All Things New

Laundry is my Life

2009-05-21T18:39:00.004Z

It’s hard to believe that I haven’t posted a blog entry in over a year. I blame Facebook. Or maybe it was working full time, being pregnant, and having a premature baby. Well, regardless, here I am a contributing member of the blogosphere once again.

As a mum of a rather new person, laundry has taken over my life. I expected extra laundry because I chose to do washable nappies, but I forgot about the increase in my own wash. Not only do my clothes get dirty from spit-up and Samantha’s other bodily functions, but also from food I drop on myself whilst feeding her and myself at the same time. So, my current job is feeding the baby and doing the laundry.

I was at the pound shop a couple months ago and bought a “smalls” dryer. It’s a little plastic thing with a bunch of clothes pegs on it for drying one’s socks and underwear. Except for the odd stop of rain here and there it has been beautiful hanging wash on the line weather. I left it outside on one of the washing lines for Tyndale House community use. It struck me that we needed one for each of the two drying areas out in the garden. So, a couple weeks ago I went back to the pound shop to buy another one, and alas, they were no longer carrying them.

Of course, I thought that there must be a homemade solution to this problem. I found industrious fern’s Map of Australia sock hanger (http://industriousfern.blogspot.com/2009/02/map-of-australia-sock-hanger-how-to.html), but I don’t have a cool wooden map of Australia or a drill. The wheels started turning in my brain and here’s what I came up with….

4 wire hangers
wooden clothes pegs/pins (I used 14, but realized after I finished that I could probably could have fit twice as many.)
thin wire
wire cutters
pliers
plarn (yarn made from plastic bags) see: http://www.myrecycledbags.com/tutorial-for-making-plarn-yarn/
crochet hook US size H/5mm

I took two of the wire hangers and attached them at the neck and where they crossed at the bottom with the thin wire.
I attached some of the clothes pegs along the longer side of each hanger with the thin wire
I started at the attached necks of the hangers and single crocheted with plarn around each hanger and back to the necks. When I got to a clothes peg, I single crocheted over the thin wire, right up to the peg, then ch2 and continued single crocheting on the other side of the peg.
I then cut the bottom wires off the other 2 hangers and the 2 side wires from one of them.
I attached the long wires opposite each other and the short wires opposite each other making a rectangle at the bottom.
I attached more pegs to these wires with thin wire and crocheted around the rectangle with more plarn.
I bent the hooks in such a way that it would be less likely to fly off the washing line in the wind.

I think this is clever and fun and will stand up to the elements. As my husband is nearly finished with his dissertation and has a job at Bexley Hall Episcopal Seminary in the fall (scary), I will be leaving Cambridge at the end of July (sob). I leave it with my plarn clothes peg bags to Tyndale House as a reminder of the crazy, crafty lady who lived in flat 3.

Bridges

2008-03-08T10:39:00.000Z

When we were going to move to Tyndale House, I was a little worried. "Tyndale House is an international centre for biblical research, founded in a spirit of loyalty to the historic Christian faith. It is a community of scholars, working mostly at postgraduate level." It attracts lots of American folks coming to study at Cambridge. That's us.

It also particularly attracts conservative Evangelical American folks.

It was great and all that we were moving closer to everything and that the rent was half of what we were paying, but would we really be accepted?

We are generally speaking, theologically evangelical - certainly confident of 'the historic Christian faith' - but we are not culturally Evangelicals and we tend to be left of centre politically.

We are part of a denomination that is seen by many people as "liberal" or "dead" or "falling apart at the seams". We see it as a place where people are free to ask hard questions, where it is okay not to agree about everything. We are going through a really difficult time right now as a communion and unfortunately, our dirty laundry is being aired in the media.

I am a working mum who has a career, not just a job to support my husband in his call. (I do, of course, support him in his call and he supports me in mine.) Because of this, I wouldn't be able to participate in some of the daytime community things like the women's Bible study. We are really bad at keeping things tidy. Our place always looks like a tip despite our best intentions.

Could I really be comfortable? Could I really be myself?

The answer most happily is "YES."

I suppose I could go on and on explaining why and how this is, but I think it can be summed up simply. At least at this moment in time, Tyndale House is a judgement free, guilt free zone in which we can live our faith the best we can among others living their faith the best they can.

One of the families we live among are the Leonards. They are the self-proclaimed "Cambridge Hillbillies" They couldn't be from a more different background from us, and yet, you can see from a quick glance at Angie's blog the gifts they bring to the Tyndale community.

