***Attention Ladies****
One of the not so blessed thing about the curse is one continues to pay through the nose over and over again every month. Not only that, the waste that is created just boggles the mind! May I commend two websites to you that can help relieve the cycle of cost and waste associated with one's monthly cycle.
For those of you on this side of the pond: http://www.mooncup.co.uk/.
For those of you on the other side of the pond: http://www.thekeeper.com/.
01 July 2007
16 May 2007
Fields of Gold
When we Anglophiles dream about moving to the UK, we have in mind the England of Jane Austen (on a much more modest scale, of course). The reality for the Fout family has been quite different. Our current flat is a series of boxes inside another box that is part of a series of boxes inside a yet bigger box. Most everything is painted brown and white, and everyone's furniture is the same. Mid-August that will change. The Fouts are moving house! Tyndale House where Jason does his work has a few residences which they rent out to members. In addition to being much less boxy, it is a mile closer to church, school, and work; it has a small garden that Alex will be able to play in with minimal supervision; and it is significantly less expensive for about the same amount of space. We are really excited.
But there is one thing we will miss about our current flat. That is the view. We are on the top floor on the far west corner. Our living room has two large picture windows that look out onto lush green fields that stretch to the horizon. We often see hot air balloons in the distance. Restored aeroplanes from the aviation museum at Duxford sometimes fly over. We have a perfect view of Guy Fawke's Day fireworks from the nearby colleges and villages.
One morning in April of last year I woke up and the view out these windows took my breath away. Off in the distance were several vast fields of intense yellow - Fields of Gold. We came to find out that these splashes of yellow occur all over the UK and are rapeseed. As individual plants they are not much to write home about, but a field of rapeseed is just stunning. I pass a couple fields on the way to work and I never tire of them. In fact, one day I took a bike path that went out of my way a bit just so that I could ride through a sea of yellow.
Fields Of Gold
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in the fields of gold
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in the fields of gold
So she took her love
For to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold
Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in the fields of gold
See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of gold
I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left
We'll walk in the fields of gold
We'll walk in the fields of gold
Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in the fields of gold
When we walked in the fields of gold
When we walked in the fields of gold
So, Sting is singing about fields of barley, not rapeseed. None the less, when I hear this song I see the fields of gold from my window. The fields stir up in me feelings that are also expressed in the song. Peace and tranquility. Awe and delight. Contentment. I feel that if God brought us to England for the sole purpose of gazing upon this, that would be enough.
(I haven't been able to take a satisfactory photo of the fields myself)
23 March 2007
The Blessed Curse
Take these shoes
Click clacking down some dead end street
Take these shoes
And make them fit
Take this shirt
Polyester white trash made in nowhere
Take this shirt
And make it clean, clean
Take this soul
Stranded in some skin and bones
Take this soul
And make it sing
Yahweh, Yahweh Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh Still I’m waiting for the dawn
Take these hands
Teach them what to carry
Take these hands
Don’t make a fist
Take this mouth
So quick to criticise
Take this mouth
Give it a kiss
Yahweh, Yahweh Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh Still I’m waiting for the dawn
Still waiting for the dawn, the sun is coming up
The sun is coming up on the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean
Yahweh, Yahweh Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, tell me now Why the dark before the dawn?
Take this city
A city should be shining on a hill
Take this city
If it be your will
What no man can own, no man can take
Take this heart
Take this heart
Take this heart
And make it break
When "How to Disassemble an Atomic Bomb" came out a couple years ago, it became the soundtrack of my life. I listened to it over, and over, and over again. Each of the songs captivated me in a different way. When I hear Bono sing "freedom has a scent like the top of a new born baby's head," I can smell Alex's new born head. During Lent that year, "sometimes you can't make it on your own" was the focus of my disciplines. The album seemed to go back to U2's roots and at the same time had a maturity of lessons learned along the way.
One day, as I was listening to Yahweh in the car, I had an AHA! moment. I then knew what I would give Lexi for her baby shower. Mind you, Lexi wasn't pregnant at the time.
