What kind of mother hen are you?

What type of Mother Hen Are You?
by Montessorimom.com: Educational Resource

C.S. Lewis/Natural Law

Here's a good article by Michael Ward about C.S. Lewis and natural law.

Ward has also written a book, (which I've forgotten the title of), which explains the Narnian Chronicles in light of medieval astronomy. I never cease to be amazed by Lewis's depth of knowledge nor how he was able to integrate his vast knowledge into his works.

Busy, busy, busy

Sorry for the light posting. Between participating on various committees, teaching The Great Divorce for Sunday School, and volunteering for my daughters' ballet performance of Anastasia, along with normal life stuff, the blogging has been light. I'm also not quite acclimated to blogging yet. I can't even get the Amazon Associates links to work today. Bleh

I'll be posting more soon though, partly on The Great Divorce. It is amazing how much more one gets out of a book if one teaches from it. Hopefully the pictures from the ballet will turn out well and I'll have a couple of nice pictures too.

Wise words

from Dr. Avelda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., about both abortion and race. May there be more people with her courage.

More than a little disturbing

Update :

Apparently Ms. Shvarts real senior art project was "performance art". The story she told the Yale paper was a hoax. Does this let her off the hook? For not having abused her body and terminating the lives of many unborn, we can be thankful. This does still reveal a callousness to those who are suffering the effects of abortion and a willfulness to deceive. It is different than true performance art, where there is an audience and one acquiesces to being "played".
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A senior art student at Yale, Aliza Shvarts, decided that her senior art project would include video of multiple self induced abortions. Read here. She says she wants to "inspire some sort of discourse.", and that it is not for shock value.

Of course this is for shock value along with a large dose of exhibitionism. She has shown disregard for the life growing inside of her, the donors of the sperm, the viewers of her work, anyone else related to the now dead unborn babies, (including herself), and the Giver of all life. She is quoted as saying, "I believe strongly that art should be a medium for politics and ideologies, not just for commodity." What? How about art to inspire, to elevate, to show truth, goodness and beauty?

There are times when art must show grim reality to inspire good people to take action, such as photos of holocaust survivors and those that did not survive, but that is not what this is about. One might say it is murder for the art's sake, but that would be a pretty twisted definition of art.

Kyrie eleison.

Ostrov/The Island

I saw a great movie last night called Ostrov. The American title is The Island. There is something about it that reminds me of Babette's Feast, though Babette's Feast is a bit more light-hearted. It is a Russian story of redemption, sacrifice and listening to the Lord's voice, whatever He may say. I know you can get a copy from Netflix, which is where I received mine. Be warned, The Island is subtitled, which will bug some, but I've never found it to be a problem. Here's a clip w/o subtitles.



Sit back, enjoy, and let the story carry you.

Surrexit Dominus Vere

A song for Good Friday

A song for Holy Week

Take these shoes Click clacking down some dead end street Take these shoes And make them fit Take this shirt Polyester white trash made in nowhere Take this shirt And make it clean, clean Take this soul Stranded in some skin and bones Take this soul And make it sing Yahweh, Yahweh Always pain before a child is born Yahweh, Yahweh Still I'm waiting for the dawn Take these hands Teach them what to carry Take these hands Don't make a fist Take this mouth So quick to criticise Take this mouth Give it a kiss Yahweh, Yahweh [ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/u/u2-lyrics/yahweh-lyrics.html ] Always pain before a child is born Yahweh, Yahweh Still I'm waiting for the dawn Still waiting for the dawn, the sun is coming up The sun is coming up on the ocean This love is like a drop in the ocean This love is like a drop in the ocean Yahweh, Yahweh Always pain before a child is born Yahweh, tell me now Why the dark before the dawn? Take this city A city should be shining on a hill Take this city If it be your will What no man can own, no man can take Take this heart Take this heart Take this heart And make it break

Mother Teresa's "Come Be My Light"

I have been reading "Come Be My Light". It is a wondrous book that contains very intimate correspondence between Mother Teresa and her Spiritual Directors. I have been reading it, in light of our biblical instruction, thru Paul, that we are to "share in the sufferings of Christ".

