Prayers for New Brides - Book Review

Prayers for New Brides: Putting on God's Armor After the Wedding Dress by Jennifer O. White

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Though I am not a bride--new or old--I wanted to read this book and have it in my collection.  As I was hoping, it has many helpful thoughts for me at this stage of life, when I am preparing for the possibility of someday getting married.

The books is separated into two large parts, five smaller parts, and 40 short chapters.  I was glad for the small chapters and sections within chapters, making it easy to digest. Each chapter ends with a "prayer prompt" and "a wife's call to action." The whole book is chock full of Scripture, but especially the prayers. They are not always word-for-word quotes from Scripture, but the ideas are probably at least loosely found in the passages referenced. I was disappointed by one or two that I looked up and didn't find very helpful or fitting. I think most of them fit, however.

I liked the practical assignments ("a wife's call to action"), which included interviewing others who have years of experience in marriage, listing reasons why your husband is fun to love, memorizing Scripture, etc.  Some of these will be more helpful to a married woman, but a few of them are possible to employ before marriage.

Here are a few quotes I like from the book:

"Your heart and mind toward your spouse and your marriage will be as healthy as the information you put into your mind and speak from your mouth."

"Your fight for your marriage is not something you can put on hold while you pursue some other honorable mission.  Sitting down on this job is not an option."

"Remember, God is not sitting on the throne evaluating your ability to stand in hopes that you make it this time.  He is actively involved in helping you stand.  He has an unlimited supply of time, wisdom, strength, and love for you.  He empowers you to stand."

"You cannot walk away from the job of holding up the mirror to your husband.  Your thoughts about him, good or bad, are obvious to him and others.  And they are contagious.  Think about it.  What you've communicated to your parents and friends about him is the foundation where their thoughts of him originate.  Are you painting a picture that looks like God's image of this man?"

"There is no problem in you, your spouse, or your marriage that God cannot resolve.  Nothing that comes against your marriage is stronger than God."

"She explained that talking negatively about your husband was a slap in the face to yourself because the two of you are one."

"Jesus pursues a present-tense love relationship with His Church. You said "I do" to the very same lifestyle of enduring, pursuing love and oneness."

I'm not sure if I quite agree with the interpretation of 1 Peter 3:1, something I've thought about quite a bit.  If a husband is unsaved, is this passage saying that the wife should be totally silent?  The verse says "they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives," but it doesn't say she can't say anything about the Lord to their husbands. I'm sure that's not what the verse means, as we are supposed to be evangelists.  However, the book may be saying that in general Christian women are to be meek and not badgering their husband all the time regarding the faith, mostly just living it out, which is what I believe the verse means. It's hard to tell, but it seemed to be taken almost literally, since the book states "no more preaching."

There are a couple of other doctrinal fallacies, or so it seems, implying that God will always work marriages out if we follow Him, etc., but it was subtle, and I think with all the battle involved in marriage, the positives of God's victory and strength are needed encouragement. There may have been some Arminian doctrine, as well, but I tend to filter that out unless it's constant.

There are a couple of chapters that offer more to read online, extra stories of encouragement, that I want to look up.

There is a chapter focusing on physical intimacy, which is written tastefully.

The book ends with a brief addressing of abuse in marriage.  I think she handles it well, speaking of separation if needed, yet believing that God can work things out.

My top takeaways from this book:

Marriage is hard, self-sacrificing work, more-so than I imagined (it goes far beyond the basics of cleaning and cooking), yet God is there to uphold and empower when we seek Him and obey Him.

We as women need to be confident in God's love, not seeking man's love to hold us up--God's love is perfect.

Spilling troubles and complaints about husbands with others is most often disastrous.  We should lovingly work out differences one on one with our spouses.

~I received this book from CrossFocusedReviews.com for my review; I was not required to give a positive review.

Movie Night - Beyond the Mask Review

I had been wanting to see Beyond the Mask for quite some time.  Finally my family agreed to go with me, all except Mom.  Matthew and Andrew weren't too excited about it (especially Matthew), thinking the quality would not be that great.

We invited the Lees and others to go with us, but they didn't buy tickets in time...or so we thought.

We had bought tickets for the 5:00 hour, so we made our journey to Franklin early enough to get there in time.  But . . . when we got there, the ticket seller said that there was no 5:00 showing--it had been cancelled.  We had heard nothing of that, though I had noticed the button to buy tickets for that time had disappeared a day or two ago. I thought that the tickets had merely been sold out.  The lady said we could get our tickets switched to the 8:00 time, or that she'd give us a pass to go to that showing.  So, we really got a night showing for the afternoon rate.  But we had several hours to kill.

First we ate at Chick-Fil-A, though we had eaten a sandwich or something light before coming.  Our appetites had revived sufficiently to eat again. ;)

After that, we spotted a chocolate shop (called Paul's Chocolate Gallery) and we went in, curious.  Chocolate is never a bad idea, right?  The little shop had chocolate sculptures and a baby grand piano on one side, a glass case full of chocolate candies on the other.  We looked them over, noting flavors from orange cream to maple to peanut-butter.  The prices were more than I would usually pay for an inch-and-a-half square of chocolate: around $2.49 each.  Matthew or Andrew said jokingly, "She should get a discount for playing the piano."

