegiance to counterfeits who deceive you.]

2. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. [= Worshipping what I made instead of me will corrupt and distract you.]

3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. [= My name/character is utterly good, utterly powerful, utterly knowing, utterly loving. There are consequences for maligning me.]

4. Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. 

Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. [= "You never got to rest, now I am freeing you from the tyranny of slavemasters. No more endless work for you!" Has there ever been another god who mandated rest rather than more duty, more sacrifice, more hardship? = magnificent!]

5. Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you. [= Our Heavenly Father sets us into families where we respect those caring for us.]

6. You shall not murder. [= God is the giver of life and humans are made in his image. So each person's life is precious to him.]

7. You shall not commit adultery. [= God is utterly faithful. When we are faithful, we reflect his nature.]

8. You shall not steal. [= Everything belongs to God. Taking what does not belong to us is taking from God.]

9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. [= God is truth. So corruption of truth hurts us and our neighbor.]

10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” [= God is our provider, who meets our needs. Greed will warp our souls.]

[Moses continues:] These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me. (Deuteronomy 5:6-22)

Random thoughts* on art, books, friends

Tuesday, March 19, 2024 (Lent Day 30)

Random stuff floating through my head: there's less resistance when I'm sick.

*Art describes the interior world of artists. Going down the steps in the afternoon, I pause beside a group of 5 paintings. Their colors agree, an unplanned collaboration when they were hung in the stairwell.

*I listen to podcasts when I'm lying awake at night. For information, I prefer to skim text rather than waiting for someone to speak, even at X1.5 speed. But once in a while, I catch up on presenters. Some regulars are: Emotionally Healthy Leaders by Scazzero; Beyond the To-Do List by Erik Fisher; The Daily Creative by Todd Henry; interviews by Carey Nieuwhof; and the like. What are your favorites?

*Today I listen to a 2-part Ian Morgan Cron talk with an Enneagram 8. (Whatever you believe about personality tests, some are better than others and none are perfect. They're most useful when considered loosely descriptive than prescriptive.) I recognize the Enn8 "step-up-and-lead" instincts the guys are talking about. It's good to hear that others live with their drive and fighting spirit intact. The "8" being interviewed is a man, which makes his power and boss-iness more acceptable in a room.

I've lived for over 46 years with someone who values peace and politeness over progress. The culture around us values harmony above all else. So it's easier on others if I tone down. Over time, I've learned to tamp down the "8 energy" to half or less when I walk through a door or sit at a table. That keeps me out of trouble, most of the time. (Unless I forget.)

Sometimes I miss showing up with a roar and a million ideas to churn through the conversation. So funny: I look for a lion picture to illustrate this feeling. I do a casual search for an "animal to fit Enneagram 8." Yup. It's a lion. But it's easier on others when I show up as a bobcat or house tabby.

Our full healthy personalities and character will be unleashed by God in eternity: peacemakers will be at their best. Researchers and teachers will help us understand without twisting truth. Empathetics will absorb and reflect feelings without living in pain. And people like me (who became quieter to fit in) will shout their worship. I'm quite looking forward to it.

*We're asked for a photo by a sponsoring organization so we line up against the green wall. My head is throbbing and W runs from the tripod to stand near me for the shot. One of us is weary. The other is watchful. We send it off anyway.

*Someone mentions how much they love books. Everyone expects to see books (whether they're read or staged) in Western decorating photos. But when we moved to Indonesia, we were shocked to visit homes that had no books besides a religious text (the Koran, usually).

Over the years, books have come to us. Though we purchase very few, our bookshelves have filled up with others' discards. Vintage Hardy Boy, Nancy Drew, and Tom Swift books sit on a shelf in a guest room. Other spaces contain different sets of books. Our library is constantly expanding.

This year, I decided to fast novels during Lent. Some days it feels like that's killing me and there's SO MUCH time to think. "No stories" is much harder than skipping a meal. Reaching for a book or flipping open my Kindle, I remember, "Not yet. Not for 2 more weeks." Instead, I consume books on faith, leadership, and spiritual formation and the odd podcast. I'm learning a lot.