None the less, I got out my pen and ink and started practicing the Uncial Hand. The Uncial Hand is based on the calligraphy in the Book of Kells. It is more difficult than some of the other hands because you hold your nib at zero degrees (horizontally), most of the time. Most of the other hands use a 30 or 45 degree angle which seems more natural.
I chose red paper and black ink, the colours of the album cover. I wanted it to convey both an ancient and modern feeling at the same time. I wanted it to convey the paradoxical connection between pain and hope. I wanted it convey the paradoxical connection between the curse and the coming of the Kingdom.
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our own image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."
You can image the background conversation before verse 27 begins.
satan: They're going to sin, you know.
God: I know.
satan: They're going to use their dominion to ruin the world you've been making.
God: I know, but I love them. They are not even created yet. I know they are going to sin. I still love them.
Click clacking down some dead end street
Take these shoes
And make them fit
Take this shirt
Polyester white trash made in nowhere
Take this shirt
And make it clean, clean
Take this soul
Stranded in some skin and bones
Take this soul
And make it sing
Yahweh, Yahweh Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh Still I’m waiting for the dawn
Take these hands
Teach them what to carry
Take these hands
Don’t make a fist
Take this mouth
So quick to criticise
Take this mouth
Give it a kiss
Yahweh, Yahweh Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh Still I’m waiting for the dawn
Still waiting for the dawn, the sun is coming up
The sun is coming up on the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean
Yahweh, Yahweh Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, tell me now Why the dark before the dawn?
Take this city
A city should be shining on a hill
Take this city
If it be your will
What no man can own, no man can take
Take this heart
Take this heart
Take this heart
And make it break
When "How to Disassemble an Atomic Bomb" came out a couple years ago, it became the soundtrack of my life. I listened to it over, and over, and over again. Each of the songs captivated me in a different way. When I hear Bono sing "freedom has a scent like the top of a new born baby's head," I can smell Alex's new born head. During Lent that year, "sometimes you can't make it on your own" was the focus of my disciplines. The album seemed to go back to U2's roots and at the same time had a maturity of lessons learned along the way.
One day, as I was listening to Yahweh in the car, I had an AHA! moment. I then knew what I would give Lexi for her baby shower. Mind you, Lexi wasn't pregnant at the time.
None the less, I got out my pen and ink and started practicing the Uncial Hand. The Uncial Hand is based on the calligraphy in the Book of Kells. It is more difficult than some of the other hands because you hold your nib at zero degrees (horizontally), most of the time. Most of the other hands use a 30 or 45 degree angle which seems more natural.
I chose red paper and black ink, the colours of the album cover. I wanted it to convey both an ancient and modern feeling at the same time. I wanted it to convey the paradoxical connection between pain and hope. I wanted it convey the paradoxical connection between the curse and the coming of the Kingdom.
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our own image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."
You can image the background conversation before verse 27 begins.
satan: They're going to sin, you know.
God: I know.
satan: They're going to use their dominion to ruin the world you've been making.
God: I know, but I love them. They are not even created yet. I know they are going to sin. I still love them.
satan: What a waste of time.
God: I am going to create them. They are going to sin. I will use their sin as a opportunity to show them how much I love them.
Romans 5:20-21
20. But law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
21. so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The pain of childbirth is a part of the curse of sin. Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden of Eden. Adam's curse is that the ground will bear food only under protest and he will labor hard to scrape out a living. Eve's curse is pain in childbirth.
God gives us a curse that reinforces his great gift of love to us.
When Jason finishes his Ph.D. he will have a lot of joy because his labor has not been in vain. He will not discount his work as nothing. The struggles involved will intensify the joy.
John 16:20-22
20. Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy.
21. When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world.
22. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
Jesus is speaking about a wonderful thing, childbirth amnesia. Any woman who has had a baby can tell you, in minute detail about her pregnancy and the birth of her child. A mother remembers everything. However, you will find that she tells you the details in an aloof manner, as if all this pain and struggle happened to someone else. She remembers vaguely. She is unable to tap into the emotional memory.