"Actually, you do get a free piece of chocolate for playing a song," the young lady behind the counter said.

Ah!  Oh!  :)  I sat down at the piano (whose autographs were on the piano? didn't even read them), and played my Chopin waltz.  I messed up in the middle, but skipped by the parts I couldn't remember there, and finished.

The young lady liked it, and asked how long I'd been playing.

I picked for my free piece of chocolate the same as Andrew's--something with raspberry.  Mmm, it was quite good!  Matthew asked the young lady her favorite flavor, and she said the Balsamic one.  He tried this, and liked it.  Not as sickening sweet as some, but it didn't taste like balsamic vinegar, he said.

Annie played Greensleeves and got a free piece of chocolate. Not sure of the flavor.

The lady said we could have a second piece for free, too!  I thought I was supposed to play another song, so I made up an arrangement of Amazing Grace, and nabbed a second chocolate, this time pomegranate, which had a drizzle of reddish stripes on top.

Matthew plunked a few random notes on the piano and asked if he could have a free chocolate, too.

"No, that doesn't count," the young lady said with a smile.

She stepped out from behind the counter and talked with us more personally, about our family, piano playing, and even church.  Perhaps she was a Christian, as Annie thought.  We asked a little about the lady's work and the owner of the shop, too.

Eventually we headed out. Andrew and Matthew wanted to do some shopping; Matthew wanted to buy clothes at a thrift store, since he was a bit lacking in jeans and shirts.  So we remembered the nice thrift store called "Our Thrift Store," found it on the GPS, and went there.  The store was closed.  But we had noticed a goodwill on the way there, so we headed back to that.

I thought this whole adventure was maybe even better than a movie--free chocolate, spending time with siblings, and impromptu shopping.

Annie and I browsed the clothing, but most of it was a bit pricey--even half off about $4.00 each.  So we went back to the books and bought a few of those.  Annie also found me a nice white purse for $5.00.  I wasn't sure I wanted to buy it for that price, as there were a couple of stains on it, but I'm glad now that I did.  The stains are small and hardly noticed.  The bag looks quite classy, with silver rivets and rings.  Yes, it's cheap and hard faux-leather, but oh well.

Now we hustled back to the theater, as the time was almost upon us.

We sat through dozens of ads and previews (thankfully none bad), plugging our ears often because the sound was so loud.

The sound of the movie wasn't much better--Matthew even stuck in an ear-plug he happened to have in his pocket.

The movie started out quite exciting and intense.  And it kept my attention all the way through. Here's my review I submitted to Fandango.com:

"This is a good movie for kids and adults (though some of the violence may be too intense for young children), including lots of action, romance, and a little history. I enjoyed it and thought it was well done for an independent film. The acting was very good, not distracting as in some Christian movies. The script and costuming was quite good. The romance was a little modern and more intimate than I expected for a Christian movie, but overall not too bad. It may have just been the theater, but the sound was so loud we had to plug our ears at times (my brother wore an earplug in one ear). Of course, the graphics were not as good as a Hollywood film, but that's to be expected. I liked the theme of forgiveness not being earned, and it was put in there effortlessly. It kept me riveted; I'd count it a success in the main!"

Yes, the romance was the main thing I didn't like too much.  There were some good points about it, such as the lady seeking advice and approval from God, her mother, and her uncle (her father is dead).  But she does kiss the man before marriage.  And I was disappointed to see that in a conservative Christian movie.  They could have faked it, too, not shown their lips, but I think it did (I looked away a bit), and if the actors were indeed not married to each other, that would not be good.

Overall it was fun.

The guys picked apart all the fallacies or cliches on the way home, including not-perfect graphics.  But for a low-budget film, who can expect something totally amazing?  The guys actually did enjoy it more than they thought they would, so that's a success, too.

Excerpt from Our Book

A sneak peek of the book I am writing, along with my family.  It may not be 100% accurate, for my memories are hazy from that time long ago when I was just four or five years old, but I do remember times like this, and the general feeling of it.  What a blessing godly mothers are!

Darkness and silence penetrated my being like a living force.  What was in the dark halls?  What lay beyond the window panes, creeping in the bushes or lurking beneath the swaying pine trees?  Why did everything seem so much scarier when the sky went dark?

I huddled under a blanket in the nursery, hoping someone would come along to keep me company.  And there!  Footsteps on the floorboards.  Mommy gently pushed open the door, a small smile lighting her face.

"Still awake?"

I nodded, blinking up at her.

She took me on her lap and enveloped me in her arms.

Softly, she sang, "Safe am I, safe am I, in the hollow of His hand.  Sheltered o'er, sheltered o'er, in the hollow of His hand.  No foe can harm me, no fear alarm me, for He keeps both day and night.  Safe am I, safe am I, in the hollow of His hand."

Her clear voice stopped, and again the stillness echoed like a tomb.

Then the tune that danced and cheered, "He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the wealth in every mine.  He owns the rivers and the rocks and rills, the moon and stars that shine.  Wonderful riches, more than tongue can tell.  He is my Father, so they're mine as well. . . . He owns the cattle on a thousand hills--I know that He will care for me!"

