Elsewhere

I wrote a post in "I'm Writing." I wrote somewhat ambiguously on purpose regarding something about which there is no ambiguity.

Clear as mud? My apologies. 

At That Place Again

This week went by so fast; it's a little startling. I'm glad the weekend has arrived. 

You know how I've gone on about how I need to make some significant changes, and I've had some good experiences with doing just that, and I've also sunk back into the same ruts and bad habits after making progress? Well. I'm at that place again. Actually, we are at that place again. It is just too crazy around here. 

If you happen to read this and would pray for me, I would appreciate it so much. I want to honor God with my life, but I don't do that. I know what I ought to do, but I don't do it. That's not right. I imagine living into God's will is going to require a lifetime of striving, and make no mistake, I don't think I can do it on my own. The Holy Spirit will have to help me. But the changes can't be all Spirit. Nothing will be accomplished if I'm not trying at all.

So...I have some laundry to take care of, some dishes to deal with, and a heart to keep wrangling. 

Memory Master, Knowing and Making Things Known

Today Michaela achieved Memory Master, which is an honor signifying that the student has committed all of the information from the twenty-four week Classical Conversations class to memory and can recite it with relative ease. This took a lot of work on her part, and I often was not involved in her memorization; she took it upon herself to do this. The student who is working toward this goal has to memorize all along. Trying to cram it all in one's brain at the end would be overwhelming and also would most likely not result in long-term memorization. I am pretty proud of her for deciding that she would accomplish this goal, and then doing what she needed to do in order to achieve it. 

She has a lot of information in her brain. At the beginning of the year, the tutors in the girls' classes would encourage the students by saying,"We're going to train your brain to retain!" Using songs and good old repetition, all of these facts are becoming firmly implanted in their minds. (Mine too! I learned so much myself!) This memorization of facts is associated with the Grammar Stage of educating children (and apparently Christina). The grammar of a subject is the fundamental and basic info, the bones of a subject. The next stage is called the Logic Stage, which technically Michaela has entered (honestly, she may have been born in this stage...it's scary how much she is like her dad when it comes to how she thinks about things). I have not been so great (in spite of really good intentions...sigh, ugh, sigh) at moving from the Grammar Stage into the Logic Stage. But knowing how much she has learned, and how she is so ready to move forward and begin filling out those bare bones with the meaty part of history and literature and science, makes me renew my committment to the task. It is time to take the massive amount of orderly facts and give them life, relationships and consequences. 

History is exciting. I know that now, and I wish that I had known it when I was younger and in school myself. I hope that it is not too late to help her not only enjoy what she is learning, but the learning itself, and to see the purpose of it all: to be able to know God better and to passionately share that knowledge with others.

"But Take Heart!"

Today marks the 68th year since Dietrich Bonhoeffer was hanged at Flossenburg Concentration Camp. I have been thinking about that morning today, and reflecting on the life he lived and the death that he faced so bravely. 

The peace of God is 

Well, words are difficult to describe adequately what the peace of God is. Is it something that can be spoken of? Peace can come when least expected, and then it is certainly most welcome; hopefully it will not be such a surprise. Jesus' final words to his disciples as recorded in John, before he prays, are,"'I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.'" This is his promise, his sure word!!

Reading these words, knowing what comes in the narrative following this time with his closest friends, feeling the sorrow for his abandonment, rejection, accusation, crucifixion, I still cannot help but feel lifted. This "take heart!" echoes and reverberates throughout ages and centuries in order to ring true in our own ears and to give us hope, and, of course, to give us peace. 

Peace, then, we have. May you know it, be full of it, cling to it with hands that might be wrung weak, but with stubborn strength, a strength that comes from the Spirit, which was promised and who lives in us, speaking the truth to us. 

"But take heart!"

I am certain that he was smiling when he said these words, in spite of his own grief, his great love for his beloved shining through again. My heart pounds to think of this smile, the smile of the Almighty God in flesh, the One who was and is and will be, there with them: Immanuel. A smile that reveals the power of God, the hope and mercy of God, the justice of God, the love of God, and the peace of God...what could be like a smile such as that? 

One day we will see it, right there before us. What a day! What a day! Live in his peace until that glorious day!

Oh, What Tangled Webs We Weave...

when we twist a comb around and around and around in our hair.

I heard Eliana call me from her room,"Mom! I need your help with something!" When I entered her room, I stopped in my tracks as I was greeted with this hair-do that would have made the beauty school drop-outs proud.

After about three minutes, she asked if I was almost done. Um...no. 

I worked on that tangled mess for over an hour. I truly thought I was going to have to cut it out, which would have broken my heart. Fortunately, I am brilliant and I came up with a plan that eventually worked to wiggle the comb out of her hair and the hair off of the comb.

Looking at her hair, I thought I might never be able to brush it again. 

But I was able to! It smoothed right out. 

No more combs for you, little girl!

Especially not this one...

(What are we to make of this spidery, web-ish theme I've got going here? Ponderous...)