Gems From George MacDonald

My Sunday sermon. :-) A friend recommended some books by George MacDonald and I have been googling. Did you know that I have a lot of growing to do? :-) I wanted to share some of the truths I have been thinking about. I hope they'll be a blessing. :-)


"Whose work is it but your own to open your eyes? But indeed the business of the universe is to make such a fool out of you that you will know yourself for one, and begin to be wise." 
— George MacDonald (Lilith)


"The world is full of resurrections. Every night that folds us up in darkness is a death; and those of you that have been out early, and have seen the first of the dawn, will know it--the day rises out of the night like a being that has burst its tomb and escaped into life. "
— George MacDonald

"To try to be brave is to be brave." 
— George MacDonald

"Then the Old Man of the Earth stooped over the floor of the cave, raised a huge stone from it, and left it leaning. It disclosed a great hole that went plumb-down. 
That is the way," he said. 
But there are no stairs." 
You must throw yourself in. There is no other way." 
— George MacDonald (The Golden Key)


"There is no water in oxygen, no water in hydrogen: it comes bubbling fresh from the imagination of the living God, rushing from under the great white throne of the glacier. The very thought of it makes one gasp with an elemental joy no metaphysician can analyse. The water itself, that dances, and sings, and slakes the wonderful thirst--symbol and picture of that draught for which the woman of Samaria made her prayer to Jesus--this lovely thing itself, whose very wetness is a delight to every inch of the human body in its embrace--this live thing which, if I might, I would have running through my room, yea, babbling along my table--this water is its own self its own truth, and is therein a truth of God."
— George MacDonald

"The best thing you can do for your fellow, next to rousing his conscience, is — not to give him things to think about, but to wake things up that are in him; or say, to make him think things for himself." 
— George MacDonald (A Dish Of Orts)


"We are and remain such creeping Christians, because we look at ourselves and not at Christ; because we gaze at the marks of our own soiled feet, and the trail of our own defiled garments.... Each, putting his foot in the footprint of the Master, and so defacing it, turns to examine how far his neighbor’s footprint corresponds with that which he still calls the Master’s, although it is but his own."
— George MacDonald (Unspoken Sermons: Series I, II, III)

Fiddle and Banjo -- CD Release Party

...let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. Psalm 5:11b

I had the best Friday and Saturday I've had in a long time. :-) I don't remember if I've mentioned Karrnnel Sawitsky before but I do know I've mentioned Daniel Koulack. These two phenomenal musicians recently recorded an album entitled "Fiddle and Banjo". It was given that name because those two instruments make up 99% of the music on said album. ;-) Does that sound boring and uncreative? I beg to differ.

I appreciate Karrnnel's music for it's vitality and uniqueness. He appeals to many audiences and ages... not just the typical fiddle/folk crowd. His style ranges to all genres and all tempos and moods; so colorful and rich. I wish I could find the words to tell you exactly how his music is so alive. I cannot, however. So, you'll just have to check it out for yourself. 

Daniel Koulack... what can I say about Daniel?? :-) He is probably the gentlest man I've ever known and wisdom is a language he frequently speaks. I wish everyone could meet him. I feel so blessed to call him a friend. And Daniel isn't just an awesome person... he's a wonderful musician. As with all musicians, his music is a reflection of himself. It's beautiful and quirky folksy and very Daniel-ish. :-) It has a Eastern European Jewish Canadianized flavor. If you don't know what that sounds like... well, again, I advise some serious googling to find out. :-)

Both of these men have been playing for most of their lives and both, to quote Michele, are 'super musicians'. So, imagine them doing music together. Imagine them live, in a CD release party. :-) And that's why yesterday was the best Friday in a long time. ;-) :-) No pictures. Sorry. :-P Eventually, I am buying a camera and then, you will be deluged with pictures. ( You'll actually beg for me to stop. ;-)) 

An interesting twist to the evening was that CBC Radio recorded the concert live. We got to 'work' at our cheering and applause and were complimented for our efforts. It was a happy time. ;-)

The best memory... well, it would have to be the jam after the concert. So much fun!! It's amazing sitting in a room with so many awesome musicians. Nathan Baker, Gillian Maher, Tahnis Cunningham, Daniel Koulack, Ray Bell, Karlie, Karrnnel, Samantha and others, whose names slip my mind. So many people there I know from camp... Buzz was there. That mention is for people who know him. :-P Especially my sisters.

