Life as collage

One of our assignments last weekend was to create a visual representing our personalities and call to missions. With a few magazines and a sheet of paper, the speaker told us to "go to town." W took quick pictures with his IPhone when we were done. Sorry about the poor quality (glare from overhead lights). You'll have an idea, regardless.

W neatly cut out pictures and taped them within the borders of the sheet. He left some white edges. Here's his collage (explanation below).

 

W views his ministry as a shared meal (center), eating together in God's Word. Many people in Bandung wait to learn about Good News (lower left). He's a teacher (lower right). The top picture shows prayers of gratitude. His caption is our invitation to you: "Join Our Story."

My collage was more spontaneous. I tore pages out of the magazines and ripped them to size as the project developed. My images spilled over the sides of the page and overlapped each other. (Explanation below.)

I'm a connector, shown by the plugs. We're going to interact with learners (student bus in the middle) and need high energy as we gear up to go (the red truck; the horse rider). We expect to be covered by the Word and prayer (umbrella, lower). We'll be planting an International Service with others on the team (lower left) in a place that is barren of the Gospel (dead trees, with new grass springing up). We expect to reach out with hospitality and personal relationships (teacup and plate of food).

We were given limited resources (choice of magazines, scissors, and a glue stick) and 9 minutes to complete our task. These were hardly pieces of art. It's fascinating how each person in the room completed the assignment with personalization and their own organization. Some were very systematic; others were random. Two of us overflowed the edges and filled the page. Others had tiny images and captions with lots of unused space. One graphic designer constructed a 3-D panorama. Cool!

Hope you enjoyed the collages. It would be fun to see what you'd come up with in 9 minutes!

Read more:

*Praise the Lord! How good to sing praises to our God!    How delightful and how fitting! The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. He counts the stars and calls them all by name.mHow great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension! Psalm 147:1-5 NLT

*Take heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint. Isaiah 7:4 ESV

*Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for
building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29 NIV

*Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Ephesians 6:10 ESV

Moravian Prayer: God our King, as we serve you, give us your power so we may do your will in all things. Strengthen us so we do not yield to the temptation of taking the easy way out. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Party day

What makes you feel like throwing a party?

Cultures differ on what they celebrate. When we moved to the States from Canada over 25 years ago, we were surprised by all the partying going on. Canadians may close shop to watch the Grey Cup or Hockey Night in Canada, but everything felt like a celebration here.

Snacks and cakes, decorations, gifts.  They were everywhere. And the shop window themes. Don't get me started! Here, a job promotion or the relocation to another house could bring up party ideas. How about milestone decade birthdays, kindergarten graduation (WHAT? that kid has a long way to go!), and reaching goals at work? It initially felt weird and uncomfortable to be surrounded by people who thought everything was remarkable and worth a party.

Mind you, my mom made a big deal of birthdays and Christmas, so I copied her when I got married. However, I quickly noticed that my husband's family celebrated birthdays with a homemade cake and quiet conversation around the dinner table. Christmas was not an over-the-top event. I toned my expectations down for birthdays and Christmas at the in-law's.

When our kids were young, I hosted astronaut, "backward-everything," and Barbie-themed birthday parties. I confess I was thrilled when the kids got older and I didn't have to stress over their upcoming days.

I asked if they wanted high school grad parties. We agreed to celebrate when they got done with college. (Actually three didn't finish high school and one was ambivalent since she was ill.) And when the time came for college grad, they wandered over to friends' parties. They ended up being more Kowalski than Daher. At home, I cooked a celebratory family dinner. They got a few gifts along with congratulations from grandparents, aunts and uncles, and siblings.

We have friends over often. Our annual Christmas dinner is a highlight at year's end. And we like having people at our place to mark achievements and special days.

I notice that in Scripture, celebrations centered on God's work and His presence. I wonder what we've lost by making life all about us. By honoring peers' accomplishments more than the wonders and benefits of knowing the Most High.

When I reflect on what God has done, every day could be a party day. I could stand on the rooftop and shout His goodness every morning. Every milestone we reach is a gift from our Heavenly Father. Party, anyone?!