I smiled, content at last to close my eyes and sleep.

In Memory of My Dad

Five years ago today my dad passed from this country into the heavenly country.
We miss him, yet we know he is far better above, and this is all a part of God's perfect plan.

"The very thought of a holy and all powerful God to Whom they had to give an account was something which they could not stomach.  And when we say "man" or "they," we are surely saying you and I.  We must repent of the folly and wickedness of denying God and rebelling against that light and resisting His will." - Keith M.

"You are not going to see yourself as you really are until you see God as He is.
You are not going to see how low you have fallen until you see how high God is." - Keith M.

As my sister, Annie, wrote:
"He [was] a husband, father of eight, preacher, homeschool parent (when he knew none personally), and more. I remember how he taught us faithfully and eagerly, the sacrifices he made for us, how we did things together like biking and talking as we rode along, how he listened to my concerns and offered advice, prayed with me, encouraged me, and gave books when he saw I had an interest in something, or he wanted to teach me something—usually the deepest lessons. I love him for all of these things. And miss him—five years ago last Saturday was his home-coming."

I add my hearty assent to that!  He was not perfect, and would have readily agreed to that, but he was a parent who truly cared about us, and he loved the Lord above all.

My dad and me, c. 1984

Dad, Mom, Grace, Matthew, and John

Dad holding Annie, Mom holding Mark...John, Grace, and Matthew

Dad at work in FL

The Baby Conference

ave you ever felt burdened by not knowing how to handle children, or not knowing if you really even wanted any? I have. God has been changing my heart, and this past week only strengthened my resolve to love children, regardless of how hard it may be, how badly I fail, or how foolish I look in the process. And it strengthened and armed me with some ideas on how to enjoy and teach children and encouraged me to trust in God. I also learned other things in regard to the glory and intricacies of God's handiwork in very tiny babies before they are born.

What was this event that brought about these results, by God's grace? The Baby Conference, which was held in San Antonio. Learn more about it here.

There were testimonies of God's amazing grace, there were friends, there was for me a new experience of volunteering, helping usher people in. I don't know that I did it well, but it was helpful to me.

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” - Genesis 1:28

I believe this command (similarly repeated in the Bible several times) applies today. As my brother pointed out, the earth is far from full, yet.

There's more I could say about this, but I don't believe it's my jurisdiction to teach on such things, especially publicly, nor would I do as good a job as the people of Vision Forum. So...please check out the site I linked to, and if you're able, buy the audio (or here for mp3)! I'm sure you will be blessed!

Meeting Mrs. Verret, Lacie, and Laura for the first time in person. :)

Enjoying the fabulous talk by the Botkin family

A Visit from Family

henever we get to see family it is a special blessing. And this was no exception.

My brother, Joel, his wife, Charity, and her sisters Harmony and Autumn got to spend the weekend with us a couple weeks ago, and I'm still missing their vibrant company.

We did quite a bit of talking about subjects both deep and light, looked at old photos, sang and played the piano, ate at Macaroni Grill and colored most of the paper tablecloth (I wouldn't have thought of that, but it was fun), went to a bass pro store (Outdoor World), watched a movie, had fun with nieces and nephew, visited the Alamo and Riverwalk, and enjoyed church and fellowship.

Here are a few photos from their visit.

Joel and Charity

Medieval Festival

edieval festivals are quite unusual and fun. A couple weeks ago, some church friends hosted one. They did an awesome job, and we enjoyed it.

Me in my outfit--dress made by my oldest sister some years ago

Sweet friends in their lovely costumes

More sweet friends in lovely costumes

Most of the costumed attendees (some arrived later)

The food tent (quite obviously)

There was rope-climbing...

...a trebuchet!...

...a pinata...

...a cheesecake and tart contest...

...and archery! (My brother, Andrew--seen here shooting --won the competition.)

But it wasn't all just fun and games. Mr. Phillips gave a talk on the history of the trebuchet and later on chivalry, which we didn't get to hear all of, as it was pretty late and we needed to get home. I enjoyed the fellowship of saints, talking of various things.

Legacy
by Melissa M.
About my dear dad, gone home to heaven.

He left a legacy of volumes,
Shelves and boxes full.
Thoughts of writers deep
From which we can cull.

He left a volume of legacy,
Prayers and actions full.
His life very strong,
His mind never dull.

Even when his last breaths were taken,
Painful yet made clear,
He asked to stand up
For his Lord was near.

Will our actions be remembered here
As pure or defiled,
Graced by love of God,
Or with fear and spite?

Grief and Gladness

We have gotten together with family & friends a few times this week. First we had lunch at the Sarratts' house with my sister, Grace, and her kids, which was lovely. They served a delicious strawberry and lettuce salad with poppy-seed dressing and baked potatoes with rosemary and toppings such as bacon bits and cheese. We chatted and did some crochet and played with the kids, watching them blow bubbles and pop them. We sat on their porch, and it was surprisingly tolerable, though it was upwards of 95 degrees. There was a bit of a breeze. My littlest niece enjoyed the bubbles, but she was most excited by the fluffy caramel-colored dog, Poochy, crawling around after her and flailing her little hands at the dog.