So, I got to sleep at about 3:30 or 4 am. Michele's daughter put us (Michele, Jesse and myself) up for the night. (Had the basement all to myself! :-)) Appreciate the hospitality so much. People are kind and don't even realize it. :-) Well, my head is not working at it's best and I should watch a movie so I can review tomorrow. What shall it be? Robin Hood? Or Hook? Or maybe... :-)

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/fiddle-and-banjo/id398741174

http://www.cbc.ca/sask/community/mt/2010/10/in-concert-october-29---karrnnel-koulack-with-special-guest-belle-plaine.html

http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/concerts/20091203noeln (listen to clips)

http://www.karrnnel.com

One forgives to the degree that one loves. 

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Prayer Request -- Praise the Lord!

From my relative's mother -- "Keith's surgery went well and they hope to have him up on crutches tomorrow. A few more days and he will get to come to a home (to his parents, in Battle Ground or his, in eastern Washington) we all don't know. Not sure what he is up for, or wants. 5 hours is a long ride. Please continue to pray for him and his family."


Thank you so much for all of the prayers you sent up for this man and his family. They feel so blessed and thankful. 

Worry... Worry Not...

This summer, some of my friends (fellow counselors) and I were having a conversation about life. One of them said something that still makes me stop short and look around.

"Live with no regrets."

My favorite thing to do is worry. Worry about things I've done or might do. Worry about the bad example I've been or the mixed message I might be sending. Worry saps my joy. Worry pins me down and slaps me across the face. Why do I worry? There is no good reason. Faith leaves no room for it. If the peace in my heart is intact and joy is bubbling out of me, I'd say it's a good sign. There are no regrets in that. :-)

So, I haven't subscribed completely to her life philosophy but it has definitely garnered some thoughts.

Prayer Request

Update: 

 (From Margaret) How did this happen? Keith is standing on a 10ft wall of a framed house.A bundle of 27 trusses was placed on the walls.The trusses are ready to fall over.He yelled at the guys and trys to stop the trusses from falling over on Joey.Keith was pinned on this stomach on top of the wall.To get to him they had to take the trusses off of him 1by1.Keith's main concern is that Joey got out in time! He did!

Earlier: 

Keith is scheduled for surgery with in the hour.His leg is detached and needs to be pinned to his hip.That should give him some relief of the mass pain he experiencing.Thanks again for your prayers and encouragement!

You're prayers are appreciated!

A relative of the family was in a serious accident yesterday -- he was crushed by a stack of trusses at his work. My uncle posted this update a few minutes ago:

"Update on my cousin Keith Wharton So far he has 2 lumbar vertebrae fractures,severely broken pelvis and interalbleeding. He's having a hard time breathing.The doc's will stand Keith up today for more x rays.Please continue praying for the mass pain he is in. Thanks! Keith's last action on the job may have saved one of his guys life. Keith wouldn't have it any other way! That's the kind of man he is!"


Please hold them up in prayer today!

Letter To My Companion of War and an Update

Dear Frosting Bag,

I admit to not understanding what goes on in those creamy depths of swirling audacity. Whatever goes on in there is far beyond my mental capacity. All I know are the moments of grief and horror and those of utter bliss. What I really don't understand is why you're so nice to me sometimes. Yes, there are moments when I actually adore you! You send smooth, perfect streams of whipped cream frosting through your tip... and because of the perfect, decadent shells, the cake takes an aura of splendidness.

Then there are those moments, when you hate me. Were we arch enemies in another life? I know with a certainty that I have never done anything to deserve such mistreatment. You spit at me. Literally spit in my face. I don't mind it so much on my arm. But my face?? Come on. And then there's the moments when you decide to explode and shoot whipped topping onto the cabinets. Do you think I really have time for that? Oh! And what about the time you decided stuttering was fun and all my shells turned into epileptic lizards? That was the time I looked up and saw a customer watching us with great interest.

I really would appreciate some more kindness from you. On the positive side, there have been some minutes that I thought we were getting over a mutual dislike for each other! So, there is hope. Just no more spitting, ok? No more rude noises. No more making me live up to Gillian's new name for me (Queen of Blushers). I need you, you need me. Just saying.

May you live a long and happy life.
Sincerely,
Naomi

So I went to sleep last night with the wind pounding against the house. The snow was just scouring the walls, windows and roof... more like sleet than snow, actually. And when I woke up this morning, the wind was still howling but no snow. :-) Because I have to go to Regina again on Friday, I can't work that day. So Donna asked me to come in today to finish up the Blizzard cakes.

I rushed through my morning preparations and donned my winter wear (scarves and coat and leggings and gloved and etc and etc) and rushed outside. About five steps later, I stopped rushing and stared at the ground. All ice. It wasn't terribly cold, which was nice in a way. But it was also very, very bad since it made the ice very, very slick. Picture this in your head: powerful, howling wind + slippery ice everywhere + me. Imagine the wind blowing in my face. Imagine me not being terribly coordinated. Imagine me being blown backwards across the street. Awesome picture, eh? That's what I thought. After I got back home.

