Date Night

Happiness is... going on a long date with your husband, stretching from afternoon to evening. We saw the new Sherlock Holmes movie. I love spy movies for the same I liked this one: the application of human intelligence and prowess to its fullest potential. It's fictional, but fascinating. They're all preposterous in some way, of course, but still, even seeing imagined genius is satisfying. So, I want to write later about fig leaves in editing. Ebert said something about this film that made me want to watch it- namely, that Guy Ritchie edited this film so that we weren't merely left to guess what was happening during the fight scenes. He said it showed confidence to do so. On one hand, I think the assertion is a true one that certain editing schemes are meant to hide what a film lacks. On the other hand, I was guessing, and confused, during fight scenes. The first time I saw Mission Impossible (the first one) I was thoroughly confused. Watching it later I saw everything fall into place. I definitely want to see the new MI film. As for Sherlock, I understood most of what happened within the last five minutes of the film, and as I said, I enjoyed the parts I talked about. But I wonder, was anyone else as lost as me?

Every good and perfect gift

I am now the proud owner of a bread machine. I shall make bread with it. Oh, the bread! I will probably be sharing pictures. I only specifically asked for three things for Christmas, and really didn't think I'd get the third. I did get 2/3. The other thing I got was a nice pair of jeans. I may need to exchange them, but they are indeed nice jeans, so I officially got what I wanted. I was thinking this morning about James 1:17: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows"(NASB). So much thought and preparation goes into a good gift. I would like to become more like the Father in the year 2012 in that I am more prepared to give good gifts, whatever they might look or feel like. This is only possible if I believe and receive the blessings God wants to give me. I've been thinking about the Sara Groves song "Open My Hands," which you can listen to here: Open My Hands This song is in a way a cheerful companion to "Like a Lake," a song from a previous album about the struggle to keep one's heart open after a grievance. "Everything in me is tightening," says the latter song, "curling in around this ache/ I will lay my heart wide open / Like the surface of a lake." "I believe," begins "Open My Hands." That is the key to staying open. I believe in a blessing I don't understand I've seen rain fall on wicked and the just Rain is no measure of his faithfulness He withholds no good thing from us. If I'm going to stay broken and open, I have to believe that He isn't going to withhold from me. Even if at times I feel need, which is something the rest of the song addresses. Even if I feel like I'm the last one on everyone else's Christmas list, and I end up with re-gifted socks. On a lighter note, while the kids are sleeping, I am baking Jesus' birthday cake. This is helping Kyrstin understand what Christmas is about. I am pondering now how to do the candles. I'm sure an idea will present itself.

It's Not Perfect...

So we've been on the road this weekend, got home and had to figure out what to do for dinner before we put kids to bed, go to Wal-Mart, and finish prep for our Christmas tomorrow. We're kind of tired and the house is a mess. It's not going to be perfect. This weekend I caught a few minutes of a kids' Christmas cartoon, the theme of which, in the end, was that "It's not perfect, but it's Christmas." It fit beautifully with what I felt the Lord had been teaching me over the weekend, which is that I can still rejoice even when things don't turn out quite like I'd imagined. He used the last few verses in Habakkuk. The "It's not perfect, but it's _________" formula works for a lot of things. Well, this post isn't perfect, but it's done.

Santa

 

This may be a better version of the picture in the previous post.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

 

We saw Santa last night. The kids were so happy. I got to see that glimpse of wonder I've heard tell of, when Kyrstin figured out that Santa was right there. Stefan did well, too. I brought him up to Santa, and he turned to look at the big guy and smiled. And we thought we'd have to hold him during the shoot. This picture will always make me smile.

Speaking of things that make you smile, this morning Kyrstin wanted me to read *All Things Bright and Beautiful*, which is this beautifully illustrated children's book with the words to the hymn. My last post was about a children's hymn. This one is, too; the content is pretty basic, but it is a happy theme and a beautiful book. I think this same author does other stuff - we read Let There Be Peace On Earth awhile back. Neither are doctrinally rich. It reminds me of something that CS Lewis said, which is that a children's book should have something to say that will matter to adults, as well. Well, I am not entirely sure Let There Be Peace On Earth does, bc it is kind of universalist, but ATBAT is just lovely, and it's true. As a bonus, each of these books has the written music along with the story of the author and song. This would be a good idea for future childrens' books.

Here's the Amazon link so you can see what the book looks like. Its the artwork that makes it work - all cut paper art.

O Wondrous Love

Okay, today, happiness is wearing Christmas tree earrings my MIL gave me. Check 'em out.