In her post at the above link, she says, "Bridges connect people, both literally and figuratively."

Angie's entry about bridges in Cambridge made think of Christ as the bridge connecting us here at Tyndale House. It also brought to mind two other bridges, one literal and one figurative.

My Favorite Bridge:
I cycle about 2-1/2 miles to work everyday. Everyday I cross my favorite bridge in Cambridge. It is not a beautiful bridge. It is utilitarian. It is used to cross the river Cam to work, to school, etc. by many people each day. I don't think it has a name, but my vote is "consideration bridge." You see, this bridge is too narrow to be crossed from both directions at the same time. You must wait for a group of cyclists and pedestrians to cross from the opposite direction. As they meet you at your end, they will say "thank you" or "thanks" or "ta" or "cheers." When you cross to the other side you in turn thank those who have waited for you. We are a community of carbon-free commuters linked together by a bridge and a little consideration.

Liturgy:
We were having some after dinner conversation with our Swedish friends Andreas and Victoria one night a couple weeks ago. The discussion turned to worship. Jason mentioned that the word "liturgy" translated means "work of the people" or "public work." Jason explained to our friends that in America that when we talk about "Public Works" we mean things the government provides for the benefit of all citizens (water, roads, snow removal, etc.). Worship is a service we provide to the world that makes a relationship with God available to all.

This brought into my mind liturgy as a bridge (actually, I saw the Mathematical Bridge in my mind's eye). In worship we lay ourselves down. We make ourselves vulnerable to God and to others.

I think of our church in St. Joseph, Michigan. Many folks originally arrived at St. Paul's because they were invited to a wedding or a funeral or some other special service and ended up staying. As they were crossing the bridge of worship, they found themselves in a surprising place. Some of these folks had no faith or a very nominal faith before they joined us. As we worshiped together, they ceased to be pedestrians, and laid themselves down and became an integral part of the bridge.

And that, of course, returns me to the ultimate bridge, Jesus Christ, who reconciles us to God, coming from the Father to bridge the gulf to creation, and making possible reconciliation and new life - and the forming of us and our lives into 'bridges'. In this, we encounter friends, strangers, and brothers and sisters in Christ (who are nevertheless somewhat different from us), and we are given the grace to be a bridge for them, even as they are a bridge for us.

133% Recycled--It's in the bag!

2008-02-23T16:58:00.005Z

In Cambridge today, we reached a high of 12C (54F for those of you across the pond). Anytime it approaches moderate temperatures and the sun threatens to make an appearance, we hang our washing outside. I know this is very strange to American sensibilities where everyone has their own dryer.* But when you use most of your extra space (which isn't much) hanging your washing indoors, you might be tempted to hang stuff outside in almost any weather.

Which brings me to share with you a cool site. http://www.myrecycledbags.com/ has crochet patterns for bags made out of grocery carrier bags and VHS tape. I was looking for a pattern for a clutch handbag (a topic for another post) and stumbled onto this site. I was especially intrigued by the clothespin/peg bag. http://www.myrecycledbags.com/2007/08/11/crochet-a-recycled-clothes-pin-bag/ I didn't use her pattern for my bag, but it was my inspiration.

I used bags from Sainsbury's(http://www.sainsburys.co.uk)%20which/ which are a cool colour and are already made of 33% recycled materials.

*Tyndale House, where we live, has one dryer to be shared by all the family residences (>6 families). It costs one pound for each load and there is usually a queue. I am by no means complaining about this. It helps us to use it wisely.

Until the revealing of the children of God

2008-02-06T21:18:00.000Z

Our church http://www.stmarksnewnham.org/ is participating in the Carbon Fast for Lent. It is an event promoted by Tear Fund, a Christian organization that (among other things) helps the first hand sufferers of climate change. It involves doing something each day of Lent to reduce our carbon footprints. You can find out more at http://www.tearfund.org/carbonfast. Even for folks who doubt the effects of climate change, many of these activities will save money that could then be passed on to a missionary or a charity.

Romans 8
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.

We look for the resurrection of the dead

2008-02-02T20:55:00.000Z

Today was Dan Hardy's memorial service.

Dan was Jason's supervisor for his Ph.D.

Dan was also so much more.

