05.01.12
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:22 am by Administrator
So…. There it is… Isn’t it beautiful! My beloved espresso machine.
I am guessing that over 1000 espressos, made by this machine, have been immensely savored though the years...
Who would have ever thought that this beautiful machine would have a melt-down and cause me to have a melt-down…
My husband gave this machine to me as a Christmas present several years ago. He is the espresso meister in our home as he is the most skilled at making the lattes, cappuccinos, and straight shots. In order to make the ultimate latte, he even watched a video on how to produce beautiful latte art and yes, he would leave me little love messages in the foam. And yes… he made… for me… each and every day…. a cup of beauty that he hand-delivered (sometimes to me in bed!). I do believe this makes me the most spoiled wife in the history of the world. In fact, I know I’m the most spoiled wife in the history of the world and I thoroughly enjoy it.
However… one day, as John flipped the switch to start the ‘morning-spoilage-of-the-wife’, a spark flew and the machine gasped its last.
That’s when I knew just how important my blue machine and hand-delivered espresso were to me.
Too important.
I knew I had put this ritual on a pedestal and idolized it. Could I live without it? Not sure… This little blue god produced something I thought I had to have every morning. I trusted it. Did I worship it? Was this cup of joe my morning ‘savior’ and therefore a bit of idolatry? I know I’m fond of things around me but perhaps this fondness had gone overboard.
What else am I too attached to? What else do I have perched on a pedestal? Has my heart grown too fond of things?
Yikes!
Scripture comes down very hard on idol worship It’s very clear what God means when He says, “Thou shall have no other gods before me.” I know I cannot rustle up a golden calf in my closet, but things around me compete for my heart and attention and pull my focus and worship off the one true God. Are these things idols in my life? I don’t want to choose earthly things over You, Lord. Guide me as I launch an inventory…
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03.21.12
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:08 am by Administrator
This is my grandmother's sewing box. The number of projects she hand stitched is unknown... probably more than I can count...
So…. Sometimes something old gets made into something new. That’s what is happening to my grandma’s sewing box. She could stitch anything with precision and flair. She was amazing. I am very fortunate to have received many hand made table runners, doilies, wall hangings, dish towels; stitched up with embroidery, tatting or hardanger thread on every square inch. When her home was cleaned out, I opened an entire dresser full of hand made masterpieces, most of which were stitched by the light of an oil lantern, before TV. In my closet, I have a sky blue mohair sweater that she carefully knitted for my sister. I swiped it from my sister’s box in the basement about 35 years ago. I love it… it’s a treasure…
When my parents’ home was sold, I knew what I wanted from the house: Grandma Rose’s sewing box. At first, I tried to be as industrious as Grandma. In fact, I have a counted-cross-stitch Christmas stocking started for my new son-in- law. It’s going to be incredibly beautiful… someday… many Christmases from now. I would guess that I could have it done in about 200 hours or so… yikes!
a new project for this precious box...
But now, I need a box for “100 Women Who Care”…. And guess what box has been chosen as the perfect vessel: Grandma Rose’s sewing box!
Who would have guessed that ye ol’ sewing box would come back to life with a grand, new purpose! Before, the box held resources to stitch upon countless projects. Now it will hold resources to stitch women together for countless projects here in Marshall County. It will become the ballot box and the holder of the member cards. It will carry the ideas of 100 Women Who Care to each and every meeting. Imagine what can be created with 100 women combining their resources to improve a charity or project in Marshall County! Imagine the impact…
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02.19.12
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:19 am by Administrator
So…. I thought I knew what passion was… and I thought I had a fair amount of it… until I met Deborah Henson Conant this past week. There are many words I would use to describe her: energetic with enthusiasm, expressive and articulate and inquisitive about everything. She was instantly interested in and friendly to everyone she met. But the word that would top her chart would be passionate. She was passionate to express herself on the harp. She was passionate to change the world’s opinion of what a harp can do. She was passionate to expand her boundaries and learn more. She had enough passion to think bigger this year than last year. Think more. Do more. Be more. Have more. Passion.
Deborah Henson Conant is a world class jazz harpist. She was contracted to give a concert in my hometown with the Community Concert Association. John and I are on the Board of the local Association and we were flabbergasted to see her name on the roster as a Community Concert Artist. We had been following her schedule for several years, hoping she would at least perform in the Midwest so we could drive to see her. I remember so clearly putting up a bit of a fuss to have the Board vote to bring her here. Our persuasion skills won and Deborah was scheduled.
