Looking for growth in your life? or in someone you love?

::from the archives, because it's an amazing thing to watch seeds grow::


The fields had been brown for almost nine months.  The landscape had been drab and depressing (except for the days right after a snow*).

And then in early May* I started noticing ground that had been worked, and then lines in the smooth brown surface of the field.

Later I could see little specks of green poking their way out of the soil.  And, as the days went by, those specks were taller and taller, and some fields started to show more green than brown as I drove by.

Since each field is planted at a different time (and may have different conditions of drainage, fertilizer, and other things, not to mention the type of seed), each field displays a different vista on any given day, especially in the early weeks.

The beans out my back window are planted in both horizontal and vertical rows.  The horizontal section looks like a carpet of green.  The vertical section is still two-thirds brown.  But it's changing everyday.

The corn is getting taller and more willowy, the beans are short and filling out.  And in the bean fields which were no-till, the beans are still shorter than the long-dead foot-high remnants of the cornstalks from last year's corn crop.

The growth is steady but slow, almost imperceptible, as the plants continue to inch on up (literally).  Soon the crops will be so high, Lord willing, that driving down the road, I will feel boxed in, like I'm in a maze, and unable to see the buildings and windmills and elevators on the horizon.


*This year's growing season is nothing like last year's.  For one, there were very few snow days.  For another, I didn't start noticing worked ground in early May, but in early April-!  In any event, it's still an awe-inspiring thing to see miles and miles of newly planted fields pass by as I drive to town.  And this year it's a bit sad at the moment to see dry fields, thirsty crops, and dust clouds on windy days.  We pray for rain. 

Potted plant!

I attended a 6-week course which was part-homemaking demos, part-eating, and part-discussing Titus 2.3-5.  The homemaking demos ranged from demystifying pie crusts to making (and tasting) copycat bread sticks from a local restaurant.  The last week's demo, though, did not take place in the kitchen!

From our perches around the periphery of our host's deck, we watched as she got her (gloved) hands dirty, filling a pot with soil and explaining what to look for when you buy potting soil.  Then she proceeded to transplant a spike, a couple geraniums, and one or two other small plants into her large pot.

I was fascinated!  Who knew that you could put more than one plant in a pot?!  It moved beyond gardening and into the realm of art.  Watching her demo may even have cast some vision to help me create art in my space (!).  That would be a very small step for most people, but a giant leap forward for me.

At the end of the evening, she pulled a name out of a basket, and I won the pot!  (GULP!!)  These photos document the live plants, in case they don't survive very long. :)

1000 Gifts, Vol. 4, #29

301.  piano recitals

302.  birthday cakes

303.  thank you notes

304.  invitations

305.  borrowed books

306.  memory work buddy

307.  walk around town at dusk

308.  email from a new friend asking a question that I could answer

309.  dishes tasted ~ and recipes received

310.  What all of these gifts represent ~ some of the people in our lives!

New Friends?

How do you make new friends?  When you leave a place where you have a shared history with others and you go to a place where you don't have a shared history with the people there?  How do you make new friends from zero?

These questions have been large in my mind the past few weeks and months as we begin the process of putting down roots in a new church.  (I'm definitely a lot more compassionate these days toward people who are newcomers to a group, for the "old-timers" must make room in their [already full] lives for the new people.)

From zero.  Wow!  That's such a switch from knowing and being known.

And, yet!  If you're making friends in a church, and if both you and the people you are meeting are believers in Christ, you're not starting from zero!!

You already have a shared history!

That doesn't mean it's easy (especially if you're an introvert), but remembering this truth is a great encouragement in the process.

Neighbor Efficiency Rank

Neighbor Efficiency Rank - is that a ranking of how efficient I am at being a neighbor? how efficient my neighbors are at being neighbors???

Nope.  The power company sends us this report each month.  Last month our rank was #39 out of 100 neighbors, meaning that only 38 neighbors used less energy than we did.

Not only do we have a graph for the ranking, there are other graphs, including one that shows how much energy we use.  We used 17% more energy than the neighbors who used less than we did.