Dan was pastor, priest, and friend. Dan was humble without being self-depricating. Dan had high standards without being judgemental. Dan was gentle yet strong. Dan was learned and wise yet never finished his Ph.D. Dan brought theology to people's real lives and the real life of the church without dumbing it down. Dan saw every person as made in the image of the living God which made every person who he met feel special.

Dan and his wife Perrin were a third set of parents to us (and grandparents to Alex).

So, of course, we were to go to the memorial service as a family.

This afternoon, Alex asked me why there was a service for Dan. I told her that we were remembering and celebrating Dan's life by worshiping God. She then asked, "Has Dan come back to life again?"

This question blew me away with delight. In her heart, she was ready for the resurrection. It didn't seem improbable to her that Dan might walk right in to the service while we were praising God for his life.

I explained that at the last day, Jesus will come back and Dan will come back to life then. As I said this I felt a bit jealous of Alex's faith in the resurrection. I wish my faith wasn't jaded by adult sensibility.

I've heard it said that Martin Luther believed that baptism at any age is a believer's baptism. He felt, though unable to express it in words, an infant has more capacity for faith than an adult. After Alex's expression of faith in the resurrection, I became even more convinced that her participation in the two major sacraments of baptism and eucharist were right and proper. And I am cheered by the fact that her church family treats children as full members of the body of Christ.

At Dan's memorial service I looked out on the sea of dog collars and was proud to be sitting next to a sweet girl ordained into the priesthood of all believers who God has used to silence my disbelief.

From the lips of children and infants you have ordained
praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
Psalm 8:2

The Blessed Curse Revisited

2007-07-01T20:20:00.000Z

***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/.

Fields of Gold

2007-05-16T10:42:00.000Z

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

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

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

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.

The photos are from the following sites:
http://www.pauls-room.com/photos/index.htm

http://www.ukexpert.co.uk/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=12015

(I haven't been able to take a satisfactory photo of the fields myself)

The Blessed Curse

2007-03-23T21:58:00.000Z

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.

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"~

Saved from the Bin---Noble Steeds for Virtuous Princesses

2007-01-26T19:26:00.000Z

I know two little girls who got ponies for Christmas!

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!

Bible Friends

2007-01-04T21:12:00.000Z

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.

Do not destroy the earth when you celebrate my birth.

2006-12-09T09:36:00.000Z

As you can imagine from my long absence from blogging, I have a job. It often leaves me tired at the end of the day. The couple of times I have sat down to blog I have had blogger's block. It's not that I didn't have any ideas. It's just that I couldn't put it together in a manner that was half intelligible. More about that later.

Now some recycled, recycling tips for Christmas. This first appeared as an article in our church newsletter when we were at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in St. Joseph, Michigan.

In Advent and Christmas we remember God coming into our world as a human baby, and we eagerly prepare for Jesus? victorious return. These are truly good reasons for much joy and celebration.
Unfortunately the manner in which we celebrate creates a lot of garbage. Did you know that during each week of the holiday season we add one million extra tons of waste to our landfills? I would like to offer some suggestions of ways we can creatively reduce our holiday waste. This list is by no means exhaustive. If you have other ideas, I would love to hear about them.

Before Christmas
Use sturdy gift bags.
Shirt boxes with pre-printed holiday designs can be secured with curling ribbon, rather than using wrapping paper.
Cookie tins work well for small gifts (not just edibles).
Fabric with Christmas designs can be used to wrap gifts, and then re-used.
*Cut edges with pinking shears to prevent fraying
*Can be used to wrap boxes just like wrapping paper
*Can be used to wrap irregularly shaped items by putting item in the center of the
fabric, gathering the ends of the fabric at the top, and securing with a ribbon
*Can be sewn into drawstring gift bags
Use shredded or balled up newspaper instead of Styrofoam peanuts to pad items to be shipped by mail
Give gifts that require minimal wrapping, for example:
*Tickets to a play or concert
*Gift certificates to a favorite restaurant
*Coupons for babysitting
*Donation to a missionary or a charity
*A gift of time, for example a child can give an afternoon to a grandparent.
After Christmas
Save all usable gift bags, boxes, and tins to reuse next year
Used wrapping paper
*Can be put through a paper shredder and used as padding for gift bags next year
*Can be recycled into hand-made paper (www.arnoldgrummer.com)
Christmas Cards
*The fronts can be used as thank you postcards or saved for next year and used as
Christmas postcards
*Can be attached to paper shopping bags or shirt boxes, over the store?s name and
be used for next year?s gift-wrapping
*Images and words from the cards can be cut out and used in scrapbooks
Save postage stamps from cards and letters you receive. Some charities sell donated stamps to collectors overseas to raise money
Toss anything that cannot be reused into your recycling bin (as allowed by your recycling service of course). Don?t forget metal, glass, and plastic containers from the ingredients of your holiday feast!