It was by mistake that Deborah ended up actually living in our house all 3 nights she was here. Phone conversations flew between her agent and me. I misunderstood what ‘staying with someone local’ meant. The agent meant a B & B-style establishment and I thought she meant IN MY HOUSE. I eventually offered to feed, board, drive and take care of Deborah’s every need and the agent accepted. Done deal. I knew this was surely going to be an experience.
Upon arrival at our house, Deborah quickly offered to give me a private harp lesson which actually is a very huge privilege; a life changing event. Last year I had learned one of her signature pieces “The Nightingale.” It’s a beautiful melodic slow-tempo harp solo that encourages the listener to relax and reflect. It’s just a darn pretty song. It’s simple but not quite simple enough as I stumbled through it.
World famous jazz harpist patiently suggesting some changes to student...
As I played it for Deborah, who was limitless in her patience, she encouraged and suggested and positively enchanted John and me. What followed was a spontaneous whirlwind of harp, piano and singing at the top of her voice. Her passion doused us like a tidal wave.
Needless to say, Deborah’s Community Concert was a raving success.
As I drove Deborah back to the airport, she asked me what I would do if I could do anything… Dream big… I was slow with an answer. What is my passion? If I had great talent, would I travel and play the harp? Never… Would I like to be famous? Nope, definitely not… I looked at her with a slack-jaw expression and had no answer, but have been thinking about that question ever since. What is my passion?
I think my answer would revolve around experiencing and hearing my Heavenly Father. I think I am passionate about exposing people to Him – be it through songs, prayers, conversations or a simple sweet sound from my harp. I am passionate about being the hyphen between a person’s heart and God’s heart. There is no need to be famous or travel about. There are so many of these heart connections that can be made right here… and need to be made right now…
The amazing woman in the red gloves is Deborah....
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02.06.12
Posted in Uncategorized at 1:31 pm by Administrator
Deborah Henson-Conant
So…. Deborah Henson-Conant is coming to Marshalltown, Iowa! I still can’t believe it! My husband and I have been watching her online event schedule for several years hoping to hit a concert of this fabulous jazz harpist, but Deborah has not been closer than 2 states away. And now she is coming here! I mean, HERE here… we are hosting Deborah for 3 days! She is coming to town to give a concert with the Community Concert Series on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14 at 7:00 in the HS auditorium. And she is staying with us on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday… In our house!!!
So go to her website: www.hipharp.com and take a look! She is coming here!
How does one get ready for a internationally known jazz harpist?
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01.04.12
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:33 pm by Administrator
So… I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our Christmas Cantata on December 12th, 2011. Many many thanks go to all the singers, band members, dancers, narrators, sound techs, computer techs and all other support givers that participate when the director of a choir decides to roll out a cantata. The man-hours given are countless (and priceless.) I’m always amazed at the sterling attitudes and united teamwork that surrounds our cantata here at First United Methodist Church. When I asked my husband what he thought he said, “The choir was so loud and enthusiastic, your hair was blown back by the sound of it!” I didn’t think it was quite that loud but it was that enthusiastic! And boy, WAS IT FUN!!!!
This year, as in other years, I asked members of the church to be Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. I dug out the stored costumes that were hand sewn by a member of the church and assigned them to our cast of characters. I unearthed the strips of muslin to drape over Baby Jesus and the long dresses for the men and plenty of shawls to hang here and there. I even have an armful of scratchy gunny sacks to drape in and around the manger. The final touch is the string of gold lights that lay hidden in the manger for a special effect.
Starting about June, I keep my ears open for the arrival of a new baby to play Baby Jesus in December. It does not matter if the baby is a boy or girl, gender is not an issue. We especially like quiet babies that perhaps coo on cue during the narrations. Pacifiers have been know to appear if needed. Smiling and willing parents are an added bonus. They make fine Marys and Josephs and are handy for ‘blow-outs,’ if you know what I mean. In fact, the whole Mary, Joseph and Jesus thing is so successful, I think the entire choir could stand on their heads and the attention would still be on our Baby Jesus, no matter what!