I am completely blown away & astonished!!! I have never heard of a human being who has come so close to Jesus Christ's perfect emptying of Himself (kenosis) on the Cross. She was so courageous-- more courageous than any person I have ever known…. To willingly embrace Christ, and share in His suffering, at His very deepest point of suffering in His moments of separation from the Father on the Cross--- and to embrace Him so deeply that she lost all consciousness of His presence in her life as He allowed her to share in His sufferings--- and to be willing to wait "for all eternity" for Him to return to her (even though she had the deepest faith that He had never really left her). I am undone by how filled with Him she was and how much of eternal value that He accomplished thru her surrender to Him and thru the agonizing ways that He allowed her to share in His sufferings. Truly she must have a place seated very close to Him in heaven--- a place given by the Father that even the Apostles could not aspire to… What a supernaturally brave prayer--- that she be permitted to love Jesus as no one had ever loved Him before….. I understand both, what the Lord permitted and her complete sacrifice in surrendering to Him…. There is no darkness as completely dark as what Christ suffered on the Cross in His separation from the Father…. For Him to allow her to share in that, and for her to willingly walk in that darkness for decades…… I am completely astonished by that! Truly He answered her prayer and she was allowed to love Him in a way that no human being had ever been allowed to love Him….. Truly the intimacy between them, and her willingness to be so completely crucified with Him and share in His darkest moments--- must have been a blessing to His sacred heart that none of us can even imagine. How I wish that I could be like her when I grow up!

I can only relate to her experience on the most superficial of levels--- thru some travailing prayer that the Lord allowed me to experience for about 2 months in Sept & Oct of 2007. He allowed me to share, some, in His sufferings on the Cross and in Gethsemane. The pain was beyond description and I do not know how I could have tolerated it for more than 2 months. I was never, at any point, courageous enough to ask Him to allow me to share in the moments that He was separated from the Father on the cross. I thought that I would surely die if I tasted that for even a split second. I do not know how she stood it for decades….. How completely dependent upon Him she must have been--- how purely she must have walked in & by the power of the grace that He gave her. How much He accomplished in the world, and in His eternal Kingdom, thru her sharing in His suffering and walking so closely with Him. She was truly His bride….

I want to be like that, but I am so afraid of the pain and of the constant dying…. I am so cowardly, but how I long to be that close to Jesus and walk with Him that intimately! How I long to love Him that completely! How I wish that He would empty me so completely that I might be even more completely filled with Him and transformed into His image! I am so cowardly and she was so brave…. So brave--- with a raw courage so much like His on the Cross. Her sacrificial love for Him inspires me to want to open myself up to the pain of sharing in His sufferings once again…..

I think that all Christians are called to share in the sufferings of Jesus Christ, so that we may "share in His glory" as well. He transforms us deeply, and ever more deeply into His perfect image, when we open ourselves to sharing in His suffering.

Contrary to what certain televangelists would have you believe, our walk with Him is not about achieving perfect happiness and contentment on this side of the veil. Our walk with Him is not about becoming materially prosperous. Our walk with Him is about death, and continuing to die to ourselves as long as we walk this mortal path. Our walk with Him is about coming to love Him above all things, in a way that we are not capable of loving Him under our own strength. How perfectly dependant upon Him we must learn to be. How His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

I aspire to even a tiny drop of the love that Mother Teresa had for the Lord. She, who could not sense the presence of her beloved God for decades, vowed to pour out "her last drop of blood" in her relentless love for the lost and her service to Him. She walked for decades in an agony of perceived seperation from the Living God and still vowed to "wait for Him for all eternity" to return to her. What astonishing depths of faith and love. What astonishing things the Living God can accomplish thru our surrender to Him!

Six Word Memoir

Over at Running River Latin School, Drew has met and issued a challenge. Can you write a memoir in six words?
I'm still working on mine.
Some ideas:

God is God; I am not.
Jesus love me, this I know. (With a nod to Karl Barth.)
For all that is, I'm grateful. (Cheated with a contraction. Ha)

Give it a try.