Back when we were in the US, and I had much more storage space, I did all of the above mentioned activities. It was sort of devotional for me. I find that when my hands are busy, my mind is more alert to the things of God. I would often reflect on the theme (of my life, of this blog) that to God nothing/no one is disposable. It also served as a time to recommit myself to resisting worshiping the altar of consumerism.

Obviously, now that we are in the UK I don't have the space to keep all that stuff. I did, however, keep much of the paper that our things were packed in when they came across the pond. I have templates of Christmas shapes, so I used these as stencils to add designs to these sheets of paper. For wrapping smaller gifts, newspaper or printer paper can be transformed in a similar manner. Christmas rubber or foam stamps could also be used.

The result is fun and funky wrappings that don't cost the earth!

Happy Christmas!

Saved from the Bin--Would you give your child a stone, if she asked for a dolly bed?

2006-10-22T09:39:00.000Z

"Mommy, Laura and Bitty need a bed." Laura and Bitty are Alex's dollies. We all want to give our children everything they want within reason. When we look to God as our model for parenting and all the good gifts he gives, we clearly see that he lavishly, abundantly, unselfishly, extravagantly showers us with wonderful things.

But giving abundantly is a challenge when you're wondering if you have enough money to buy the groceries for the rest of the week. It requires eyes to see what is possible. Remember the story Stone Soup? The meanest ingredients when put together make something sustaining, nourishing, life giving.

Papier mache anyone? Okay, here I go again with the cardboard and the newspaper. But, you have to admit they are versatile. Also, flowers cut out from a Laura Ashley shopping bag to add to the Shabby Chic look. Papier mache is imperfect by nature. No matter how smoothly you attach the layers of newspaper and no matter how well you sand it down, the surface will always turn out somewhat uneven. The distressed paint job covers a multitude of sins.

I have not yet glued all the pieces together. For storage sake, I plan to do that closer to Christmas. In the photo I have placed the pieces as they will be when it is glued.

As soon as I started cutting the pieces out of cardboard, Alex guessed that I was making a bed. It shocked me that she figured it out so early. "Daddy, Mommy is making a bed for Auntie Lexi's baby," was her next statement. Jason and I had a good laugh, and we didn't correct her. We had just found out a couple days earlier that our good friend, and Alex's name sake, Lexi, was in the family way. It was so interesting to see Alex's mind make all the spatial relationships. In her mind, she saw the cardboard pieces come together to make the bed. In her mind, she saw the size of the bed and knew it was for a baby. In her mind, she saw Lexi with a tummy full of baby. I am in awe of that brilliant little mind and its perfectly logical thought process.

All this made it easier for me to work on the bed. And it has made me think that perhaps as I look at things and see them as they are not yet, she is watching me, and gaining that skill as well.

I put the stone in the pot, add some water. It needs something more. How about the bones from yesterday's roast chicken. Perfect. It simmers on the hob (cook top) overnight on the lowest setting. (Don't worry we have an electric hob.) In the morning, the flat is filled with the aroma of the stock. I strain out the bones. (The stone stays in.) There are some tiny cloves of garlic in the larder. A trip to the fridge reveals a small amount of freezer burned peas, half an onion, a couple carrots and one or two leftover roast potatoes. Lovely. It's ten to six and Daddy will be home soon. What's this? A handful of pasta. Brilliant. I do believe this is the Sweet Girl's favorite meal based on how quickly she clears her bowl.

I would give my child a stone. I'd love to see what she can do with it.

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness Post Script & A Couple Prayer Requests

2006-10-12T15:37:00.000Z

In part of my grieving process I have looked over the card the LCHC pharmacy staff gave me before my return to the UK many times. Jose advised, "Don't make the pharmacist mad," in reference to me seeking a job as a technician in the UK. Also, my good friend, Caryn, sent me a sweet note of comfort. This made me wish I had brought my "Old Letters" box.

Some Christmases ago, my sister Rebecca (aka the divine Ms. Sometimes) made me a box to keep special letters and cards. She painted a wooden box and decoupaged a variety of stamps from around the world on it. Inside the cover was this poem:

Old Letters

I keep your letters for a rainy day;
Then take them out and read them all again.
So, reading, I forget that skies are grey,
And pathways sodden under falling rain.