It’s odd but when I see one of the children cast as Baby Jesus around church or around town, I’m reminded of when they were Jesus in the cantata. In fact, I call out to them, “Hey Jesus! How are You doing?” or “You were such a fine Jesus!” I’m not worshiping them, I’m just reminded of what they did for me. (Can you imagine their expressions as they turn ten years old and I’m still called them Jesus? That will make them stop and think…)
When I needed a Jesus, they were Jesus…. Hum….
This leads me to a question: What could I do that would remind others of Jesus? Obviously, donning strips of muslin is not what I have in mind. When someone needs Jesus, I should be able to step in and play the part for some things, at least. I should be trained to look and act like Him, to be His representative, to follow His example, to be compassionate and loving, kind and gentle and giving…
This is starting to sound like a New Year’s resolution…
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12.09.11
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:35 pm by Administrator
So… while slicing sweet pickles the other night, I lopped off a bit of my thumb! My left thumb, to be exact… the one I need for playing the harp. It wasn’t a huge chunk, only about the size of a cooked grain of pearl barley, but even as I type this, I can feel that harping is still a wincing experience.
Having a cut thumb shouldn’t be that much of a problem, right? I have plenty of other fingers; just use the other 7 (the pinkie fingers are never used on the harp… never.) The problem is harping is an exercise of strategic planning. My music is covered with numberings and crossovers and replacements of my fingers and left hand #1 is used in almost every measure. Using a dreaded metronome for practicing, I actually train my hands and brain to use an exact spot on an exact finger at the exact time on an exact string. I have everything planned and leaving out a finger changes song execution drastically. What’s more, the left hand #1 is the digit of choice for glissandi – the magical whooshings on the strings that make everyone relax and say, “Ahhhh…” But one little slice and everything changes.
Sounds like life, doesn’t it. I like to think I have everything figured out and strategically planned. All my activities are neatly numbered and practiced. Sometimes I even plan out the lives of those around me. But in reality, all the plans can so quickly and drastically be erased ‘in a twinkling of an eye’.
What happened next? Many band-aides… Many ‘why-did-I-do-such-a-stupid-thing’ comments… and many “I guess you’ll have to stop harping, honey” jokes… The good news is I’ll heal up quickly and be back at it soon. But with this experience, I’m reminded again that not everything happens as planned. So many people’s life plans have been dashed; they are going through serious stuff one hundred times more painful than lopping off a bit of thumb while slicing sweet pickles. There must be, there has to be… some way to help, some way to at least listen, some way to ease the pain.
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10.24.11
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:00 pm by Administrator
So… my phone forgave me! I’m serious! A couple of evenings ago, I experimented with the new Siri feature on my iPhone 4s. My phone has tons of information programed right into it somewhere and I can get whatever answer I want with a flick of my wrist and a phrase or two. I held up the phone, looked it square in the face and asked a question; a fairly simple one. The phone vocally repeated my question as it heard it and gave a strange answer. John and I were astounded! I asked the same question again and again giving the phone many opportunities to understand correctly. I guess Siri was not used to me yet because his responses were all strange and quite funny. Finally, I raised my voice and very clearly enunciated into the phone, “YOU DON’T KNOW S—!!!” The phone went silent… it gave absolutely no response… I felt like a real jerk… I was off to a bad start with my phone! I had no business speaking like that! I guess Siri was really trying his hardest to understand and was actually listening very closely… and that was no way to talk to a phone. So I quietly said, “I’m sorry…” and my phone actually answered, “That’s OK. Really.”
So as I was sitting there quite freaked out that my phone so closely resembled real intelligence and forgave me, I could not help but compare this incident with some of my prayers to God. I make my requests to God for all kinds of things and I don’t think that’s wrong, but God understands me better than I understand myself and often responds with something very different. I don’t always understand His strange or funny answer so I keep asking and asking and asking (insisting) I might even get frustrated and think He is not listening. Thankfully, I stop short of swearing…
Then I’m reminded of the Scripture that says, ’The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayers. (1 Peter 3:12) Since God does not lie in His Word, I have to believe that He listens. He cares. He answers. He does not always answer the way I think because He knows better. He forgives me when I have a bad attitude. He forgives me when I do dumb stuff or get impatient or rude. He says to me, “Child, I’m listening. I paid the price for all those wrongs. Accept My forgiveness. It’s OK. Really.”