This really baffles my mind that the power company spends money printing and mailing this out, especially in a society where we aren't used to being shamed into improving our performance.  I recently read a book by an expat mom in China.  She told of the monthly posting of the neighbor efficiency rank in the lobby of their high-rise apartment building.  Each month, it's a culturally embarrassing moment, as their family of seven uses significantly more electricity than the families of three in the other apartments. 

Do you know your Neighbor Efficiency Rank?

I love small towns!

"You'll really have to search to find this supplement," the nurse said.  "I've seen it at x, y, and z stores around town, and any Walgreen's can order it for you and have it within 24 hours."

It didn't help that "around town" meant the city where my nurse was, as she talked with me on the phone, 22 miles away from where I was in my home.

Hmmm.  A quick search of the product's website and the "Find a Retailer" page let me know that a pharmacy in a small farm town (population: 1950) ten miles from my house sells this supplement.  When I picked it up (just a few hours later), the pharmacist assured me that they always have it in stock!

At least twice in the past year, when I've needed a prescription called in from my doctor (22 miles away), I've been very happy with the service, price, and distance, when I've used the pharmacy in another small farm town six miles away. 

And, IGA, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways I love thee!  Our little town of 1300 has an IGA, which is unbelievably convenient when I just need a bunch of bananas or a loaf of bread.  (Well, I guess I could make a loaf of bread, but I'm not that talented with bananas or apples or milk or ....)  The prices are not as bad as I thought they would be, and their weekly sales are amazing!  Not every small farm town has an IGA, so I count my blessings regularly!

Spelling Test

I don't remember exactly, but I think we had weekly spelling tests when I was in school.  I know my friends' children in grade school still do.

I don't know about educational theory or pros and cons of different theories, but I do know that I have seen all of the following spelling errors in the past couple of weeks. 

And I am sad.


How would you do on correcting this 10-word spelling test?



I went to a flee market.

I balled my eyes out.

We road the roller-coaster. 

I haven't reccoperated from my surgery yet.

I like skirts with pleads at the waist.  

The peak of Mt. Fuji was reflected in the service of the lake.

The team's winning season is attribute to a fabulous coach.

I've had a soar throat all week.

The corn is beginning to peak out of the soil.

It was a very winding day.

Japan Connections

I keep up with Japan as best I can.  I read missionary blogs.  I have news of Japan in my Facebook feed.  We receive several missionary's prayer letters and e-mail updates.

In the past few weeks, though, I have been happy to feel a closer connection.

"I'm leading a short-term team to Japan. What are some basics you think I should cover in our pre-departure orientation?"

(That led to a two-hour phone conversation and hopefully a more equipped team?)

"A co-worker is visiting Japan.  What should he take as a gift for his host?"

(Something regional would be good.)

"I'm headed to Japan as a missionary. What kind of asthma medicine is available in Japan?"

("Hi, I'm J-, a former missionary to Japan, and I have asthma."  That led to a back-and-forth email exchange about lots of specifics.)

"We had a Japanese student live with us for a year 30 years ago.  This past Christmas we learned that her husband is a believer, but she shows no interest."

(I love talking with people who have someone they love in Japan.)

"We are headed back to Japan long-term and would love to get together and hear your story."

(Dinner invitation next week!  We would love to hear their story, too!)

McVitie's

I have a cousin who grew up in Beirut, where she grew to like McVitie's Digestive Biscuits.

I "grew up" as an adult in Japan, where I grew to like McVitie's Digestive Biscuits.  I'm partial to the chocolate kind, but in Japan we had seasonal flavors as well.  Right now in Japan they have a green tea flavor, vanilla cream, cheddar, and sweet mint, in addition to plain and chocolate.  I remember seeing an orange one a few years back.

This week I saw plain and chocolate in my local Wal-mart.  Ut-oh! (Not good for the diet... especially when I could read the nutrition label for the first time and realized that one chocolate biscuit has 0 grams fiber?!?)

What imported food would you buy if you found it in your local grocery store?