Some of our friends are up in Boston at the Reformation 500, which looks like a wonderful event. (See even more about it here, and some pictures of reenactors in costume, some of which people we know and love.)

Well, I shall end with some quotes from Spurgeon's The Treasury of David, Vol. 1, shorter nuggets. I've really been profiting from and enjoying the book, and the commentary on Psalm 22 is great in helping me to see the amazing love of God through Christ.

"They shoot out the lip, they shake the head." These were gestures of contempt. Panting, grinning, shaking of the head, thrusting out of the tongue, and other modes of derision were endured by our patient Lord; men made faces at him before whom angels vail their faces and adore. The basest signs of disgrace which disdain could devise were maliciously cast at him. They punned upon his prayers, they made matter for laughter of his sufferings, and set him utterly at nought. Herbert sings of our Lord as saying,--

"Shame tears my soul, my body many a wound;
Sharp nails pierce this, but sharper that confound;
Reproaches which are free, while I am bound.
Was ever grief like mine?"

"I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee." (Psalm 22:22)

We mention our sorrows readily enough; why are we so slow in declaring our deliverances?

"All they that go down to the dust shall bow before him." (Psalm 22:29, in part)
There is relief and comfort in bowing before God when our case is at its worst; even amid our dust of death prayer kindles the lamp of hope.

A House!

Thank the Lord...the application for a rental house in Texas has gone through! I'm only half excited about moving, but I am grateful that we could secure such a nice place. It's a decent size for us three, with three bedrooms, two stories, and a nice living-room with an arched window. It's in a nice neighborhood, close to where my sister, Grace, lives with her family. So, all in all, we're very pleased. :)

Joel & Charity's Time Here

(All this was written on March 04.)

Days go by
They fly
Sometimes
They melt
Like gooey
Lollipops

Make time
To sing
And praise
And laugh
To look
At beauty
All around

For we
Can see
With eyes
Of faith
If we
Rely on
Jesus' strength

~

Yeah, that wasn't the best. I just strung it together. It's one of those slowly-moving "gooey" days, but I need to remember to be thankful for it, as every day. :) And we do have some good news. Though it's not entirely, 100% confirmed, yet, Mom did apply and send in money for our first month's rent for a house in TX this April! I'm happy, sad, all mixed up. *sigh* To move from here, where I've been for the last 18 years, to leave friends and family?...Yet, if Abraham moved to an unknown place, perhaps after living in one place for decades, then how can I be disquieted by a move toward more family and friends and to a nice house?
'Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.' - Psalm 42:11

I was more excited about it yesterday, or at least about seeing the boxes getting packed up.

I'll miss this place, the trees, the land, the people, the memories. I didn't know how much. But maybe once I get to TX I won't, ironically. Well, I think I'll always miss my friends and family here. I guess I'll still have the memories, but not quite in the same way.

Anyway...

I want to tell about the time we had with Joel & Charity here.

Matthew picked us up at the airport when we arrived late at night. When we got home, Annie & Mom were still waiting up, and we were greeted joyfully. Joel & Charity used Annie's & my room, and Annie & I slept on a mattress in the living-room the first night, then switched into Andy's room, while he slept in the living-room. We all stayed up and chatted a bit.

The next day, we had a pretty big breakfast of eggs, bacon, hash browns, muffins, juice and coffee. Then we got ready to go on our canoe trip. For lunch we went to Golden Corral, meeting Andy and Matthew there after their work. We were late getting to the canoe place ("Canoe Adventure," or something like that), but they had waited for us, much to our relief. We had to sign up and then get on the old school bus (my first time on one, I believe). They towed a trailer piled with canoes. Instructions as to where to go on the river and maps were given by the young man with sandy, shaggy hair. After arriving at the river, they instructed us on a couple different kinds of strokes with the paddles. Then we were free to go.

(Photo by Matthew, taken with his camera.)

Joel & Charity were in one canoe, Matthew and Annie in another, and Andy and I in another. Joel & Charity skipped the "scenic route" and headed off to the left, while the rest of us went right onto the "scenic route." We did see several alligators back there, but the rest of the river was just as scenic, though with fewer alligators. Thankfully, much of the river was shaded by trees, so it wasn't too hot. It was beautiful, too, so peaceful and green and with an occasional bird-call and splashing of the oars and plop of the turtles into the water as they slid off their logs. We occasionally scraped our canoes on logs or rocks or the sandy bottom of the river in shallow spots. Sometimes we had to back up and go around something, and a couple of times we had to duck under low-hanging limbs.

There were the occasional races, too. :) When we caught sight of Joel & Charity, Andy and I tried to catch up with them, and we would hold onto the back of their canoe and try to squeeze by them. We made a "river-block" (roadblock) for Annie & Matthew by putting our two canoes sideways, as we decided we all needed to slow down a bit. Annie had brought some strawberries in a Tupperware, so she got them out and passed a strawberry to me (yum!)....Then she floated the Tupperware on the water towards Charity & Joel's canoe, which was now behind them. Charity leaned out to try to get it, but slipped and fell backwards into her canoe. :D We all had a good laugh, as she wasn't hurt. Then sneaky Joel got the Tupperware and ate the last strawberry that was in it! :P

Matthew, of course, took many pictures on the river. I took a few, as well, as did Andy and Charity. Once in a while we brought out our bottled water and took sips of that.