Jesus is speaking about a wonderful thing, his resurrection, and ultimately, ours. The Disciples pain turns to joy and wonder at the resurrection. And yet the signs of Jesus' death remain on his body. There are wounds on his hands, feet, and side for Thomas to touch and believe. The vague memory of Jesus' death intensifies the joy.
Romans 8:18-28
18. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.
19. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God;
20. for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
21. that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23. and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?
25. But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
27. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
I know that not everyone gets the "giving up something for Lent" thing. But when those who have given up chocolate take that first Easter bite, they will be getting a little taste of the kingdom. Many of our churches give up the word "Alleluia" for Lent. The first time it falls from our lips on Easter morning, we will almost be able to taste it. How sweet it is to have a great big belly laugh when hearing a story from the life of someone whose death you have been mourning. I know I am a sinner saved by God's incredible love and grace. Knowing that I am a sinner makes the grace and love of God seem all that more wonderful.
It is not a mistake that the scriptures use the image of a woman giving birth as an illustration of the resurrection and the coming of the kingdom. The curse has become a vehicle to usher in the most blessed of blessings!
Upon finishing Lexi's shower gift, I wrapped it in layers of cardboard and marked it with her name. When we moved to England, it was put, with most of our other possessions, in my parents attic. Three cheers for my sister Emmy who hunted the attic for it. Three cheers for my mom who thought it would be fun to leave it in the cardboard as "ghetto wrapping paper." Three cheers for Lexi and Tim who did have a baby shower a few weeks ago. It means so much to me that a little bit of me, it the form of paper and ink, was able to be there to share the celebration.
~"As you entered this life, I pray you depart, with a wrinkled face and a brand new heart"~
God: I am going to create them. They are going to sin. I will use their sin as a opportunity to show them how much I love them.
Romans 5:20-21
20. But law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
21. so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The pain of childbirth is a part of the curse of sin. Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden of Eden. Adam's curse is that the ground will bear food only under protest and he will labor hard to scrape out a living. Eve's curse is pain in childbirth.
God gives us a curse that reinforces his great gift of love to us.
When Jason finishes his Ph.D. he will have a lot of joy because his labor has not been in vain. He will not discount his work as nothing. The struggles involved will intensify the joy.
John 16:20-22
20. Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy.
21. When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world.
22. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
Jesus is speaking about a wonderful thing, childbirth amnesia. Any woman who has had a baby can tell you, in minute detail about her pregnancy and the birth of her child. A mother remembers everything. However, you will find that she tells you the details in an aloof manner, as if all this pain and struggle happened to someone else. She remembers vaguely. She is unable to tap into the emotional memory.
Jesus is speaking about a wonderful thing, his resurrection, and ultimately, ours. The Disciples pain turns to joy and wonder at the resurrection. And yet the signs of Jesus' death remain on his body. There are wounds on his hands, feet, and side for Thomas to touch and believe. The vague memory of Jesus' death intensifies the joy.
Romans 8:18-28
18. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.
19. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God;
20. for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
21. that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23. and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?
25. But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
27. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
I know that not everyone gets the "giving up something for Lent" thing. But when those who have given up chocolate take that first Easter bite, they will be getting a little taste of the kingdom. Many of our churches give up the word "Alleluia" for Lent. The first time it falls from our lips on Easter morning, we will almost be able to taste it. How sweet it is to have a great big belly laugh when hearing a story from the life of someone whose death you have been mourning. I know I am a sinner saved by God's incredible love and grace. Knowing that I am a sinner makes the grace and love of God seem all that more wonderful.
It is not a mistake that the scriptures use the image of a woman giving birth as an illustration of the resurrection and the coming of the kingdom. The curse has become a vehicle to usher in the most blessed of blessings!
Upon finishing Lexi's shower gift, I wrapped it in layers of cardboard and marked it with her name. When we moved to England, it was put, with most of our other possessions, in my parents attic. Three cheers for my sister Emmy who hunted the attic for it. Three cheers for my mom who thought it would be fun to leave it in the cardboard as "ghetto wrapping paper." Three cheers for Lexi and Tim who did have a baby shower a few weeks ago. It means so much to me that a little bit of me, it the form of paper and ink, was able to be there to share the celebration.