*When W and JD go out for supper, I slip into PJs and make my own meal. I have no appetite. The main course is papaya soaked in lemon juice, doused with chia pudding (chia seeds left overnight in some kind of plant milk), and a homemade trail mix out of which I've picked the chocolate-covered coffee beans. 

Who knows how old the candy canes are? (2 years? 3 years?) Found them in the back of the fridge and broke them in pieces to add a little zip to the raw nuts and dried apricots. Not bad.

Wednesday (Lent Day 31)

12 years ago today, I defended my PhD dissertation. What a relief that it's done. I've watched many others finish their work. Once in a while, when someone wants to quit, I pass along the wise advice my mentors gave me: "Keep going. When it's done, it's done."

It's a rough night and I'm mostly awake. I read through Deuteronomy, listen to several podcasts, and lie still between, hoping to drift off. 

Can't remember where I read this idea: "You shouldn't go to bed thinking, 'How do I make myself sleep?' just as you shouldn't go into a kitchen thinking, 'How do I make myself eat?'" Makes sense, but lying in bed, it doesn't make sleep come faster.

Thursday (Lent Day 32)

At some point, I'll feel better. This week, "whateverthisis" crept from Sunday's tickle in my throat into my bronchial tubes and is sitting in one lung. I can feel it taking over, a little each day. It's at the sneezing, dripping, and coughing stage. For someone who "never" gets sick, this is surprising: my third cold in the past few months. I miss walking and hiking, being active, and thinking clearly.

Lew's here to write his doctoral comprehensive exam. I print the questions out. He tackles the first one after lunch. (How glad I am to have mine over with!)

*Since I'm confined to the house, I write the next series of New Normal posts. Each one features something normal here that's unusual to our Western culture. If you want to get it each Monday, request it by clicking here. (Homeschool kids and the culturally curious like it.)

By the 23rd post for the end of August, my hand is sore. So I count the clicks as I write: 35 per post. Wow. MailChimp is cumbersome but effective. At least I don't have to think about it again until September. 

I try to eat but have no appetite. The dogs finish what I cannot.

My final and favorite meeting of the day is with Alaine, my spiritual director. She reminds me that the Lion of Judah is strong and loud. When she asks me to think of a place of peaceful encounter with God, I can't think of anywhere specific. "Sad," I say to her.

"Think of being in a pride of lions," she says. And that totally un-stresses me. I think of the growls and roars, the swipe of a paw, and the lying around between hunts. Lions are most dangerous when they're hungry or distracted by motion. Hmmmm. How do I ensure that I am well-fed and rested before my encounters with others?

My spiritual mentors are mostly lions: strong, competent, and called men and women. One of the wonders of being in a female leaders' group is that every accomplishment is cheered. No one hears, "Be smaller." "Be quieter." or, "Be less lioness and more rabbit." (What a relief.)

Friday (Lent Day 33)

It's a choppy but long night so I'm rested when I wake to post the Lenten blog. I'm listening to a family quartet of guitars. Their live 4-yr anniversary concert plays in the background. Can you imagine getting 2 young kids to post practice time every day with their parents? Check them out here.

The Bandung Book Group comes over today. These women teach me something about life in Bandung each month. Our book is Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See. We dub it our "best book of the year." There's a lively discussion about what it meant to live in other times and the restrictions that still exist for women. We agree that we're privileged to live in our time and place.

Several ladies bring food to share - delicious and beautiful. The Muslim ladies take portions to enjoy later when their Ramadan fast ends at sundown.

Lew finishes writing his three comprehensive questions toward his doctoral degree. We celebrate with supper after the women's tea. There's plenty left over to send with IbuS at the end of the day, too.

As we sit on the Porch, I catch a glimpse of this ruby point on a bromeliad leaf, just before the water drops off it.

Night falls and the flowers glow golden in the garden. The plants grow up to 8' (2.6m) tall. Their spectacular self-seeding abundance happens a few times a year. Several women take seeds home: I got mine from a friend as well.

Read more:

*The eternal God is your refuge. Deuteronomy 33:27

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. John 14:1-2

Moravian Prayer: Risen and eternal Lord, what are we waiting for? Our hope is in you. Death looms ever before us, at times filling us with dread. Strengthen our faith, that when our time comes, we might anticipate with joy our entrance into your presence in a dwelling place prepared for us. Amen.