They are so full of simple friendliness?
Of understanding of the things I love.
No phrase obscure or vague, to make me guess,
No deep philosophy my soul to move.

And though your eyes are ?lifted to the hills?
You still keep faith with earth, and earthly things;
Prosaic duty all your hour fills
The while you listen for the beat of wings.

You have read deeply in the book of life,
And you have added lines that I shall keep
To be a shield against the petty strife
Until such time as I shall fall asleep.

So when I would forget that skies are grey
I read your letters on a rainy day.

-Adele Jordan Tarr

Wishing I had that box with me reminded me of the "next to cleanliness box" from my 6 October post. The laundry detergent box or an old cigar box or some other box that has been saved from the bin would make a great "Old Letters" box for someone you love.

Also, a few prayer requests:

I am still jobless. I did not get the job for which I interviewed. However, it sounds like they have another job for me. It's all a long story. Too annoying/stressful to repeat here. I have a meeting at the hospital on Monday to iron out the details. Please pray that everything gets worked out successfully.
Sara, the pharmacy director at Lawndale, needs to start interviewing pharmacy technicians. If you've ever had to hire anyone, you know that sleeping on a bed of nails sounds like more fun. Plus, she has to find someone while she is still mourning Jose. Please pray that the right person for the job would be found and that God would comfort all the pharmacy staff.
Violence tends to beget violence. Please pray that the violence that killed Jose would stop there. Please also pray for the city of Chicago that it would become a place of peace and healing.

Thank you for your prayers and thank you for reading my blog.

In Memory of Jose--Do not be afraid of those that can kill the body

2006-10-08T06:48:00.000Z

Lawndale Christian Health Center is very close to my heart. In regards to the Pharmacy Department, I feel like a mother hen who has let the brood leave the nest. In reality, I was the one who flew the coop.

I left when Jason was called by St. Paul's Episcopal Church as their Curate (assistant minister). While I have been away, I have gained renewed love and fresh perspective for Lawndale's Pharmacy. I sometimes refer to myself as LCHC Pharmacy's head cheerleader. I have been able to work there as a temp a few times. If God brings us back to Chicago to live, I want to work there again on a permanent basis.

Jose was a pharmacy technician at Lawndale. I only had the opportunity to work with him two weeks this past summer and two weeks the summer before that. But I could tell that he was bright and was thrilled to learn that he was considering becoming a pharmacist. He was a big teddy bear of a guy with a wonderful dimple filled smile.

When I heard that Jose had been gunned down in front of his house. To say that I was shocked, is an understatement. He was such a gentle person and for him to die such a violent death was difficult to register. The night that I had heard, I had difficult sleep. The next morning, I walked around my flat like a zombie. We had plans with friends in the afternoon and evening which helped get me out of my daze.

As I thought about it more and more, I am not sad for Jose. He is in God's hands, which is the safest place in the world. The reality of it is that those who killed Jose do not have the last word on his life, God does. The death and resurrection of Jesus defeated death. And it has no power over the saints of God.

I am however sad for my brood. We have lost a dear, dear brother. And if I feel as sad as I do, I can't even imagine how those who worked with him everyday are feeling. A pharmacy is a small, intimate work space. You develop a rhythm and if someone is missing, you get off beat easily. I want to gather each of them, Sara, Esther, Alissa, Tahonda, Blanca, Luis, Adelaida, and Lyn, into my arms and tell them how much I love them. I want to tell them how proud of them I am. I want to tell them how proud I am of Jose and his work among them.

But I am on the other side of the world from them. Plus, words fail to truly capture how I feel. I long to be with them. I am now sitting in a statistically much safer city than Chicago*, but my heart longs to be in that place where Jose died and to defiantly say to evil, death, and violence, "Ha! You have lost!"

God is ushering in a kingdom.
1.Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3.And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; 4. he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." 5.And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6.Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. 7.Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.
9.Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10.And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. 11.It has the glory of God and a radiance like a very rare jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal.
22. I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23.
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25. Its gates will never be shut by day-- and there will be no night there.
26. People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.
Revelation 21 (selected verses, emphasis mine)

See you there Jose!

