seriously

Joyful's mukluks, E-dog?  Big shoes to fill

Happy Almost Birthday, Little Laddie

inSight of the week

Never fear that someone else's story will be yours.   


While listening to a couple of McKinley colleagues tell medical financial horror stories - you know, ripped-off deceitful hidden costs - I found myself becoming frightened.  It's always good to heed one's thoughts and body.  "Whew, what if that happens to me.  I better remember to ask the doctor if he answers a question, will that be an extra charge?"  I found my shoulders tightening while thoughts swirled.  


Then the sweet Lord Jesus, as close as my breath, said, "Do not fear another's story."  
It reminded me of Aslan's comment to Lucy when she asked a question about her brother in Narnia's Chronicles:  "I tell no one any story but his own."


It is a waste of emotional energy to stew over "What if that happens to me."  If it does, the Lord will be near to teach and to rescue.  I have my own part to play in God's Kingdom drama.  Do not worry about anyone else's part.  God will be in the middle of mine.  To have and to hold.  God in the midst.  Peace

Can We Save America?

Can We Save America?

the screaming vs the Still Small

The key to this Journey is noticing The Kingdom of Heaven at hand.  Yes, as close as the air we breathe. And after noticing, turning to look:

Earth’s crammed with heaven,
 And every common bush afire with God;
 And only ~he who sees~ takes off his shoes,
 The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.
 Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Happy Birthday Lassies and Lads

My precious cousin, Linda, breathlessly opening her fifth year birthday gift.
How cute is she!   And we ~ Bobby, Donny and me

Aaron stoked over his birthday pipe

The Good Scouts of Cary Illinois

The Good Scouts of Cary Illinois

Someone in the White House must wear the pantsuit

Poitin @ Dempsey's in Fargo / Irish Washerwoman

Out and about in downtown FarGo, Dempsey's Pub on Saint Patrick's Weekend with Joy and Nathaniel.
Love this music!!!

Quotes of the week

In answer to the question, "Who am I?"  I am an unceasing spiritual being with an eternal destiny in God’s great universe.  

God’s intent for each of us is that we should grow in character and ability to the point where He can empower us to do what we want to do.   
Dallas Willard 

March 21st

Spring!  Much anticipated, long-awaited. 

21 March - the year of our Lord - 2011.

a face Jesus could love

Alex Rydell has a happy face.  Funny how you can just tell when someone is a Christian.  The lilt to their countenance says, "Joy."

Alex is the fiddler in the Irish Band, Poitin, which played Saturday at Dempsey's in FarGo.  When Joy hears their jig, she always says, "Mom would love this!"  She's right, I did!  Saturday night.  

Alex, a classically trained violinist, plays a mean fiddle with his Irish lads but also a beautiful violin with the worship band, "Saving Reign."  Hearing him at Dempsey's was a blast!  Hearing him lift worship to the King would be even better.  Someday, either here or There.  

BYOB Z!

Sadly, Zero slurping Nathaniel's hops was the only pic snapped this weekend with Noy.  Such a strange little creature.  His favorite pastime is washing down a pair of you-know-who's underwear with a nice cool one.  Mercy.  

You're in the will, Cheri.  You still want the Pugs?  I don't blame you.  :)

Joy, Nathaniel and I sure had fun, cooking together and making a couple of needed purchases.  It's amazing how quickly a person can slide through cash in FarGo.  But I needed a new vacuum and also was able to pick up a walnut table I'd had my eye on.  Nice.  It'll be here for the holidays this year when the whole fam will be together.  Happy Day!  
But serving notice early that the mom/care will not be providing hops-skip-&-jump for the Z Dog.  Naaa-ah!

Cogent points from CS Lewis' "Mere Christianity"

"Enough Already!" says the big guy to the punk bully.  

The justice of it illustrates C.S. Lewis' Law of Nature point perfectly:  There is written on the heart of every human, a right and wrong barometer.  The author of that Law is the Creator God.  Lewis sticks the point with this argument: No one would defend the bully by saying that it is fine to swear and punch someone who is just standing around minding their own business.  Everyone innately knows that pressing a fight with inflammatory language and bodily assault is wrong.  The argument does not lie there; all agree.  God's intrinsic law in action.  

Elisabeth Elliot's Daily Devotional

Title: One of the Mysteries of Our Humanity

Author: Elisabeth Elliot

Have you ever thought much about the fact that we, created by God for his own pleasure and glory, are permitted by the Creator Himself to deny Him? Even though we are totally dependent on Him for our next breath, with that breath we may declare that He does not exist or that we refuse to do what He wants us to do. We live by the life He gives us, moment by moment. We enjoy rain, sunshine, the growth of crops and flowers, sensations, delights, satisfactions of many kinds. Yet we often act as though we were sufficient in ourselves, needing no interference from Him.

I can, by the power mysteriously granted me by my Creator and Redeemer, declare myself master of my fate, captain of my soul, and say, "My will be done." That the Lord should expose Himself to this effrontery in a million forms, for millions of days and nights, is the mystery of love and grace. Still He draws us with cords of love, calls us to come, waits (amazing grace) for us to bow and say, "My Lord and my God!"

Báidín Fheilimí - Traditional Irish Song

World's Largest Traditional Irish Music Session

Palpable hypocrisy

"Uh, pardon me guys, just playin' through."

