What? Monday again already???? (scroll down for the "Monday Madness" quiz)

Week-ends really do fly by on wings of mercury!

It was a pretty good one in the Swanson household, except for the cold temperatures outdoors. Friday night I went to a high school basketball game with my husband, my daughter, and Ray. My musing after watching a high school dance team there: do today's dads really NOT have a problem with their daughters bumping-and-grinding in revealing clothes for everyone to whoop and whistle at? My dad wouldn't have let me out the door, much less on the gym floor. Oh well, I guess this is a different era.

Saturday night, it was dinner at Chili's, where I got my regular fix of chips and salsa. I could just about drink that salsa.

Church on Sunday, and I made beef stew. It necessitated getting up even earlier that usual in the morning to chop veggies, brown stew meat and throw everything in the crockpot, plus make a pan of cornbread. But it was sure worth it when we came home to the fragrant aroma and didn't have to wait for lunch. Get the bowls out, warm the cornbread up in the microwave, put ice in the glasses, and lunch is ON.

Here's how I make my beef stew, if you're interested (it's definitely not rocket science!) :)

BEEF STEW

1 package of stew meat pieces
Seven or eight potatoes, peeled and cut up in chunky pieces
1 package baby carrots (cut each carrot in half if you wish)
1 can mixed vegetables
1 can green beans
1 large can tomato sauce
1 and a half packets beef stew mix

Brown the stew meat in a little oil. (My mom advocates dipping the pieces in salt-n-peppered flour first, but I don't always take the time to do that.) While browning, chop up veggies and put them in the crock pot. Add tomato sauce (you can add a can of diced tomatoes if you like--my family just doesn't like to SEE tomato pieces in anything. Weird, I know.) Add canned veggies, INCLUDING the juice. (This might also be a good time to get rid of left-over veggies that may be in the fridge and are still good.) Pepper the meat and add some seasoned salt if you like, then dump in the crockpot with everything else. Add beef stew mix ( I find using half of a second envelope intensifies the flavor a bit, but that's optional.)

When making this in the crock-pot, you probably won't need to add extra liquid...but if you're making it in a big pot, you'll probably need to add at least a cup of water, maybe more. Play it by ear.

If using a crock-pot, cook on HIGH for four or five hours.

Yum. There is some left over, and you can bet that's what I'll be having for lunch today!


Another review of "The Passion of the Christ"

Kevin Young reviews The Passion of the Christ in his blog today. Like every review from a believer I've read or heard, it's overwhelmingly positive...but he does caution that "graphic" is an understatement:

"There were times when the violence was so intense that I had to turn my head away... There were times when the sounds of His beatings were so realistic that I wished I were brave enough to cover my ears...

"Mostly though, the pain from my own guilt and shame pierced deeper than any brutal image the movie offered."

Obviously, this is not the kind of movie that one "enjoys." Rather, from all accounts I've heard so far, it is one to experience and ponder. Many use the word "life-changing."


OK, I admit it...

I'm a sucker for these blog quizzes! I've jumped on board with the Friday Five and even the Tuesday Three...now, on Beverly's blog (which I really enjoy, by the way!) I find Monday Madness, which I hereby reply to:

1. The one kitchen appliance I just could not live without is: it would be my dishwasher if I had one, BUT I DON'T!!!!! :( So I will have to say, my microwave. I do use it constantly.

2. My desk always looks like: a federal disaster area. Except when I get an industrious/guilty streak and put it in perfect order...and it lasts a couple of weeks before slowly deteriorating again.

3. The clocks in my house are: some are right on time; one is about five minutes fast, and my radio alarm clock is fifteen minutes fast. Don't ask.

4. The one television program I just can't stand is: Bev said "Fear Factor," and I AGREE!!!! If I had HBO, I'm sure there would be other replies. But I see no redeeming value in people eating the live insects or animal's rectums. Eeewww.

5. The one television program I try to never miss is: Actually, there is not one that I try never to miss, although I like several.

6. When it comes to housework, I really hate: Bev said "cleaning the oven," and I'd have to agree. Cleaning out the refrigerator, especially when I've allowed left-overs to turn into mould-producing experiments, would be a close second.

7. If I could re-design my living room, the first thing I would do: Re-design? I'd have a fireplace. If I were re-modeling, the first thing I would do would be to get new carpet.

8. I wish I had a bigger_______ in my house: The size of everything is OK...I wish I had a dining room and another upstairs bathroom.

9. When someone points a camera at me and says 'Smile!' I usually: Obey, but inwardly grimace, wondering how it's going to turn out, and do I have any lip gloss on?

10. I expect I'll have my income tax done by: My husband will have it done. By midnight on April 15th. :)

My interview with Christian author Nancy Moser

Once again, I've had the pleasure of interviewing one of my favorite authors, Nancy Moser. Nancy is the author of such books as "The Invitation" and "The Temptation," as well as "Time Lottery" and "The Seat Beside Me."