*Jason blogged about this recently see http://gowerstreet.blogspot.com/2006/10/violence-and-identity-and-america-e.html

To find out more about Lawndale Christian Health Center visit www.lawndale.org

Saved From the Bin--Cleanliness is next to Godliness

2006-10-06T05:38:00.000Z

Thou Shalt Become Less Dependent on Foreign Oil
One of the best things about living in the UK, and Cambridge specifically, is that one can live without a car. In fact, you can get to most places within Cambridge on a bicycle faster than you can driving. My friend, Luda, has a car and if we both leave to take our kids to school at the same time, Alex and I get there first. If you translate the price of petrol from liters to gallons and pounds to dollars, it ends up being about $7-8 per gallon. Even people who do have cars are much more careful about how they use them. They tend to drive smaller, more fuel efficient cars. They tend to share rides with others. My friend, Kirsten, shares her trip to the grocery store with me.

There are four things, however, that are less than perfect about cycling in Cambridge:

Tourists. There is a steep bridge over the river Cam which has quite a picturesque view. It is also the main through way to the City Center for cyclists. Tourists stand in the middle of the bridge totally oblivious to what is going on around them. And if you are coming down from the highest point of the bridge, it is very difficult to control your speed. You can ring your bell over and over again and they won't move until you are right on top of them.
Mobiles and I-Pods. People who have one of these devises stuck to their ear(s) make for very bad cyclists.
Helmets. In Cambridge, you have some of the most brilliant minds in the whole world going to one of the finest Universities in the world. I find it amazing that many choose not to protect their investment/livelihood with a helmet!

Cleanliness is next to Godliness

The final thing is sweat. It can be the coldest day of the year, but if you are cycling you will still sweat like a pig. Not only is this uncomfortable, it makes for a bit more laundry.

This leads to our "saved from the bin" item for today. I buy my laundry detergent in tablet form and it comes in a nifty little box. I've altered this box as storage for our bicycle tools. (They used to just lay in a heap in front of this icon of Jesus.)

These boxes would also make good storage for crafty bits and bobs, gift boxes, storage for greeting cards, storage for small toys, you name it!

Saved From the Bin--Thou shalt rob thy neighbor's recycling bin

2006-10-02T09:16:00.000Z

papercraft ESSENTIALS recently did an article on using recycled bits in crafting. This, of course, is a issue straight from my heart, and part of the reason I started this blog in the first place. So, I have emailed this most excellent mag and if they print my letter, perhaps many others will read the blog and join us in making all things new!

On that note, I will be doing a series of posts sharing what I have saved from the bin and examples of what I have made with these items.

Thou shalt rob thy neighbor's recycling bin
We don't get the paper. But, we live in a complex of four buildings of flats. So, when I wanted to make this magazine basket, I went dumpster diving. I got some clean newspaper from the recycling bin and a fruit box from the grocery store. I made two baskets out of newspaper. (Making the New Baskets by Jane LaFerla is a great book about basket weaving from alternative materials.) I made one slightly larger than the fruit box and one slightly smaller. I sandwiched the box between the two baskets and glued the rims of the two baskets together with PVA (Elmer's) glue. I personally really like the bare newspaper, but it could also be painted. If you want it to last, it would be best to seal it with varnish or decoupage medium.

How does your garden grow?

2006-09-26T19:31:00.000Z

There is nothing like fresh pesto made in your own kitchen from basil that has just been picked from your own plants! Having given my herbs a loving home with our mates, Hannah and Tim Hupfield, before we went to the US, I needed to start my windowsill garden over again. I was looking at the herb plants in Sainsbury's when I realized, "I have pots. I have dirt. Basil roots in water. I can just buy a package of the cut stuff and get several plants for the price of one."

The only problem with rooting basil in water is that since the cuttings tend to be top heavy, it is tricky to keep the stems in the water. So, as I was filling small jars up with water, I was thinking, "I wish I had some chicken wire or something to get these stems to cooperate."

And then, "Aha!" Oranges, lemons, garlic, and some other fruit and veg often come in a mesh bag. It being my regular practice to evaluate the packaging of almost everything before sending it to its doom in the bin, I keep these mesh bags. They are generally subsequently used as "fibers" in craft projects. Here are a couple examples.

But, in this case, stretched over the mouth of a jar and secured with a rubber band we have a better way of keeping those stems in the water!