Andy and I arrived at the end first, as the others had turned back, and as we still had 15 or so minutes left before the bus people would pick us up, we went beyond the ending point. We just went a little ways, but there was a nice little place back there, mostly shady but with a spot of sun shining on a long bank of gnarled roots.

We went back and met up with Joel & Charity, then told them about that place and went with them.

Back at the finishing point, finally, we waited. The bus people were late, perhaps expecting us to be late. And yes, there were still a couple people on the river. While we waited we took pictures. Lots of Joel & Charity on a bridge, and a few others. There was one crazy bug that we saw going around in circles. We concluded, after some testing, that it would probably go on that way until it died.

Finally we went back in the bus. The floppy-haired young man told some corny jokes as we went.

Back home, we had a candle-lit dinner of chicken, sweet potatoes, etc. Chocolate-dipped strawberries for dessert. :)

We had Bible reading that night, first singing a couple of (poetically revised) psalms. Then Joel read from an epistle and shared some thoughts and asked us a few questions.

The next day, we had lunch out on the patio, since it was nice out. We had a yummy homemade chocolate cake for dessert, one Annie & Mom had made before Char, Joel, and I had flown here. It had a bit of coffee in it, but you could hardly taste that except in the frosting. Still very good, and with strawberries on top.


That night we listened to a John Piper sermon and we sang a few nicely arranged songs, which were fun and like old times, even though they weren't polished. We went out for a walk. Joel, Charity, Andy, and I went out front, while the others went out back. It was rather like old times, too, when Joel & Charity were courting and we had to go along as chaperons. We weren't chaperons this time, of course, but it they let us tag along. :)

(Joel, Charity, and me out walking. Photo by Andy.)

Then Joel & Charity went (alone, this time) to eat supper at Chili's. They stayed out several hours. When they got back, I showed Charity & Joel all the pictures my siblings and I had taken over the couple of days previous and that same day.

The next day we piled in the van and went to church. Charlie went with Esther in his car, and then his mother and some other relatives came for the second hour, when Charlie was preaching.

Joel, Charity, Annie, and I stayed out for the first hour's class with Charlie. It was interesting, but I liked the second hour better. :) Charlie had a fever/cold, too, but he made it through and did a good job of preaching.

Charity & Joel seemed to enjoy talking with/meeting Charlie and Esther, and they got some pictures together. Charlie & Esther had to leave to go eat with Charlie's relatives.

Soon thereafter, Joel & Charity had to leave to go to the rental car place and to John & Alyse's house. We drove them to the rental place, and waited as they waited in line. It was really sad to see them go. I felt almost closer than ever to Charity, which is kind of surprising because I've been close for a while and didn't really know I could be any closer. ;)

Lord willing, we'll see them again soon. :)

TX Trip - Part 3

(Written on March 03.)

The last day of the Van Cliburn auditions was Tuesday, and Trinity (with her baby son) picked Char & me up. We (Char and I) saw two pianists, but Trinity couldn't come in because of having her son with her. We felt bad that Trinity couldn't come in to hear the music, so Char went in search of her between performers, and called Trinity's cell phone several times, to no avail. Charity came back in. The first pianist, a young Russian (?) lady, was quite good, but not the best I'd seen. She seemed a bit nervous, and I was a bit nervous for her, being so close up and noticing her slightly trembling hands. (Or was that my imagination?)
The second young lady to play, however, looked very confident. She was Asian (named Ti Xin). I was sitting next to an Asian lady, who had gone backstage or had tried to, so I asked her if she was related to the pianist. "I wish," she said. Ti Xin's playing was brilliant and dynamic, strong and easy-looking, yet with hard pieces like Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. She was probably my favorite out of everyone we had seen, and one of the best pianists, I think.

Trinity drove us home, and offered to drive us to the airport on Thursday (she's so sweet!).

Later that evening, Joel, Charity and I drove to where Esther Mcknight was nannying. Esther has been a friend of Charity's since their early days. The evening started out okay, with me helping Charity & Esther make salad. Then I misunderstood something Joel said to me and couldn't help crying and feeling awkward. Eventually, some time after Joel sweetly explained and apologized, I got over my emotions, thank the Lord (I was afraid for a while I wouldn't be able to stop). I was still not up to a lot of talking and was quite content to listen to Charity & Esther reminisce about old days and about growing old, etc. We four had gone out into the dark to swing on a wooden four-seated swing, so we talked and laughed and looked at the stars and joked about chickens. :) We finally went back in. Charity held the Mennonite woman's baby, and we shortly thereafter left for Joel & Char's place.