Read more:
*God is with you in all that you do. Genesis 21:22

*Then Solomon and all Israel celebrated the Festival of Shelters in the presence of the LORD our God. A large congregation had gathered from as far away as Lebo-hamath in the north and the Brook of Egypt in the south. The celebration went on for fourteen days in all—seven days for the dedication of the altar and seven days for the Festival of Shelters. After the festival was over, Solomon sent the people home. They blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad because the LORD had been good to his servant David and to his people Israel. 1 Kings 8:65–66

*Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” Isaiah 12:2-6 NIV

*The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 1 Thessalonians 5:28

Moravian Prayer: Loving God, forgive us when we seek to take control forgetting that you are our Creator and Father. You watch over us and shower us with your grace through the blood of Jesus. Thank you for your faithful promises. Amen.

Are you okay with changing times?

A quiet corner in the living room

It's the quiet morning after the party.

Last year I could not bear the thought of "interrupting" my writing with Christmas. I took two days off to prep the feast and celebrate with our family; then it was back to work. Everything else was off the calendar.

This year I began to anticipate Christmas festivities in October. I could hardly wait for USA Thanksgiving to be over so we could put up the tree and decorate the house. The guys hauled up 11 bins of ornaments, garlands, and lights from the basement. I had fun sorting and giving away the ones I didn't treasure. (6 bins full!)

A peek through the sliding windows
to the conservatory

It took a week to get Christmas-y things settled throughout the living room, dining room, and kitchen.

My husband and sons moved the LR sofas to the conservatory in preparation for our annual faculty and friends party. (Hmmm. I overheard our married sons telling their wives how wonderful they are because the gals leave their furniture in place, unlike I do.)

This was the best week of all. Out went everyday necessities from countertops and windowsills. In came the festive tablecloths from the guest room closet. In came the bin of ornaments reserved for table decor. In came the Christmas dishes and serving pieces. In came the tasting cups and cake plates.

Tables are set for company

As usual, there were a few hiccups. Breathe in. Move forward.

Sunday, our son and daughter-in-law got the stomach flu so wild-baby-mover-and-shaker slept at our house overnight. Good Opa went to pick BabyK up while her parents suffered in peace. W got up a few times Sunday night to check on her while Oma slept with earplugs and a clear conscience. This rested Oma went to an early exercise class, cooked the meat stuffing, and when BabyK woke, added her to my party prep. BabyK played in her bath with her light-up duckies and Tupperware measuring cups after the brined and stuffed turkey left the big kitchen sink for the oven. Good Auntie Kirsten returned our granddaughter to her parents after lunch. A family effort and unexpected fun!

Appetizers: ranch dressing topped with
salty and savory

Once the turkey was baking, the counters cleaned, and the baby toys were put away, I relaxed by putting appetizers into tasting cups. Beautiful things feed my soul: ordering the food, colors, and rhythm of cups on glass trays energized me rather than feeling like "work."

We love having our guests here. We had some first-time guests this year, but some have attended every one of the last 25 parties. We've cancelled only two times in 27 years: the first to move into this house and the second to write my dissertation. Several old friends have sat at our table in little rentals before we moved into this home 18 years ago.

Those gifted for hospitality know it's not the size of the place but the intentions of the heart that call company to our homes. We also learn when it's time to play and time to do other things.

Glass cake servers re-purposed as
appetizer trays

Whether you are a carer, a pastor, a host, a server, or an administrator in a season of "Can't this year!" please don't worry. Your gifting will be renewed in due season. The God who made us soothes us and settles our hearts in changing times. Whether grief, loss, or other obligations overtake you, WHO you are will reemerge when things settle down.

This year if you're in the chaos of crisis, rest in God's goodness. He is enough. False guilt over others' expectations cannot help us move through busy times, stress, or unplanned challenges.

Candy canes hung on a painted
Royal Doulton vase

You'll be all the happier when you once again can "play" at what is most natural and satisfying to you.