...in a foreign land

2006-09-19T21:37:00.000Z

How could we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? Psalm 137:4

Well, it was supposed to go like this:
-we would sell our house in Michigan (by the way does anyone want to buy a house in Michigan? It's four blocks from the lake!)
-we would get student loans and forbearance on the ones we already have. -we would come back to the USA in the summers and I would work as many hours as Wal-mart and Lawndale could give me
-we would use our savings

All of these things would give us three happy years of simple living in the UK. But of course our house in Michigan has not sold and we have run our savings dry paying the mortgage. So we decided to rent the house and that when we returned from the States I would get a job in the UK. Unfortunately, I cannot work as a pharmacist without going to and paying for an additional year of University and doing a year internship. Not really practical in our situation. So I figured that I would get a regular job, at the University library, or a store or something like that.

We went back to America during the middle of June. My schedule was quite full, but we did squeeze in a few visits with family and friends. After the first day I had my pharmacy groove back. It was great! It was especially wonderful working at Lawndale. I worked hard, but I was doing the work that God has called me to do. I even had the stirrings of some vision for exploring the role of pharmacists in promoting public health.

I decided to look for a job via the web in pharmacy. I knew I would have to accept not being a pharmacist. Happily, there was an opening for a pharmacy technician position at our local hospital in Cambridge. So, I applied online. I got an email back that they were very interested in my application, but that they could not hire me as a technician until I became registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. They did have, however another position that did not require registration and perhaps they could phase me into the technician position after I became registered with the Society. The position has a fun title Senior Assistant technician Officer for Quality Assurance. But translated, it essentially means that I will keep the clean rooms where they make IVs and chemo clean and deliver IVs and chemo to the proper wards of the hospital. So, I had an interview date (yesterday) and I decided to start the process of being registered with the Society.

Unfortunately, I don't even qualify to be registered as a pharmacy technician by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Well, I do in every way except one.
"In order to apply for registration, work experience must have been undertaken in the United Kingdom under the supervision, direction or guidance of a pharmacist for a period of either
-Not less than 14 hours per week for four out of the last eight years; or
-Not less than 28 hours per week for two out of the last four years"

It is very frustrating, and I know that in the USA foreign pharmacists also have a difficult time getting licensed. Of course our governments make it difficult in order to protect the patient, and I would never suggest putting the patient at risk. But at the same time, being a pharmacist is such a part of who I am that when Jason and I have discussed living in the UK permanently, this is the deal breaker. (Well, that and the mountain of debt we have in US dollars!) How can I feel truly at home in a place where I cannot do what God has called me to do?

The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself. Leviticus 19:33

I was reflecting on all this, Sunday morning as I cycled to church. It was my first Sunday back at St. Mark's since returning from the States, and I was feeling joyful. I realized that the reason I was feeling joyful was that St. Mark's is a place where I truly feel at home. It is a place where I can be myself. It is a place where I, as an alien, am treated as a citizen. And I wasn't disappointed. We were welcomed home with open arms.

Perhaps, for a little while at least, I can sing the Lord's songs in this foreign land.

Serendipity

2006-09-16T16:31:00.000Z

I saw this technique in one of my favorite craft magazines, "papercraft ESSENTIALS". Basicly, you rip up pieces of paper and glue the pieces randomly and ---- Serendipity! The technique is described in full at www.createforless.com/advice/tech_serendipity_paper.asp

I was trying to think of something unique to give as gifts to some family members back in the US and frames using this technique for these pictures of the sweetest girl in the world seemed well--Serendipity!

I rescued the following items from the bin:
-paper (from the recycling bin at the library)
-cereal boxes and the like (4 thicknesses of cardboard for each part of frame, 1 thickness for "embellishments")
-bottle caps

I also used:
-decoupage finish (as glue and sealer)
-transparency film (for the "glass")

I used digi-scrap kits from the following sites to print out coordinating embellishments and papers to tear up.
www.citrusblossoms.com
www.shabbyprincess.com
www.scrapgirls.com

2006-08-24T16:00:00.000Z

Welcome to my new blog!
God is constantly at work renewing the world. He looks at our broken lives and doesn't toss us away with the rubbish. He is always looking for creative ways to transform our dry bones into flesh and blood. In response to God's creative, transforming love, I want to see things the way he sees them. I want to look at things that I would normally discard in the bin and see their potential as things of beauty! When I use my creative energy this way, I am worshiping the Creator. This not only true of actual rubbish; it is also true of broken relationships, broken emotions, and broken communities.
My plan is to post various things related to recycling, crafting, simple living, coping with major depression, random wackiness and the theology thereof.
Come and worship the Creator with me!