But I made it there, all in one piece. Happy and proud of my accomplishment. Donna met me at the door with these words, "I called to let you know that you didn't need to brave the storm but you had already left." Lol!. ;-)

8 Blizzard Cakes; 4 flavors. Oreo - Smartie - Cookie Dough - Reese's Cup. Did you know that a drizzle of chocolate topping makes any cake look beautiful? I love the stuff. It's so much fun to watch it drip over the sides of the cake and splash onto the tray and roll down my arm... hey! it's chocolate. :-) I love the entire process of making Blizzard cakes. (Sorry, I'm not allowed to tell you.) I can't wait for the time when I actually get to eat one. ;-) :-) :-)

When I was finished (12:30 give or take) Donna drove me home in time for my dinner and lesson prep and a little house cleaning. My first student arrived at 3:30 as usual and the lessons commenced.

Had a bit of a disappointment the other day. One of my adult students decided she hadn't learned enough in four weeks to commit until May. I completely understand and I'm ok with it. But I can't help but feel that I could have done better some way. But Michele says she goes through the same feelings when someone doesn't want to take lessons from her. She says if I had video taped the lessons from the past four weeks, I probably wouldn't be able to pinpoint anything I should have done better. I can only do my best... and seriously, I wouldn't want this woman to feel obligated to continue taking lessons. Wasting time and money is not what I want my students to do. I want them to keep coming because they're learning and enjoying themselves. :-)

The good news is that nearly everyone else has committed until the end of May. So, you folks in Carlyle, you're stuck with me. ;-) At least until I'm 25. Lol.

I am so tired. :-) That wind certainly takes it out of a person. And we still have theater practice tonight. For once, I'm not looking forward to it. Well, I take that back. I am but I'm not. I hope I don't fall asleep during the middle of it...

Anyways. I should close this up. As my beloved brother Stirling says, "Bonjour"... wait a minute. That's not goodbye. Just a second. :googles:

Au revior. ;-)

Gifts

If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give.
              -- George MacDonald

Fortresses

"The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keep out the joy." -- Jim Rohn

Pain. Suffering. Emotional upheaval. Rejection. Hatred. Bitterness.

Probably the only human beings who haven't experienced these things are the youngest among us. We have all felt the pain of our flaws and the flaws of others. It's a fact of life.

I mentioned walls in an earlier post. Walls are created by us to guard our hearts from pain or evil... in fact, to guard from anything that might hurt us. For some, walls work so well that they become a way of life. They keep us sane and comfortable... happy... content.

But there is a danger. With those unhealthy walls protecting me, I find that I lie to those around me. To God. Lol... I lie to myself! Which is stupid, but sadly true. If we put up enough walls, we do not experience love. Love makes us drop our walls and speak the truth of our hearts. Love leaves us vulnerable and bare. It puts us in danger. Love makes us fearful and angry because we feel so foolish at times.  Love is giving away all of the supports, even when our world feels like it's crashing down. Love leaves no room for selfishness. Love is standing strong and firm when everyone else is running away. Love cleanses our hearts and leaves them whole.

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at it's destination full of hope.” -- Maya Angelou

I have walls. In fact, I'm actually fairly barricaded right now. Lol. I had a fortress set up around my heart that was impenetrable. But something happened to me the other day. I made a difficult decision that I have felt alternately horrified and thankful for. Some of my walls came down. Yeah, it hurt. Yeah, I'm still shaking. (What have I done?! :-)) But I cannot stop feeling so very glad about it.

I have finally been honest with myself. I have finally thrown the towel in and myself on God. I have realized that there are no limits to Him, love, strength, me (the new creature!).. no limits to joy even when the happiness feels a bit stretched. ;-)

I read in the Bible last night about the miracle Jesus performed with the fish and bread. Think of the analogy: we can be an overflowing vessel. Compassion and love need never run out. There can be plenty of compassion and understanding (love!) in us for the neighbor, that friend who is so needy, an irritating younger sibling, cleaning the bathroom, speaking with thoughtfulness and wisdom when I'd just love to blow it off and leave...

Even these few downed walls, now laying in pieces at my feet, have shocked me. I feel a sense of peace and happiness; a faith that I had long forgotten. I have been praying for faith and God has been gently steering me down paths I never would have had the courage or strength to walk without His guidance and help.

This post is not complete but it is a part of what I know to be truth. Perhaps later I will understand better. The more I learn about God the more I realize how much I don't know. But I hope that you will take courage and have a look at your own heart. It's surprising sometimes. :-) If you have thoughts to add to this, please feel free to share!

But be thou in the fear of the LORD, all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. -- Proverbs 23

Be joyful in hope. 

:-)

Sleepy Beauty Whereabouts Solved!

2:30 am

Me: "Where is Sleeping Beauty?" 