I'm feeling utterly rested, utterly content this morning. Thanks, dear friends, for coming over to create another great memory with W and me! (And a special thanks to our whole family who work together to make such pleasures possible.)


Read more:
*Job answered the Lord: “See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth.” Job 40:3,4

*The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2 NIV

*Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:10-12 NIV

*Just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:4

Moravian Prayer: Gracious God, at times we feel unable and unworthy to speak on your behalf. We feel ashamed or afraid. Instead, Lord, fill us with your words and your power and strength and we will speak. Amen.

What's in your head?

After 6 months of waking with an empty mind and no agenda, my head is full again. This morning, it was full with:

• The calendar is packed this week. Do I have the gifts ready for my friends, the material studied for the discussion, the appetizer ingredients ready to prep for the party? Bzzz.
• Are my workout clothes clean and laid out for the morning session? Bzzz.
• Our daughter comes home today. How will her body respond to Seattle weather? Is the bed made up? What else can we do to make the room comfy? Bzzz.
• A daughter-in-law, our daughter, and I visit the spa tomorrow. Are our Groupons in hand? Bzzz.
• Husband's work party? Do I need to do anything but show up?
• Next Monday's turkey dinner? When to set up tables? How shall I decorate them? Are the serving dishes washed? When to thaw out the 22 lb. turkey? When to make the stuffing? Bzzz.
• Are the gifts wrapped for Sunday's family Christmas? Bzzz.
• Oh yeah, I'm a writer and speaker. Are the presentations close to edited so I can send them off before conference deadlines? Bzzz.
• I babysit our 1 yr old granddaughter Fridays. We have to move the crib from Kirsten's bedroom to another room before K arrives today.
• etc.

There's a lot of buzzing in my brain.

I'm sure your head is as full as mine is, spilling ideas into the day. How can we manage the details that flood us in such seasons of celebration and change?

• Schedule quiet time - at least 15 minutes of reflection and prayer - each morning before the whirlwind begins. This settling of the heart allows us to align ourselves with God no matter what the tugging and pulling of obligations throughout the day.
• Watch and listen to how wise and godly friends and coworkers handle the pressures. Copy what is good and ask for advice if you're getting overwhelmed.
• Take time with your calendar to sort and prioritize. Write detailed agendas for items that require advance preparation. Schedule NO more than 3 evenings out per week, say the experts.
• Cut cut cut! anything and everything that doesn't serve your priorities. Some years require intense focus, while others let us drift through holidays at a measured pace. (Last year's journal, while I was in the thick of writing my dissertation, reports many more no's than yes'ses. That was the only way to stay sane and keep moving forward. Everyone survived and I got the work done.) 
• Give away stuff that doesn't serve you as you clear and declutter. Got old cameras? Clothes that don't fit? Seattlites, the www.bigbuetruck.org (or 800 - 992-2060) will come to pick it up from your porch. Maybe your kids have been eying a favorite teapot or piece of furniture. Do you really need it? Give it away with a smile. (See, you feel lighter already!)
• Enjoy the pleasures of the season. The meaning and blessings of Christmas - God with us! The visitors! The lights! The decor! The ribbons and wrappings! The clean house in which guests feel welcome! They all require effort ... but nothing is free (according to my mother). Since we work so hard, let's relish the results.
• Focus on the good things. Peace on earth, goodwill to those around you. Share God's love in every way that comes to hand. Forgive those who have hurt you as God forgave you when you hurt Him. Hug and kiss your family. 
• End each day with a prayer of gratitude. God is good. He gives us the night and rest. Let's not squander it in worry and sleeplessness. Morning is coming and your head may but full again.

Read more:

*One day Kish's donkeys strayed away, and he told Saul, 'Take a servant with you, and go look for the donkeys.

... Finally, they entered the region of Zuph, and Saul said to his servant, 'Let's go home. By now my father will be more worried about us than about the donkeys!'