~"As you entered this life, I pray you depart, with a wrinkled face and a brand new heart"~
26 January 2007
Saved from the Bin---Noble Steeds for Virtuous Princesses
I know two little girls who got ponies for Christmas!
Alex's Noble Steed (green):
Head: Old pillowcase with old bedsheets as stuffing.
Mane: Strips of fabic from an old pair of Jason's trousers and left over fabric from making the horse's head
Body: Old broom handle
Hoof: Tennis ball covered with pillowcase fabric
Deborah's Noble Steed (pink):
Head: New pillowcase with old bed sheets as stuffing.
Mane: Strips from an old pair of dish washing gloves and ribbon from the craft stash.
Body: New broom handle
Hoof: Tennis ball covered with pillowcase fabric
I have to say that my favorite of the Disney Princess Movies is Cinderella. (Beauty and the Beast is a close second.) Here are just a few reasons that come to mind.
-The king invites all the maidens of the kingdom to the ball, not just the ones of noble birth. (Sounds like another King we know.)
-Cinderella is kind and loving despite her treatment by her step mother and step sisters.
-Cinderella faces adversity with hope and joy
-"So this is love....I'm all aglow. And now I know; what the kingdom of heaven is like." (Earthly, romantic love points to the perfect love of God.)
I pray that my two favorite princess will continue to grow in their love of our King and show forth his kingdom in all the world!
Alex rides her horse on Christmas Day
Playing princesses. The horse is dressed in some of Deborah's clothes.
About a year ago our broom broke beyond repair, but I couldn't bear to throw it away. After a couple months of seeing it every time I went to get the new broom, aha! I saw it for the horse it was meant to be.
Alex and Deborah are always playing princesses, and of course what princess doesn't need a Noble Steed?
Alex's Noble Steed (green):Head: Old pillowcase with old bedsheets as stuffing.
Mane: Strips of fabic from an old pair of Jason's trousers and left over fabric from making the horse's head
Body: Old broom handle
Hoof: Tennis ball covered with pillowcase fabric
Deborah's Noble Steed (pink):
Head: New pillowcase with old bed sheets as stuffing.
Mane: Strips from an old pair of dish washing gloves and ribbon from the craft stash.
Body: New broom handle
Hoof: Tennis ball covered with pillowcase fabric
I have to say that my favorite of the Disney Princess Movies is Cinderella. (Beauty and the Beast is a close second.) Here are just a few reasons that come to mind.
-The king invites all the maidens of the kingdom to the ball, not just the ones of noble birth. (Sounds like another King we know.)
-Cinderella is kind and loving despite her treatment by her step mother and step sisters.
-Cinderella faces adversity with hope and joy
-"So this is love....I'm all aglow. And now I know; what the kingdom of heaven is like." (Earthly, romantic love points to the perfect love of God.)
I pray that my two favorite princess will continue to grow in their love of our King and show forth his kingdom in all the world!
04 January 2007
Bible Friends
The Bible Friends came out of the connections in my mind that are only slightly related to one another.
Several years ago, my great aunt Magdelene was in a nursing home. About a year or so before she died, we (my parents, sisters, Jason and I) started visiting her on a regular basis. She had brought some of her craft-stash to the home with her. One of the first things she showed us were Nativity sets that she made out of used film canisters (can you even remember life before digital?) and felt. She made them especially for children and the elderly in her church. She liked the fact that they could be touched and played with without the risk of breaking. I have one of the sets she made among our Christmas things in my parents attic.
Godly Play, and its cousin Worship Center, is a method that many churches are using to introduce the Bible to young people. It uses the Montessori method to present the scriptures and the practices of the church. Simple props are used to tell the story and then the children are allowed to respond to the story by various means. This usually includes playing with the props themselves, drawing pictures, asking questions, and retelling the story in their own words. It is formational but not coercive.