The next day, Charity and I started playing Big Boggle, then Literati online. We were in the same room on two different computers. It was fun. We didn't get to finish our game, though. Char asked Joel if he could drive home at lunch-time so we could have the car to go to C. again, this time to see Summer (Char's sister) and B.P. (Summer's son) and Melody (Char's sister) and Vanessa (friend). Joel came home, then we drove him back to work and went to eat (free) at Chick-fil-A. Then, following directions from Summer or Mel, we made our way to C. Seemed to take quite a while, but we made it just fine, first going to the birthing center (where Mel and Nes work), then over to Vanessa's new house, where Summer and B.P. were staying at the time. Surprisingly to me, B.P. took to me right away, holding up his arms to get picked up. He's only a year old, but fairly big for his age. He sat on my lap a while, too. Vanessa's two little dogs, Lola and Tilly, scrambled around rambunctiously. They're cute little black curly-haired dogs. We talked about baby names (etc.) after Melody and Vanessa came back from the birthing center. It was good to see them all. :)

Charity and I headed back and were actually quite early to pick Joel up from work (he was working later than usual). Char and I listened to music and talked on the way there and while waiting in the parking lot--fun times.

After Joel drove us back home, we had kale soup (a first for me--it was good) and cornbread for supper. They did some research for their trip to FL.

The next day, the day to leave, we packed up. Trinity came over and watched Sarah, Plain and Tall with Charity & me. It was their first time seeing it. I had seen it a couple times before, but enjoyed it again quite well, except Sarah may be a little too strong-willed and not as respectful of orders/desires as she should be, at times. Still a good movie--I enjoy the kids and the lightheartedness, the quietly growing love and the drama and sorrow. Charity & Trinity seemed to enjoy it, as well.

Trinity drove us to the airport and we said our goodbyes.

As we waited, a friendly, smiling man started chatting with us (after taking a picture of the three of us for us). We conversed a bit about kids and work and school. We went and bought some Jolly Ranchers and white cheddar popcorn. The man continued to converse with us. He asked what book I was reading--it was The Treasury of David by Spurgeon. He said he was a Catholic and asked us what faith we practiced. That was about the end of the conversation--we were soon to board the plane.


On the plane, an older gentleman had to get up to let me in my row. I had a window-seat, he had the aisle, and there was a space in between us. After a bit, the man offered, "That's a good book you have there."

"Yes, it is," I agreed, smiling.

"Spurgeon's a great writer."

I nodded enthusiastically. What a nice person to have sitting next to me.

We kept conversing, and I learned he was the president of Trinity College, where I've gone for piano lessons before and where some of my friends currently attend.

So it was interesting talking with him, and he was sympathetic when he heard about my dad passing away from cancer.

Trip to Texas

Written Feb. 22:

My trip so far has been excellent!

The night I arrived, we looked at some old (and not quite so old) photos of Joel & our family, which I'd brought for them on CD. We looked through quite a few of them. Then we had a little Bible study. Then we watched a TV show on the computer.

Yesterday we listened to and discussed a John Piper sermon. It was on the baptism/filling of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts, like speaking in tongues. Quite interesting.

A little while after our pizza lunch, we started out for the college where the Van Cliburn auditions were being held. I had called my friend, Ginger, before we left, confirming with her we'd be going and when, etc. She wanted to meet us there and go out to eat with us (I invited her).

We found the building and hurried in. I noticed the back of the head of my friend, Ginger (she has a distinctive hairstyle :)) and said, "There she is!" I went around to greet her. She pretty much towered over me, since I'm quite short. :) We went into the auditorium and made our way to the front, where there were quite a few empty seats. That was after we almost sat in the jurors' seats, which were more toward the middle. ;) Ginger sat to my right, Joel and Charity on my left. A woman in a long purple dress came out. She was from Kazakhstan, and was 29 years old. She played very well, loud and complex. I couldn't see her hands on the keys from where I sat (probably the others couldn't either), so we moved to a seat farther back and to the left after the lady finished her four pieces, which took about 40 minutes.


I chatted a bit with Ginger during the 10-minute break between auditions.

The second man to play (from Ukraine, age 27) was also excellent, playing some even faster pieces than the lady had. He played Bach, Chopin, Liszt, etc.

The last man to play for the afternoon (from Columbia, age 29) was also very impressive--we couldn't decide who was the best.

We decided to go to Chick-Fil-A with Ginger and wait to eat. While we waited we played Huggermugger, a word game that was in Joel & Charity's car. It was fun. :) Around 6:15 we got some food to eat and chatted. I was more focused on eating, as usual, but I enjoyed listening to them. We went back to our game, and Ginger won. Charity had been in the lead for a long time. We talked about vintage clothing, since Ginger loves them and was wearing some. She's a very friendly and quite talkative person, and I really enjoyed meeting her and got along with her well. She and Charity even discovered they knew a few of the same people.

When Ginger got outside, she remembered the CDs in the car that I had wanted to buy from her. I followed behind her and paid for the CDs. They're a talented homeschool choir group called "Reflections," and they sing a lot of great Christian songs & hymns. Ginger's brother is in that choir. She had to leave, then.

Joel, Charity, and I went back to the auditions. We had missed one person, but that's okay. We ran into some people from Joel & Charity's church and talked for a little while before the auditions began.