I was reading Hebrews 13 today as part of my group Bible study, and have been reminded by the first three verses about the love we are to show both to fellow believers and to strangers. What a wonderful time of year to be reminded of this. What a wonderful love provides us the freedom to love, to do good, to show hospitality. What wondrous love! I got thinking about this song. It's a Sovereign Grace song, and I'm not sure that this cover is licensed. Hopefully this is okay. If anyone objects, I'll take it down. I know this isn't specifically at Christmas song, but it is the song my heart is singing at this time during this season, and I think it fits well. I love giving gifts - I probably take it too far. Somewhere at the heart of it is the kernel of truth that I've been given a great gift, a wondrous love "that sings of Calvary/ The sweetest song this sinner's ever known." I did not deserve this gift. Inherent in giving a gift is that it is not deserved or earned. That God would come to earth to provide a way for me to come to him humbles me, breaks me, makes my cold heart open up every time I am reminded of this gospel. So, while it is easy to lose sight of the gospel at Christmas, I am grateful for this reminder, and go back into the festivities now with a song in my heart - this song - and a sense of wonder at God's perfect love. Also, for fun, enjoying these festive earrings. ;)

Jesus, Joy of the Highest Heaven

I have a passion for Christmas music, new and old, and especially for new music that I think is good enough that it will have staying power and become "old" someday. I've heard a few new things this year that I think will have staying power. I think the Getty's "How Suddenly A Baby Cries" will hold on, but take awhile to become popular. I also like knowing the story behind a song. It's the Gettys' first Chrsitmas album and their first Christmas with a new baby. I'm sure that for them the Incarnation has taken on new meaning. This song, "Jesus, Joy of the Highest Heaven" is described below the video as a children's hymn. I'm not really sure of the difference between children's hymns and hymns for the rest of us anymore; maybe something to explore for a future post. In any case, I think having children makes you think differently about Jesus, "born as a little baby." I was actually talking to my daughter about how she was once in my belly like baby Jesus was in Mary's belly. This was a new concept to her. She likes it. I've shown her pictures. She has asked if she can get back in my belly. I explain that she is too big now. Here is the video, and below, a brief, non-sacred anecdote related to the above discussions. So, I told the kids, who were sitting in the dining area at their little table, to wait while I went to get the manger so I could talk to them about it. I was referring to pieces of our Fisher Price Little People nativity. When I got over to the nativity, which was just around the corner in the living room, I couldn't find baby Jesus at first. No big deal; last year we lost Mary for several weeks. I've gotten in the habit of praying out loud around the house for all kinds of things, especially when the kids are awake. So, I prayed, "Dear Lord, please help me find baby Jesus." And all of a sudden, I realized that it sounded like the premise of some kind of sermon illustration, Internet forward, or Hallmark movie. And the dread of being that made me pray even harder that I'd find him, and I did. He was down with the knock-off Little People mechanics in a drawer below the nativity perch. Now, I could really go on here about how Jesus would be with the lowly, etc., but that is not the point. Please. The point is that God helped me find the baby Jesus, and I went and talked to the kids about how Mary praised God for getting to be the mother of the most special baby ever. Happy ending.

One Song

I was thinking this morning about lyrics that I might post as a Facebook status, and my mind drifted to "What Child Is This?" Originally, I was going to post the chorus from the third verse, but decided to check myself for accuracy, and looked up the lyrics online. I was amazed to see how one song contains so many varied themes of Christmas. The narrative with its characters and tangibility - the baby on his mother's lap, angels singing, shepherds at their post. The humiliation of the King, chosen by the King himself - lying in "mean estate," when, as Milton reminds us, His true state is Kingly. Philippians 2:6-7 describes the attitude of such a king, who, "being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." The song focuses on the manger, but provides scope. The chorus of verse 2, which I hadn't really paid attention to before, says: "Nails, spear shall pierce Him through/ The cross be borne for me, for you." This is more than a sentimental glimpse at a family group; the "babe, the son of Mary," is "the Word made flesh." The last two lines of each chorus address the listener, but then in verse three, the entire verse is a call to worship, inviting us to imagine our connection to peasants and kings, who alike are humble before this baby, the King of kings. The lyrics I was thinking of posting to Facebook were those of the chorus of verse 3: "Raise, raise your song on high/ the Virgin sings her lullaby/ Joy, joy to all He brings/ The babe, the Son of Mary." I suppose these verses stood out to me because I am a singer and songwriter. Somehow I naturally want to exult in the joy I find in God, notwithstanding and not ignoring the pain, the suffering, the sin in the world. As Sara Groves puts it in "Tell Me What You Know," "so much can go wrong/ and still there are songs." There are songs because Jesus was born - because of Emmanuel, God with us. So in this one song we have the humility of the King, the salvific perspective of the manger, and a call to response. It's the gospel, and a skillful song indeed. (I can't find a video that features all of the original lyrics, but this one has some nice artwork. I read the lyrics here.)