Update

Thanks to Mr. Soharwardy for dropping the complaint against Ezra Levant with the Canadian Human Rights Commission. I wonder if his change of heart will include starting a fund to help with all the legal bills that Mr. Levant has racked up defending himself and his right of free speech. Seems only right, don't you think?

What Historical Perspective?

This is just sad. Read this article and weep.

A majority of people in Britain believe that Sherlock Holmes was a real person while one quarter believe the great Winston Churchill a fictional character. I sincerely hope these are the people who choose not to exercise their voting responsibilities. There are many factors that I'm sure contribute to such a sad state of affairs: multiculturalism, poor public schooling, et cetera..., but one factor I think particularly pernicious are the hours spent in front of the television.

This week everyone in my family, yours truly included, have had nasty colds and so we have watched more television than usual. So far we have watched Harvey, The Secret of Roan Innish, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey and Jane Austen Regrets, the latter two thanks to Masterpiece Theatre, and one night after the girls got to bed, my husband and I watched Amelie. Our usual quota is about two hours a week, so the girls can hardly believe it! I can't help but wonder if everyone in the U.S. and the U.K. limited themselves to two hours of television watching or electronic game playing a week, how much more culturally and historically aware we as societies might become?

I know I sound like a killjoy, and my family used to watch much more t.v. than we currently do. Now, except when we are down with the crud, it seems much more like a nuisance - an invasion even.

Lent is fast approaching. Perhaps it might be a good idea to give up the television and read a good book, A History of the English Speaking Peoples (Birth of Britain; New World; Age of Revolution; Great Democracies, Four (4) Volume Set) in Slipcase, perhaps?

Fun

Imagine changing your life's course by clicking on a picture. Remember, these are just fun, and if it affirms what you already know, then all the better!

You Should Be an Artist

You are incredibly creative, spontaneous, and unique. No one can guess what you're going to do next, but it's usually something amazing. You can't deal with routine, rules, or structure. You're easily bored. As long as you are able to innovate and break the rules, you are extremely successful. You do best when you: - Can work by yourself - Can express your personality in your work You would also be a good journalist or actor.

What Should You Be When You Grow Up?

Farewell Fred, but not for too long, okay?

Unfortunately, the one grown-up running for potus has stepped down. Katherine Jean Lopez has a great summation of Fred Thompson's candidacy and beliefs over on NRO. My husband and I keep asking each other, "Who can we vote for now?". Sigh.

I understand his mother is quite ill, which I'm sure must have played a part in his decision. Best regards to Fred and his family - from another former c of C er.

The Greatest Sermon I Never Heard

The greatest sermon I never heard is The Weight of Glory , by C.S. Lewis. Lewis was invited to preach at Oxford University Church of St. Mary the Virgin by the Vicar of St. Mary's, Canon Milford. The sermon was given on 8 June 1941, in the thick of WWII, which adds to it's poignancy.

Not long ago, I was assigned to give a devotional on a favorite scripture. Well, exactly how does one choose one scripture to be one's favorite? I guess there are some who are up to the task, but it is not one I find easy. There is a passage though, that I find both reassuring and exhilarating, and so it is what I chose. It is I John 2:28-3:10 ESV

1 John 2

28And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

1 John 3

1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

4Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

There are three points I'd like to pull out of this passage.

1. Our Father's great love

I've been a Christian basically all of my life, though at times I have lived out that calling more imperfectly than others. Even so, I continue to be amazed that I am God's child - that he is my Father. When I think of how much I love my daughters, the great affection and pride I have for them, and quite frankly the depths to which I would sacrifice myself for them, I cannot help but be blown away realizing how much more perfectly and deeply our Father's love for us must be. Only then can the cross start to make any sense.

2. We will be like Him

Okay, this is the exhilarating part. We will be like Jesus. We know some of what Christ's resurrected body was like. He was able to walk through walls - yet be touched, he was able to eat - yet vanish in a moment. The most exciting aspect of our transformation to me, though, is being sinless. It seems that every thought I have and every action I take is tinged with some sort of sin residue. Some sort of selfishness. What will it be like to self forgetful, to truly put others interests ahead of my own, to put God's interests ahead of my own? This is a thought, anticipation and desire which I yearn for, but alas being a sinner on this side of the veil, I don't yearn for it enough.