But the servant said, 'I've just thought of something! There is a man of God who lives here in this town. He is held in high honor by all the people because everything he says comes true. Let's go find him. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go.' 1 Samuel 9:3, 5–6

*Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Psalm 84:3

*But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9 NIV

*So then, a Sabbath rest still remains for the people of God. Hebrews 4:9

Moravian Prayer: O God, when we are weary, you invite us to rest. In our anxiety and busyness, let us take your invitation seriously today. Make us stop. Let us rest in your embrace from our labors and be renewed. Amen.

Who's coming over today, Mom?

I grew up with people coming over. Eating together. Sleeping in freshly laundered beds. It was called home hospitality, and it was integral to our lives as a family.

Usually we had breakfast together, depending on who was up or leaving at the same time. Dad got up early, and before he left the house, would read the Bible, kneel and pray. Whoever was in the kitchen sat down to listen to his speed-reading and prayed a prayer after his. We liked Dad's devotions: he was quick, to the point, and rarely commented beyond the occasional, "hmm" as he was putting the Bible back in the drawer.

Lunch and supper often included guests, especially on Sundays. Mom, a great cook and baker, and a gracious hostess, invited people, talking in the church foyer. She called them in advance if it was going to be a production.

The house was always neat, thanks to German values of tidiness and CLEANliness. You couldn't just pick up things and put them away. Mom's floors were washed or vacuumed at least weekly, the surfaces dusted, and the kitchen spotless down to the chair legs. No matter who dropped by, Mom warmly welcomed them inside, serving coffee and cake or cookies between meals. Or she'd say, "Can you stay for supper? We would love your company."

Mom and Dad admit they influenced more people around the table than in various boardrooms. We children learned to be comfortable with men, women, and children. With the poor, the influencers, the wealthy, strangers, and relatives. That egalitarianism was one of their biggest gifts, bringing confidence to us siblings: we're equally at ease with presidents, ministers, academics, laborers,  and the homeless.

To this day, our view of "everyone is someone" can get us in trouble with the haughty, those who expect people's adulation because of a job title or past accomplishments. (Actually, we are proud of those who earn titles and positions. Good for you! We admire ambition and hard work, used for God's glory.) We shrug off the "rude in authority," with a, "Yeah, we respect you, just like everyone else."

People deserve human not god-like relationships, regardless of their position." My respect plunges toward those in power who disrespect their subordinates or humiliate the powerless with "humorous" or cutting remarks. Jesus rebuked those who put others down, and brought into his own circle those others looked down on. Scripture forbids us to be intimidated by others (see verses below). Enough said.

Because my parents' house was guest-ready, missionaries, relatives, and friends who came through town often stayed with us. When they left, Mom stripped the beds, cleaned the rooms, and restored order; soon she was set for the next person or group. (She's still doing that in her 70s! Company still shows up for meals and sleepovers.)

Hospitality is both a gift and an education. By the time I married, I knew how to run a home with people coming and going. My parents gave me 12 place settings of china, monogrammed servingware, and tablecloths. We invited college peers to our crummy little apartment, eating off paper plates or Royal Doulton, depending on the mood or time for prep.

Over the next few years, I expanded my cooking and baking skills. I cooked my first turkey dinner for a 12 member pastoral staff. "If anyone has to forgive what I am about to do to this bird, Lord, it will be them."

It turned out just fine, thanks to a few calls to my mom, "How do I cook a turkey, Mom? Oh, I have to start thawing today? But lunch isn't until Tuesday!" My mother = hostess lifesaver.

I'm considering hosting a hospitality class when my dissertation is over. Oodles of our acquaintances and friends don't have people over because they don't know how. They've never hosted a Christmas dinner or a Saturday brunch. They'd be terrified to have an out-of-town family drop by their front door for a meal and warm bed. They might not even be comfortable going to someone else's house.

Let me know if you're a gal or guy who'd be interested in attending 3-4 sessions of hostess training (hands-on training where you eat the rewards). Some of our friends are amazing hosts and would be great guest-teachers. We'd cover food costs and collect a donation from each person for a charity that distributes food. You'd learn how to present an easy-to-prepare meal and leave with great ideas for making people welcome in your home. (How about just before summer or in the fall?)