Hit By Friendly Fire

Have you ever been hurt? betrayed? wounded? sinned against?

This little pamphlet (just a transcription of a sermon) packs a powerful punch that has potential to transform you from victim to victor. Reading it is easy; applying it means death (to self). But without death, we cannot experience the resurrection.

Although it is a sermon, it is written in conversational style. The tone is very pastoral, and I could easily imagine myself sitting in his office, hearing him speak these words to me. More than that, I could imagine my Lord gently reminding me, through the various Scripture passages sprinkled throughout, that the friendly fire doesn't have to define me, but that it can become a season when I know God's love more than at any other time.

Even if you haven't experienced friendly fire, I bet you know someone who has. Read this to help you counsel them. Read this and then give a copy to them. Keep a few copies on hand to give out as you hear stories of hurt.

You can read the dedication page here. 

Does Bible study mean we study the Bible?

"When all your favorite preachers are gone, and all their books forgotten, you will have your Bible. Master it. Master it." --- John Piper

With that quote, Jen Wilkin begins her article on "Why Bible Study Doesn't Transform Us."

The summer Bible study options for the women's ministry at our church were just announced.  I have a choice of attending an inductive Bible study, a book study based on a popular "how-to" book for Christian women, a study on purity for moms and tweens, or a book study based on a 52-week through-the-Bible devotional.

I know it's unfair for me to assume that one will be more Bible-based than the others, for I have not read the two books for the book studies, and I know that the actual study and discussion will be influenced by the women who are part of the group (both the leaders and the participants) and how they interact with the material and the Source Material (hopefully, the Word), and with each other.

And, as Jen Wilkin's article so aptly points out, even the inductive Bible study could just leave me with more head knowledge and not necessarily a heart change.  

What components help you have a good group Bible study experience?  (I'm especially looking for the experiences of other introverts.)

1000 Gifts, Vol. 4, #28

281.  Discovery House Publishers' Classical Praise series

282.  pink-paper package, all wrapped in ribbon (There's a birthday among the nieces!)

283.  quiet and stillness

284.  clean laundry, staring at me from a huge pile on the couch (at least it made it out of the dirty laundry basket, out of the washer, and out of the dryer - quite the journey so far!)

285.  thought-provoking articles (God's grace in marriage, 15 tips on blogging from John Newton, What's your plan for tomorrow?, 10 positive things to say to a mother of a newborn with disabilities)

286.  online commentaries and Spurgeon's Morning & Evening

287.  the gift of tears

288.  a second folding chair, so we can sit outside together

289.  a half gallon of yogurt "incubating" in the oven for the next eight hours

290.  a husband who challenges me when I need it

291.  meeting and conversing with a neighbor's daughter (5 years younger than me) ~ the entire reason I stopped by their garage sale on townwide garage sale day

292.  quick and easy lunches

293.  a philodendron plant that is finally growing, despite my black thumb

294.  "happening" to see a newspaper announcement of the upcoming 60th wedding anniversary of a lovely couple we know

295.  leisurely Sunday afternoon with family and family's family

296.  joy and exuberance and delight of the next generation

297.  Kindle deals (Challies alerts me to good deals)

298.  the type of book you don't want to put down once you start

299.  Sunday afternoon walks - a 7-week old tradition :)

300.  Town Cleanup Day - a big pile of "junk" from our garage and basement taken away from our curb (Yeah!)

Resting Confidently in the Love of God

In C.S. Lewis’s book The Screwtape Letters, Screwtape, the lead demon, said to one of his demons, “The worst possible thing that can happen to us, and that which glorifies our enemy the most (namely God) is when a man looks around and sees no reason to go on believing in God’s love and still believes anyway.”

So goes a quote in Erwin Lutzer's blog post about resting confidently in the love of God.  To read the rest of his post go here.

Each Sunday Lutzer posts a short article in his blog, "Pray with me."  The purpose of his blog is to "develop a culture of prayer." 

What reasons do you have to believe in God's love?

Favorite side

From this:

to this:

Yum!  

My favorite side dish!