Lydia: "Right hereeee..." 

(Pictures later.)

Bounce in My Step

The past few years have been interesting... especially regarding my health. As most of you know, I've been doing so much better the past few months. This summer, I had to work, teach kids and be around amazingly energetic people 24/7. I kept up. It was wonderful. :-)

As most of you know, this fall I had a bout of bronchitis and I'm just getting over the tail end of it. I feel amazing again!! I have energy. I can teach kids all afternoon and still feel patient enough to smile at them when the lesson is finished. (Btw, YES patience and good health work hand in hand a lot of the time...) ;-) I can work at DQ for 7 hours and have a bounce in my step on my way home. I can go to theater practice for three hours and have fun chatting up a storm with Michele at midnight while we're eating our snack. (You get absolutely famished after theater. Believe me.)

So, I appreciate all of the prayers and I just wanted to write an update about how I was doing since I have posted requests of prayer in the past. :-)

Today, we're off to Regina to do some shopping and to see my sisters, Ellie and Lydia. We're also going to the symphony. ;-) I am so excited. :-D

On Astute Employers And The Benefits Thereof

P.S. Just in case you think I'm some kind of hard worker or something, I actually didn't do any of the things I listed at the bottom of this post. :-P I made pizza and watched a movie instead. ;-)

Another fascinating day at DQ! I decorated 4 10" and 8 8" cakes, plus three logs (one of which ended up taking the role of catastrophe). I worked from 9 until 3:30 with only a short break in between.

I work with some interesting, beautiful people:

Donna (my employer): This woman reminds me so much of my mom in many ways and... in other ways, she's very much unlike my mother. She's gentle, sweet and kind. She's very firm about the way things should be done. She loves color. And the best and scariest thing about her is how astute she is.

I had just finished putting the different colors of icing gels on a cake when she popped into my little nook. She looked at the cake. Looked at me. Smiled. Looked back at the cake. Then she said, "When I met you, I could just tell you were a vibrant person. Rich and vivid colors make up your personality. But this... [indicates my creation] well, it's so dark. Looking at this, I am seeing some of your internal insecurity issues. Try to be a little brighter on the next one." Then she smiled at me again and walked away... leaving me slightly speechless. She was so right.

For the rest of the day, I analyzed myself by which color I pulled out of the box. Lol! ;-) I would catch myself using lots of purples. Purple is a beautiful color... and it is my battle/struggle color. When I found myself with the purple gel bag in my hand, I would put it back and pick up green. Green is my victory/peace color. Didn't catch myself all the time, though. Donna would still call to me, "Bright colors!!"

Ok. You probably didn't want to read all that, but it's fascinating to me, so ya'll have to put up with it. Hehe.

Another interesting person: Roberto. He's an amazing worker. Very short. Has the most contagious laugh I've ever heard. Donna's daughter informed me that when we're in the same vicinity of the kitchen, I need to speak English to him because he needs to learn it better. I tried. :-P He just laughed. Shortly afterwards, the funniest thing happened. He dropped some newly cleaned trays on the floor and abruptly, there was a blue haze over the sink. Strange how they learn some English so quickly... :-P ;-)

And then, there's Garth.. Donna's hubby. The guy is hysterical. I wasn't in the most cheerful of moods today (you may have gathered that) but he walked in and in five seconds, had me giggling. He's sarcastic. And he makes fun of Fr. Banga, whom he adores. He caught a glance of a cake I had gelled a clown on (I was quite pleased with it, actually... if that says anything about the quality of artwork ;-)) and excitedly exclaimed, "Ohhh, a squirrel!" :-P

I'm still learning the names of the girls... I know there's Robin... Grace... Jane... Richele... not sure of the others. I would like to get to know them better. I am sure they would be so much fun to be around and learn from. Grace especially makes sure to give me a hug on her way past. I appreciate this. :-)

Other than work, I've been doing a lot of studying... praying... making decisions... teaching... lesson prep... Thinking about walls. Walls around our hearts. Not just walls to keep us safe from others but walls to keep us safe from ourselves. Walls that are positive. Walls that are negative. More on that later, I hope.

Off to clean a bathroom and practice the piano... and study the driver's ed. I also want to watch Ponyo this evening so I can give Jesse back his movies.. so much to do! Pray for me. :-) I need it.

Happiness

Thought of tonight:

I want God's will above all else because my life is nothing without Him.

Regardless of what life holds for me, I will be happy. Because I am His and His love is mine.

There are moments when I am afraid of the future, but then I realize I have nothing to fear. He loves me.

Ok. So that's three thoughts. ;-)

Things Unseen

I believe in God like I believe in the sun rise. Not because I can see it, but because I can see all that it touches.
-- C. S. Lewis