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07.27.11
Posted in Uncategorized at 6:00 pm by Administrator
So… I have this plant here at home that is dying one day at a time. I’m sure you’ve all seen this sequence; the leaves are doing the falling off thing and no amount of talking to or watering of will fix its demise. This plant is bound for the circular file.
But wait! I have a plan! I have a place to take this plant that will miraculously nurture it back to life. Really! For some unknown reason, my office at the church gives most plants just the right circumstances; plenty of sun, plenty of water, plenty of tending. My plants there are lush and full of life. They give off oxygen! They make more plants! Even my orchids rebloom! It smells good in there – like fresh air and flowers. My plants do everything they are supposed to do as a plant! I’m not kidding! My church office is a plant hospital.
It has occurred to me that that’s a picture of what the church is supposed to be: a people’s hospital. So many people are not flourishing. They are going downhill day by day and everything they’ve tried does not help. They need some Son and some tender tending. They need to be fed and nourished by someone who cares. Then they too can be full of life and accomplish the plans God has purposed for them to do. They will even give off the aroma of Christ and overflow onto others. They will have real joy and real satisfaction. Again…. I’m not kidding! Our churches are people hospitals!
So if you’re in a church already, let go of those spots of deadness, drink in the Son-shine offered, overflow onto everyone around you and be thankful. And if you’re not in a church, find one that will point you in the direction of the Son. Be tenderly tended. Drink in Truth and healing. Become what you were meant to be.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11.
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06.28.11
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:19 pm by Administrator
So… This morning, Jerianne the Weatherlady rated today as a ’10′ so I quickly jumped into one of the rockers on my porch to begin enjoying it. It’s true. There was ’10-ness’ everywhere: cool breeze, clear sunshine, birds twitterpating, flowers putting out color, it’s greener than green out here… all is good. Peeling my eyes off the environment, I opened my devotional.
Today’s reading was an invitation to get to know God and expand my experiences of Him. The reading compared God to an ocean. (I love the ocean.) When I stand at the edge of the one, I know I am only seeing a tiny tiny part of the beauty of it all. My mind cannot fathom how vast that ocean is or what all is going on inside of it. Every square inch is so complex… and there are so many square inches… and there are so many square inches I cannot see! The hugeness and depth of it, the goodness and perfection of it, the strength and power of it are so far beyond me. Trying to figure out the ocean is truly overwhelming. Is this really what I think about God? Do I understand how much I don’t understand about God? Actually, there is an limit to the ocean and absolutely no limit to God. God is far more than an ocean!
This leads me to some other questions: Do I ask enough of God? Do I anticipate seeing Him move? Do I draw on any of His unfathomable love and power? Shouldn’t I be relying on Him more? Believing more? Do I even have a clue what He’s all about? Isn’t it important that I know more? Shouldn’t I be making this a priority?
Our huge, mighty, fathomless, bigger-than-an-ocean God invites us all to get to know Him and experience Him. Rev. 3:20 says: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” That is a clear invitation to get to know Him. It sounds like all I need to do is ‘open’ my heart and mind to Him and He will do all the rest. Who wouldn’t like a good meal and some good conversation with God? It’s time to open that door… He’s knocking…
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06.14.11
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:50 am by Administrator
So…. It was one of those magical moments… very unexpected… On a Sunday, after all the duties of church services were accomplished, John (lower picture), Jack (upper picture) and I jumped into the car and drove out of town to a wooded area that a friend was raving about. Al said we HAD to see it! It was Mother’s Day and our son Jack came along, even though he had pen orders to fill. (yes, I pulled the Mother’s Day card.)
We drove over hill and dale and even on gravel and behold! We couldn’t believe our eyes! There were bluebells everywhere… a sea of color… a royal carpet of bluebells under a high canopy of trees. The birds were lustily singing in their highest and loudest octaves – evidently the color blue really turned them on. It was a sight and sound I will never forget.
Rummaging through my Scripture memory bank, I recalled a perfect verse to fit the occasion: 1 Peter2:9: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him Who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” I think we caught the Heavenly Father in an act of wooing. He knows what a flower nut I am and He knows how this royal carpet of bluebells would be sensory overload for me. He was helping me experience Him in a way that speaks to me and my heart. The blueness of it all reminded me that we are children of a royal King, in fact, the King of all kings and creation! We are His chosen royal children. And what was my royal response? Indeed, I declared the praises of Him Who called me out of darkness into His wonderful light… Loudly!!
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