The young man who played next (from USA, age 27) was extremely good, though I didn't really like his one or two modern pieces. The Rzewski ("Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues"), especially, was anti-melodic. But it was interesting and impressive, anyway. Some parts he used his fist to play the keys, and others with his elbow. One part of the piece did have a melody, so it was better. This was a huge contrast from the previous piece he had played by Haydn! We all agreed afterward that he might be the best out of all the people we had listened to, though.
Next was the one we had been anticipating with great interest. He was a blind (nearly--he can only see light) pianist! Tamas Erdi from Hungary, age 29. He wore sunglasses, and a lady led him onto the stage. At first, when he played Mozart and such, I could see how he could do it blindly, because it doesn't skip around a lot. But later he played Chopin and Liszt, which were fast and skipped around a lot....We were just amazed. He played extremely well, too, though probably not quite the same difficulty as some of the pieces others had played. But I was smiling all through the Chopin piece, because it's a favorite, so bright and lovely.


We skipped the last person to play, as it was getting kind of late.

It was cold outside, and none of us had very thick jackets, so we walked along in a "hug sandwich," with the three of us in a row with our arms around each other, laughing as we crossed the road this way.

At home (Joel & Charity's, but it's my home away from home, lol), we looked through a bunch of old school papers that Joel had written. There were a few drawings in there, too, which were good. We all were laughing hard over some of the things Joel had written, little stories with birds mentioned in most of them, and things put very logically and obviously. Though some of it wouldn't have been very funny to me by myself, it seemed quite funny with them, and I laughed until I cried. :)

Today we went to church, which was another great experience. I enjoyed the music (the trumpet adds a lot, but the words to the songs were great) and the preaching. The preaching was very thought-provoking and straight to the point. I saw anew my pride and sin, at first somewhat doubting, but then realizing I did have a sorrow for that sin and want to follow God, and that it is indeed an awesome salvation.

I was introduced to a few people, and Charity and I talked with Trinity for a while. Then Joel, in great surprise, spotted a friend of his (Mark Stubblefield) from back in his days in San Antonio. He went over to say Hi, and Charity and I followed after a while.

We ate out at La Playa Maya's with Trinity and her husband and son. It was nice, and the food was really good.

(R-L: Trinity, Charity, and me, at La Playa Maya's)

So...that's about it. This evening we plan to go to a seminar on finances, and then to play games with Trinity and Zane. Tomorrow we may be going to some more of the auditions. Charity's been inviting her family, but I don't know if any of them will come.

~~

Written today (March 1):

To continue where I left off...the seminar was really just a little group of Christians meeting and watching a DVD by Dave Ramsey on finances. Some of the DVD was funny and some informative, but some of it went over my head. He talked fast and I had a headache, so that was part of the problem, but still...I have so much to learn on the subject of finances. After the DVD, we split into two groups to talk about it. A young man led our group--maybe his wife led the other one, but I'm not sure. He asked questions and was generally encouraging. Most in the room (besides us) were older people. There were two cute older couples who talked about the olden days and smiled a lot. :)

Joel explained to Charity and I in the car afterward what one of those finance term means. Took a while for us to understand, but it was interesting. :)

After going home and staying there a while, we headed off to Zane and Trinity's house. I liked their cat, Midnight. They treated us to coffee. We talked a bit, then started playing Acquire, a business-type game sort of like a mix between Monopoly and Scrabble. I had played it once before and was basically clueless throughout the whole game, so I didn't enjoy it. But this time I got the concept quite well, though I still didn't get the hang of the strategy (some of it is "chance"). I came in last, of course. But it was quite fun. :)


The next day (Monday), Charity took Joel to work so she could have the car. I believe that's the day we watched part of Rose Hill, a movie I had brought, and then hurried to get to the Van Cliburn auditions at 2:00. We were just on time, so we parked where we weren't really supposed to, and later realized I had left the car door unlocked. We were a bit worried about this at first. The music was not to our taste (one or two more modern, strange pieces). Then we went shopping at Central Market, a nice large store with all sorts of things. Charity bought some Indian sauce for our chicken and rice dinner, and I bought some chocolate to share.

That night, after supper, we went to the auditions again around 8:20. Charity spotted her sister, Melody, and brother-in-law, Michael, in the audience and walked up near the front to greet them and sit near them (we sat in the row right in front of them).

A young man played several pieces, one by Rachmaninoff, one of Michael's very favorite composers.

Melody was craving ice cream afterwards, specifically Banana Nut ice cream, but we invited them over, since Joel & Charity had several kinds of ice cream and some bananas.

We ate ice cream and some of the yummy Belgian chocolate/coffee truffles and talked about church, etc., then they left. We had a Bible study from Ephesians about working out your salvation with fear and trembling, which Joel thinks matches up with John Gill's view about going about your work with reverence, not fear of eternal judgment or doubting your salvation. I think that makes sense, too. We got onto my doubting of salvation, some of which was encouraging, some of which was not. In the end I was mostly encouraged, though.

Part 3 is still to come.

Expected and Unexpected Visitors

The last few days have been a little busier than normal. Last Friday and Saturday we babysat my nephew, Nathaniel. We had some fun times and some trying times. My sister Annie did more than I, but I know whatever experience I get is good for me. We took Nathaniel to our church on Lord's Day, and after lunch my brother took Nathaniel back to his house.