Read more:

*Psalm 147:7-14; Zechariah 6,7; Revelation 19:1-8

*You must not be partial in judging: hear out the small and the great alike; you shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God's. Deuteronomy 1:17

*Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. People curse those who hoard their grain, but they bless the one who sells in time of need. Proverbs 11:24–26 NLT

*Jesus took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." Mark 9:36-37

Moravian Prayer: Holy One, may we see your face in every stranger. Holding true that we are all created in your image, may we closely embrace each other despite our differences. Amen.

Putting up the New Year tree. Oh wait, trees.

A Christmas tree. Of course. Everyone has one. A New Year tree? Not so much. Two NY trees? Say again? What's going on?

Today I woke up happy, planning a project that wraps up an event we decorated a few years ago. I'd painted 12 5'X12' banners to fill the enormous foyer. We cleared out a nursery, hauling 60 firs (or was it 80? 12'-16' tall@$6 each, burlapped) to soften the corners of the banquet hall.

I smiled this morning, waking to thank God for the wonderful women who roped their husbands into helping unload those tall monsters off the truck. We had borrowed endless white lights and gauze from a church, and helpers wound them around clumps of tree bases.

The table decor cost less than $2 each. How? As we looked around the institution's storage closet, the wheels started turning. Candles. Mirror tiles aplenty (cliche, or...) 

W and I went to the river and loaded up 2 buckets of rock. Rinse, scrub. Ready. We were due to dig the moss off our garden path anyway. The morning of the event, I got out a trusty metal spatula and scraped three big baking sheets full of lovely, green mosses. Our shopping list was short: 

• 2 contractor sacks of small round pebbles from Home Depot @4 each
• Several packages of wild-looking mushrooms from Uwagimaya
• 10 bunches of orchids (Trader Joes, a dozen stems@$5)

On each table, volunteers put down a mirror tile ("water"), piled a few rocks at one end, hid the other edges of the tile with pebbles, and surrounded it with moss. We placed mushrooms in the moss, draped a few orchids, and put the candles between. It looked very "Northwest." (Wish I had asked the photographer to take pictures for my file.

I brought two banners home after the event. They lay rolled up for nearly a year until this morning. 

W, who hates heights, crawled up the ladder to mount them in the living room. With his laser level, they're, well, perfectly level, and at the right height (5" below the drapes, which looks like the same height due to viewing perspective.)

Thanks, hon. If I can dream it, he can build it! What fun to share happy memories and art on one day.

What do you think? And what's on your weekend "to-do" list?

Read more:

*He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 8:11 NIV

*Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously,   and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33 The Message

*Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 NLT

Forest view

Our house was built for Christian hospitality. We're always looking for ways to make our home more useful and beautiful. 


Crate and Barrel was selling off Christmas stuff, just like other retailers. We picked up a Christmas display unit. I intend to re-purpose the four customizable shelves as greenhouse trays this spring. 


Rarely one to think within a plexiglass box, I've temporarily reinvented it for vegetable and fruit storage. It's an easy step from the kitchen door to glance at what is available for juicing and cooking. 


Waldemar may be a theologian and academic but he is rare among peers because he's also skilled in practical things. He's great at building things I design. But he has good ideas of his own, too. 


The sun porch emerged this fall. W was getting ready to replace rotting cedar on the back deck again. He priced hardwood decking and figured he could enclose the space for about the same price.


W worked evenings and weekends, tearing up the old decking before laying down a new sub-floor. He installed insulated greenhouse roofing and built frames around double-paned windows salvaged from patio sliders. Then he sliced 2"X10" boards for 1" pine flooring, which will be stained medium brown to match the house flooring when it warms up.


W finished the initial phase the Sunday before Christmas. The sofas from the LR were placed in the space for December, and we immediately used the sunroom for overflow Christmas entertaining.


After the holidays, we took our chaises, a patio table, and two chairs from storage. With a few blankets and a space heater,  we are enjoying the forest views even though it's winter outside.


I'm so proud of my husband's work! Isn't it beautiful? 


Read more:

*Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. Psalm 147:1-5 NIV

*Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. Proverbs 3:9-10 NIV

*Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:1-2 NEV