(And a great way to get mushrooms and onions and all sorts of vegetables into your diet!)

1000 Gifts, Vol. 4, #27

271.  several days in a row with perfect 70* temperatures!

272.  spotting a bird sitting on her nest, during a "nature walk" in our backyard

273.  the creativity and enthusiasm of an-almost-5-year-old

274.  running an errand in the next little farm town (pop: 900) at lunch time and coming home with a hot sub sandwich from the gas station {Yum!}

275.  my friend albuterol, working in partnership with Margo Moo

276.  trying one more new thing, and not worrying if I would fail

277.  the result: delicious homemade cinnamon raisin swirl bread!

278.  open windows

279.  fields beginning to turn green, as corn peeks up from the soil

280.  the miracle of growth as we watch the corn (in the neighbor's field behind our house) sprouting up, seemingly overnight!

1000 Gifts, Vol. 4, #26

261.  {lots of} hot tea to nurse a sinus infection

262.  family night out at the symphony

263.  conversations that go deeper than "How are you?" "I'm fine"

264.  talking with a fellow ex-Japan'er and realizing that some of my "issues" are because I'm trying to be Japanese in an American setting

265.  an unexpected gift of a {delicious} loaf of chocolate chip banana bread

266.  a doctor who is not an alarmist and a nurse who recommended a natural treatment

267.  a husband who is forgiving when the house {including kitchen and meal preparation} are neglected due to #261

268.  one step closer to finding a small group to be a part of in our new church family

269.  looking forward ... to a 5 year old's birthday, to a weekend away, to a summer Bible study

270.  looking forward to things that are for sure and will never disappoint ~ more of God's grace, the riches of heaven, and more!

Name that hymn!

I have good memories of rounds of "Name that hymn!" sitting around the dining room table in a rented house in Japan with two short-term missionaries.  One person would hum a few notes and the other two would compete (one of us with great excitement and table pounding - Ahem!) to name the hymn.

As my brain gets fuller (or maybe just older), I have to quiz myself. "Now what hymn is that phrase from?"  I finally started a "phrase index" in the inside cover of my hymnal to help me when I'm trying to think of a hymn, and am having trouble remembering the title or first line, but can only come up with a snatch of a phrase from somewhere in the middle of the hymn.

The first entry in my phrase index came about when I was driving in Japan, listening either to NHK radio or U.S. Armed Forces radio and heard an audio clip of the official memorial service at St. Paul's Cathedral in London after the September 11th attacks.  The only phrase that came to my mind as I heard the moving rendition of this particular hymn was, "Great Father of glory..."

My handy-dandy phrase index now tells me that "Great Father of glory" is a phrase found in #38 in the Trinity hymnal ~ "Immortal, Invisible."

Can you name these hymns from my phrase index?

1 - Why should cross and trial grieve me?
2 - O for grace to trust Him more
3 - large petitions with thee bring
4 - Give to the winds your fears
5 - Ye fearful saints
6 - frowning providence
7 - love thee with unsinning heart
8 - teaching rebel hearts to pray
9 - the dearest idol I have known
10 - to know no gain or loss
11 - while I breathe I pray
12 - rend the heavens
13 - take away the love of sinning
14 - O hope of every contrite heart
15 - send your victorious word abroad
16 - unnumbered blessings
17 - lay my glory in the dust
18 - let me die thy people's death
19 - no other argument ... no other plea
20 - pity the nations
21 - we long to see your churches full
22 - to children's children

1000 Gifts, Vol. 4, #25

251.  six days of good health in our home

252.  God's grace and presence during one day of less-than-good health

253.  driving home with Sound of Majesty

254.  this month's free audio book (Resolving Everyday Conflict)

255.  being sent home with a mini rhubarb custard pie-!

256.  a deep Sunday School class on John 12.23

257.  a powerful sermon on "Husbands, love your wives," with not a dry eye in the congregation

258.  a good (probably) last day in 2nd grade for this year

259.  Sunday night lecture on Bonhoeffer at a mansion in the city

260.  the truth found in this testimony that suffering is a gift