On Saturday we also had some unexpected visitors. (Side note: that's one good reason to keep the house neat.) My mom's late sister's husband, Richard Mazanec, stopped in. We had a nice time talking, eating brunch, and watching The Eden String Quartet. My uncle, being a violin player and former preacher, enjoyed this very much. Mom, Annie, and I had watched it before (in fact, it was my mom's third time watching it), but it was still moving and lovely to watch for both of us. If you haven't watched this film and you enjoy music, I'd highly recommend it! Not just for the sake of the music, but to see such a lovely and godly family who work hard and express their love to others, young and old. It was inspiring and convicting for me to watch.

Right before Uncle Richard left, we received a phone call from some friends, who wanted to stop by to show us their new baby, whom we had not yet seen. We welcomed them in, and enjoyed little Raphael and talking with our friends. We all had the opportunity to hold the baby.


Today (as well as before) we have been doing some sorting and packing things into boxes, in preparation for our move to TX. My sister, Annie, and I had a nice break to play an online game like Scrabble with two of our sisters-in-law.

Praise the Lord for family and friends,
For joy that never ends.
Praise the Lord for hardship and sorrow,
For the gift of tomorrow.

Let us live our lives for the Savior,
With loving behavior.
Let us carry the cross He gives us
It should not be grievous.

-M.A.M. (Feb. 2, 2009)

Trip to Texas

This month, my mom, sister Annie, and I went to TX and stayed at my brother-in-law and sister's house. They have three adorable children, and we enjoyed our time spent with them all. The two older kids (just four and two years old) are learning well, from Bible stories to their ABCs to words like "omnipotent."

Annie with Michaella, Gabriella, and Malachi

We attended the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, as well. It was a great blessing to hear everyone praising God, and to see wholesome, inspiring films made by a wide variety of age groups.

We also were privileged to see Dean Jones, Kirk Cameron, Stephen Kendrick, and others, speaking about their films and their testimonies.

One of my favorite parts was seeing and hearing the lovely voices of the von Trapp singers (actual great-grandchildren of the The Sound of Music von Trapps). Such perfect harmony! Charlie Zahm, a folk/ballad singer, was also very enjoyable, and there was a nice solo by Mrs. Morecraft.

I saw a total of ten films throughout the festival, and each one made a favorable impression on me and nearly all gave me something of a challenge. Here's the list of the films I saw and some brief thoughts on them.

An American Adventure - The story of a WWII veteran. His gentle kindness and bravery were quite evident.

Fireproof - I had seen most of it before (just missed the first 10 minutes or so), but it was about as good the second time. It seems to be a helpful movie for marriages, and one that points to God and His saving power.

The Widow's Might - A unique sort of film, basically a drama, musical, comedy, contemporary film, and western! The message is good (helping a widow in trouble, etc.), and the music and production is quite well-done, too, especially considering it was made by mostly young people without a huge budget.

Abraham and Isaac - A dramatic and emotional portrayal of the true, Biblical story of Abraham about to sacrifice his son. Starring Dean Jones as Abraham. This helped me stand in Abraham's shoes and makes me want to have the same sort of faith. It also showed the might of God and brought me to inwardly praise Him.

Widow and Oil - This, as well, shows God’s power and love in the miracle of the widow’s oil that God multiplied.

The Rich Man and Lazarus - Based on the true story of the rich man and Lazarus, this shows that God doesn't save based on wealth, and that when a person dies it is too late to go from hell to heaven.

Pendragon: The Sword of His Father - This is rather long and not all the acting is the best, but the sets and graphics are rather impressive. The main character relies on God's help to aide him in battle, and, though determined not to back down, iscontent to leave the outcome in God's hand. He befriends a young lady whom he later comes to rescue.

Stained - This seemed strange and was intense, but quite good once I realized it was an allegory of salvation. It was professionally done, too.

Binding Faith - This is documentary about an Indian family facing persecution (the father is a pastor and signed a paper saying the soldiers could shoot him if they heard anything they didn't like). God delivered him one of these dangerous situations, and he continues to preach and plant churches in volatile areas. Very eye-opening and inspiring.

Bread Alone - This is about a Ukrainian family facing starvation under Stalin's rule. It teaches the vital importance of the Bible, as well as some history. The acting and filming impressed me, as well as the story.

Animals in the Bible - I watched this after the film festival was over, as my mom bought it. It was an interesting film on animals that are mentioned in the Bible, how we can learn from them, and some of their unique features.

I also got to meet one of the von Trapps--Melanie. She was sweet and humble, chatting with my mom and me as if she had known us for a while. She wrote her signature in my homemade autograph book and we had our picture taken with her.

I also got to meet my online friend (also a great, mission-minded photographer), Leah Cross. It was lovely to see her, though it was only for a little while.

And Uncle Leslie and Aunt Connie drove down to see us for a few hours and eat lunch with us, which was very nice.

There were several lectures at the film festival, three of which I was able to see. One was on cinematic music, one was on photography, and one was on evaluating a Hollywood movie. The last one was particularly eye-opening, as Mr. Botkin brought out various dangerous and worldly things that are not all easy to see on the surface of this particular movie (The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement).

I'm so thankful I was able to go (God gave me a respite in my cold for the three days I went to the film festival). This is a trip I shall not soon forget.