Quote of the week

"When we talk about spending, even now during these debates, we always hear, 'You can't cut that. You can't cut that.' Well, how come nobody ever says at the beginning, 'You can't spend that'? That's never part of the discipline."  
Rush

mornin' Sis

Family pack leaders

Of all the quirky things, I've been reading Cesar Millan's books. The Dog Whisperer has a lot to say about both canines and humans.  My fascination is with the two-legged variety.  
Cesar teaches emphatically that the order of emphasis in a dog's life must be: 1) exercise, 2) discipline, 3) affection.  Millan seeks to establish balance in dogs across America believing that the American pet of the dog persuasion is a psychological mess because affection has been prioritized.  That places the master under the sway of the pet.  The question burning in every canine's bosom is "Who's in charge here?"  It is looking for the pack leader and if there is a vacuum in that role, guess who steps up to fill it?  The dat-gum dog.  That makes for a messy topsy-turvy home front, according to Cesar. 

Just this week I went to the special education assistant administrator's office to drop off some testing documents.  The receptionist said that "Linda" was in her office, the one with the dogs.  "Scuse me?"  I thought.  Sure enough when I knocked, two ruffians barked like they'd just heard the FedEx guy pull-up.  I backed away and when Linda opened the door and invited me in, I declined.  I do not do the dogs.  They scare me.
The situation seemed out of balance to me.  Intimidating dogs on human turf.

Amy Chua with her musically talented daughters,
Sophia and Louisa

This weekend I finished another fascinating book: "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother."  The author, Amy Chua, makes a transparent case for child rearing the Chinese way.  True to her indomitable overbearing personality, Amy pulls no punches relating the knock down drag out skirmishes that ensued between she and her daughters.  Most of the tactics used on the children made my hair curl.  However, the Chinese philosophy of parenting is worth setting in contrast to the western notion of affection first.  

Remember, the Dog Whisperer places exercise and discipline above affection.  Amy offered affectionate praise as a reward for countless hours of in-the-trenches labor.  Her oldest, Sophia, played piano at Carnegie.  Sophia's glorious performance was a direct result of the laser-focus of her mother upon discipline rather than empty affection.  Praise and affection were given after a job well done.   Fascinating

Amy's goal of raising accomplished children seems to dovetail with Cesar's dog-rearing philosophy.  Amy wrote, "America seems to convey something to kids that Chinese culture doesn't. In Chinese culture, it just wouldn't occur to children to question, disobey or talk back to their parents.  In American culture, kids in books, TV shows and movies constantly score points with their snappy backtalk and independent streaks.  Typically, it's the parents who need to be taught a life lesson - by their children."

Who are the pack leaders in most American homes?  Amy Chua would argue that it is the spoiled kids.  (The disparate results between western and Asian children speak for themselves statistically.  Sighting just one, at leading music schools - Juilliard, for instance - Asians and Asian Americans constitute 30 to 50 percent of the student population.) Cesar's life mission is to repair the damage done to families who have abdicated their pack leader status to their pets.  Should loving parents and pet owners crawl back in the saddle, reins in tow?  

If human potential is quantifiable, I wonder how much more productivity and accomplished skill could have been squeezed from my own children if the Chinese philosophy had been practiced during their formative years?  Heck, my own laissez faire approach to life might have seen much more fruit harvested if more was required during my growing-up years.  Perhaps I'd have a much fatter resume.

All children have innate talents.  Asian parents are better at harvesting those talents so that they grow up to be something.  Amy Chua was not remotely concerned with her children's happiness.  In contrast, "I just want my children to be happy!" is the heartbeat of most western parents, myself included.

The balance lies somewhere in the middle, I'm guessing.  Accomplishment tempered by affection.  In a Newsweek article, even contemporary Chinese Moms seem to agree with the east meets west balanced approach: "...the key to success is seen as a hybrid of East and West—at least when viewed from the lair of the Tiger Moms." 

Literal rendition

"Bi-planes"
Artist Nathaniel Navratil
Gift for Isaiah Robert MacMurchy
Nathaniel says this is literal not abstract

Morgan's resolutions.  You have to love this

Isaiah helping Dad renovate their new home

The Shawshank Redemption

One of the most poignant scenes in modern cinema.

"...it was like some beautiful birds flapped into our trap little cage and made those walls dissolve away. And for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free."

worship-ful

You'll find me under my Bose ballet-ing to Beethoven. Majestic beyond words!

Such irony that the composer of this God-breathed music could not hear. Upon entering the eternal shore, did Beethoven alas hear his symphonies for the first time? Wondrous to consider.

A stroke of juxtaposition genius to overlay Beethoven's 7th during The King's Speech. Two brave men who overcame obstacles. Redemption!

There's no video stream but to listen is to laugh!
Mirth is always worth pursuing on a sunny Saturday morn.

This just in: Isaiah nuts about Sister

Elissa said, "He's crazy about her!!!!!!"
And how fortunate is Isaiah Robert to have an animated sister who loves him so!


Our lucky 3 had Grandma Margaret.  My mother's devotion during their formative years shaped my children.
They are healthier and happier in their adult years.
Thank you Mother.
Thank you Morgan.