Typically, Godly Play uses wooden figures either homemade by someone from the congregation or bought. On the first Sunday of Advent 2005, the synapses in my brain made the connection between Godly Play and Aunt Magdelene's film can Nativities. That afternoon, I turned cardboard toilet paper tubes into the Bible Friends. As I was making them, Alex asked what I was doing. I explained to her who each Friend was and I told her the story of Jesus birth.
Finally, all the figures for Jesus' birth were done. Just in time to provide Alex something quiet to play with during the Selwyn College Chapel Lessons and Carols service. During the service an amazing thing happened. As the story of Christmas was being read, Alex acted out the story with her Bible Friends. The Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. Mary and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem. The Angel visits the Shepherds. The Shepherds visit the Holy Family. The service had been beautiful, but the pageant performed by the Bible Friends brought a delight to us that is beyond words.
Kirsten is, in the words of Anne Shirley*, my bosom friend. She holds my heart in a very special way. This Advent I made Kirsten's daughter Deborah a set of the Christmas Bible Friends. As I made them I reflected on what a gift from God Kirsten's friendship is. We provide each other support as we try to live faithfully as strangers in a strange land (Kirsten is from Germany). Even though I was making them for Deborah to play with, in another way I was making them for Kirsten. They came to symbolise our common desire to inspire our daughters' imaginations, particularly as they learn to relate to God.
When Deborah opened up her Bible Friends, I knew by the look on Kirsten's face that I could not have given her a better gift. A gift with materials, saved not just from the bin, but from the loo bin were able to show her far better than diamonds or gold just how much I love her.
*Anne Shirley is the title character from L.M. Montgomery's book Anne of Green Gables. Anne's bosom friend's name is Diana.
Several years ago, my great aunt Magdelene was in a nursing home. About a year or so before she died, we (my parents, sisters, Jason and I) started visiting her on a regular basis. She had brought some of her craft-stash to the home with her. One of the first things she showed us were Nativity sets that she made out of used film canisters (can you even remember life before digital?) and felt. She made them especially for children and the elderly in her church. She liked the fact that they could be touched and played with without the risk of breaking. I have one of the sets she made among our Christmas things in my parents attic.
Godly Play, and its cousin Worship Center, is a method that many churches are using to introduce the Bible to young people. It uses the Montessori method to present the scriptures and the practices of the church. Simple props are used to tell the story and then the children are allowed to respond to the story by various means. This usually includes playing with the props themselves, drawing pictures, asking questions, and retelling the story in their own words. It is formational but not coercive.
Typically, Godly Play uses wooden figures either homemade by someone from the congregation or bought. On the first Sunday of Advent 2005, the synapses in my brain made the connection between Godly Play and Aunt Magdelene's film can Nativities. That afternoon, I turned cardboard toilet paper tubes into the Bible Friends. As I was making them, Alex asked what I was doing. I explained to her who each Friend was and I told her the story of Jesus birth.
Finally, all the figures for Jesus' birth were done. Just in time to provide Alex something quiet to play with during the Selwyn College Chapel Lessons and Carols service. During the service an amazing thing happened. As the story of Christmas was being read, Alex acted out the story with her Bible Friends. The Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. Mary and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem. The Angel visits the Shepherds. The Shepherds visit the Holy Family. The service had been beautiful, but the pageant performed by the Bible Friends brought a delight to us that is beyond words.
Kirsten is, in the words of Anne Shirley*, my bosom friend. She holds my heart in a very special way. This Advent I made Kirsten's daughter Deborah a set of the Christmas Bible Friends. As I made them I reflected on what a gift from God Kirsten's friendship is. We provide each other support as we try to live faithfully as strangers in a strange land (Kirsten is from Germany). Even though I was making them for Deborah to play with, in another way I was making them for Kirsten. They came to symbolise our common desire to inspire our daughters' imaginations, particularly as they learn to relate to God.
When Deborah opened up her Bible Friends, I knew by the look on Kirsten's face that I could not have given her a better gift. A gift with materials, saved not just from the bin, but from the loo bin were able to show her far better than diamonds or gold just how much I love her.
*Anne Shirley is the title character from L.M. Montgomery's book Anne of Green Gables. Anne's bosom friend's name is Diana.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