3. Abiding in Him

How do we abide in Jesus? John's answer is to stop making a practice of sinning and start making a practice of righteousness. Impossible! Yes it is quite impossible, but we are not to despair because we have been clothed in Christ and live in His strength, even as we continue to die to ourselves.

So, what does any of this have to do with Lewis's sermon? There is a passage, at the end of his sermon which brings to light how these scriptures should affect how we live our lives with one another. I quote:

"You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilisations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the live of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously - no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner - no mere tolerance or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbor, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ vere latitat - the glorifier and the glorified. Glory Himself, is truly hidden."

Amen.

Depression, Counseling, Kenosis & Theosis

I have struggled with depression, off and on, ever since I was a child. I went thru a rather jagged bought of it over the past few weeks and have been asking myself, my friends, my pastors and my counselor questions like: Can a real Christian suffer from depression? and What are the spiritual implications/dimensions of this disease that also affects the body and the mind in such devestating ways?

First, I absolutely believe that "real Christians", regenerate and sanctified by the Living God, can struggle with this illness. Open the Bible to almost any passage and God's children are expressing their, at times, complete despair in the face of the circumstances of life. Even our Precious Lord Jesus, who was without sin, was "sorrowful unto death" in the Garden of Gethsemane. How can we ever expect to feel content in this world, which is not as God intended it to be, and when we are now just shadows of our future selves? How can we, as Christians, keep our hope in the Living God in the face of feeling such black despair at times?

My counselor, who is also an Anglican Priest, introduced me to the concepts of Kenosis & Theosis, 2 Greek theological terms. Kenosis means emptiness and Theosis means divinization-- the process of becoming h0ly and the ongoing process of seeking increasingly greater union with God. I have come to believe the key to mastery over my depression will rest in a full apprehension of these 2 concepts. I will elaborate more on my growing understanding of this in future posts.

Christian Think Tank

The Spiritual Counterfeits Project is a Christian think tank based in Berkley, CA. Tal Brooke heads up this organization. His books, Riders of the Cosmic Circuit and Lord of the Air were instrumental in me coming into relationship with the One Living God.

I have been a seeker of the truth my entire life. Very much like Tal Brooke, I sought to understand all of the different world religions and philosophies. I also sought to come to an understanding of God and creation thru the study of literature, cosmology and depth psychology.

Tal Brooke's books confirmed a suspicion that I had always had about the spiritual realms, those realms that have more substance and reality than even our current reality. I had always wondered if God, and the other inhabitants of these realms of reality, were truly friendly towards humanity, or not. This is a very important question to ask one's self! In coming to a deeper understanding of the demonic and angelic, I came to a deeper understanding of God.

I never looked back, once I met Jesus Christ and came under His authority. I have "met" many folks online who have become deeply hurt, in body/mind/soul, as they have dabbled in the occult and sought to develop relationships with disembodied entities whom they assume have benevolent intentions towards them. If any of you folks come across this blog, I just want you to know that you can find freedom and healing thru Jesus Christ and I would be happy to chat with you about it.

Also, the website for The Spiritual Counterfeits Project is an invaluable resource for these types of issues.

How to be Principled

Found this on Rod Dreher's blog, Crunchy Cons. This is Ezra Levant, publisher of The Western Standard, whom I'm glad to see is acting and thinking like a grown-up. What courage!

Greetings and Salutations

You have just stumbled upon a new blog posted by Janine and Gina, two sisters in Christ with enough in common and enough differences to make our lives and conversations interesting. Come join us as we post our thoughts and questions relating to God, prayer, theology, cosmology, apologetics, culture, education and what it means to be a human created in the image of God.

Please be patient with us while we figure out what we're doing here in the blogosphere. Thanks for checking in and please visit again.

Peace to you
Gina and Janine