In this interview, Nancy focuses on some of her more recent books, including "The Sister Circle" and "'Round the Corner," which she co-authored with Vonette Bright; and "A Steadfast Surrender" and "The Ultimatum."

Nancy is a charming woman with a great personality and an infectious laugh. Hope you enjoy this transcript.



CINDY: Anyone who listens to this show or knows me at all knows that I love fiction. It's a passion of mine...especially Christian fiction. And I'm so pleased to be able to tell people that Christian fiction is better than ever. Not only is it good quality and great stories and just page-turning things, but it's also something that can help you learn something about your faith and maybe walk a little closer to the Lord, or maybe point out or illuminate a spiritual truth that can be helpful in your walk with the Lord.

All of those things perfectly sum up Nancy Moser, and the books that she writes. In fact, one of the things I love about Nancy's books is that she uses scripture freely in her books, and in most of her books in the back you can find even
a list of the scriptures that she used. All that, and yet still just great stories that keep you turning the pages, and
all of that goes to make Nancy officially one of my favorite authors. All that to say that I'm so pleased and delighted to have Nancy as my guest today. Nancy, thank you so much for joining me.

Nancy: Thanks, Cindy.

CINDY: Nancy, tell us a little about yourself and how you got into this business of writing fiction.

NANCY: I shouldn't be writing fiction (laughs) because I've never taken an English course or a composition course of any kind. My degree is in architecture, so this doesn't make any sense, but God has a sense of humor, or
can use us in spite of our degrees, how's that?

I started writing fiction before I was a Christian. And so I wrote five novels for the secular market, hoping to become famous with them--rich and famous would have been good--and then in 1995 I really had a revelation. A rejection from an agent in New York for one of these five secular novels really hit me hard, and led me to a Chrisitan bookstore where I virtually discovered that there was such a thing as Christian fiction. And this corresponded directly with my own spiritual searching and so, my testimony with my own faith is intertwined with writing my first Christian novel, "The Invitation." And so,I eventually set aside all the secular novels that I had written, and deemed them practice, and
dedicated all my writing to God, and that's where I've been ever since.


CINDY: I think probably the first book of yours that I read was "The Invitation" and it just grabbed me completely, just immediately, and I've been a big fan of yours ever since. But let's talk about "The Sister Circle". I just finished reading "Round the Corner," and I don't know how I missed the first book, which was "Sister Circle," and even though they can stand alone, they're kind of in a bit of a series, aren't they, Nancy?

NANCY: Yes, they are. It starts with "Sister Circle," and then "Round the Corner" is the second one, and then there are two more.

CINDY: These books are being billed as being as being co-authored with Vonette Bright, who is of course of wife of Bill Bright. I was curious, in seeing her name there... how do you co-author a book with somebody, is that hard? and how did it come about that Vonette became involved?

Nancy: Well, they contacted me a few years ago because Dr. Bright had starting writing co-authored books with Ted Decker. And Dr. Bright really realized the power of Christian fiction, like you were talking about earlier, how you can reach a non-believer by giving them a novel and saying, "Here, read this great book" and get the same message, where if you give them a book that says "How to Know God" they may never read it. And so, he realized this, and he was doing this with Ted, and he wanted Vonette to do that. And so, they called me and asked if I'd be interested, and it was interesting because I really had never thought of such a thing. And they wanted me to come down and meet her, and talk and see if we hit it off, and I asked, "Do you want me to bring a resume?" And they go, "Oh no, you don't understand, we've been praying about this. You're it......all you have to do is say yes." And so that was the first time I'd ever had the experience of people praying about me, for me, when I didn't know it
or had not asked for their prayers.
And we really hit it off...she's a lovely, wonderful, gracious lady...and so we brainstormed these ideas. The way we do it, we brainstorm these ideas, and then I start the writing. She's written nonfiction, but writing fiction's totally different.
And so I write the novel, and during the process I will contact her and get her opinion about things. She of course has way more worldly experience than I do, with Campus Crusade and all. And so she's a great help in that.
And then she edits the whole thing, and we go back and forth.
but basically,in the meat of it is mine, and I run with our ideas.


CINDY: That was obvious to me in reading the book. It was totally your style, and so anybody that's a big Nancy Moser fan, you don't have to feel like there's going to be changes in style there. Before we talk a little bit about the whole premise of a "Sister Circle," tell me about what this story is about.

NANCY: OK...Evelyn Peerbaugh is a newly widowed 53 year old woman. And her husband left her no life insurance
and so she's having to figure out how to deal with life and financially, besides being in mourning and such. And so she opens up her Victorian home to boarders as a way to earn money. And so these women come in, all very diverse women, and they bond, and they form this sister circle. Which, you know, women really have a capacity to bond that men don't understand and that men don't want to do (laughs) ...we can bond with the lady in front of us in Wal-Mart while we're waiting to check out. And so, it's about this wonderful bonding that we are capable of doing. And then the second book is just different boarders coming in, a lot of the same ladies are still around, but all four books are just a continuation of this boarding house and the women who come and go.

CINDY: Nancy, I think one of the sad things about our modern age is that we as women don't bond as we should, and we tend to go our own separate ways...there's no longer a sewing circle, or a quilting bee, we don't help each other can, that sort of thing. Do you agree, and do you feel that women really can, if they make an effort to, just reach out and help each other through life?


NANCY: Well, they can, and that's our greatest hope for these books, and our kind of ulterior motive is to
get women to form "sister circles." Maybe they get together, just neighborhood people or people from church--
there's a lot of women from churches that are using these books as a discussion group, or a book club to begin with. There's questions in the back, and on the website, extensive discussion questions. And they go over the life issues, of perfectionism or courage or forgiveness and all those things that the fictional characters deal with. And we're hoping that maybe the books start them out meeting, and maybe they will form a lifelong friendship will take them through all different areas of their life and different stages of their life. And so this truly is our hope, and this is happening right now across the country.

CINDY: I think that's a great idea, and I'm glad it's catching on. Now, I will be honest with you. When I first saw the book I thought, "Hmm...this doesn't look like what I'm used to seeing from Nancy." Because, you know, a lot of your books have had the element of spiritual warfare, or maybe a touch of sci-fi, as in "Time Lottery," which I found fascinating. And I was thinking, "Oh, is this just going to be one of those kind of little cutesy-pie kind of things?" Well, I started reading it, and I was just immediately engrossed in it. I love books in which you like the people so much that you're sorry when the book is over, and you wanted to keep hanging around with them for a while. And that's exactly what you've come up with in The Sister Circle Books; I think it's awesome.

NANCY: Well, thank you, and it's hard for me to let them go too (laughing), and in fact some of the ladies...some of the characters (laughing)--look, I called them ladies---some of the characters I didn't plan to have in the second book or the third book, but they won't go away, and so they just keep putting themselves back into my brain...(laughs) they're very pushy. And so I understand what you're saying from writer's point of view too.

CINDY: I saw that on your website, and I think you even talk about it in the back of your book, like "What do you mean,
don't writers know exactly what's gonna go on in every second of the book?" And obviously, sometimes the book just kind of sweeps the writer along.


NANCY: Well, it depends on what kind of writer you are. Some writers are very outline-oriented writers. Oh! not me. I have just the basic premise, and I just cast it like I'm casting a movie,and then just let the characters take over. And
I'm always surprised.

CINDY: Well, I enjoy it because I think that element of energy just really comes through in your books. Now, these books,the Sister Circle books, are from Tyndale House. You also have some titles in Multnomah Books that are out right now. What's going on with some of the other titles that you have?


NANCY: Well, "A Steadfast Surrender" came out last June, and the sequel to that, "The Ultimatum," comes out March 1st. Those books are about a small town of Steadfast, Kansas. "The Ultimatum" is probably more what you're used to with my writing, the good-versus-evil. It's about a believing wife dealing with a non-believing husband, and of course
the tension that goes on in that kind of situation, and plus more tension, but I'm not going to go into that (laughing) because that would give it away. And I'm also writing the sequel to "Time Lottery."

CINDY: Oh, Time Lottery was an excellent book! I'm fascinated with books about time travel. And I think it's interesting, too, that you originally wrote it before you began writing Christian fiction.

NANCY: It was one of those secular novels that just would not go away over the years. And I changed the whole motivation--obviously, it went through extensive re-writes to become a Christian novel--but it's about a lottery where you don't win money, you win a chance to go back into your own life and change something. This second book will come out in November, and it's just three more winners and their stories of going back into their lives.

CINDY: Well Nancy, I was pleased to notice that you now have your own website up, and it's a great website...tell people about that.

NANCY: Well, you want to go to www.nancymoser.com. It will list all of my books and give you excerpts from my books. And then, I'm also an inspirational speaker. I like to do women's retreats...overnight women's retreats...I've done them in Maine, and Canada and Ohio... If you need a speaker, please go to my website. I'd love to come and speak to you, because I really enjoy those retreats.

I answer the "Friday Five"

I don't know who originated the "Friday Five" ( I first discovered it on Rick's blog), but it's a fun tradition on my favorite day of the week. Here we go:

At this moment, what is your favorite...

1. ...song?--"Word of God Speak," by MercyMe

2. ...food?--Chili's chips and salsa (I literally crave their salsa!)

3. ...tv show?--"Trading Spaces"

4. ...scent?--Clinique's Aromatics Elixir

5. ...quote?--"The darkness of God's providence is starlit with divine intents"--read in Streams in the Desert

Hey...if you're reading this, why not leave your answers in my comments section? C'mon, it'll be fun! :)

January 22nd...a day to mourn

When I was a junior in high school, I was delighted to hear that my older sister was pregnant with her third child. I adored my nieces, Shelly and Stephanie, and was looking forward to another little niece or nephew.

My sister gave birth that January to a beautiful little baby girl, and named her Deborah Leigh. But as perfect as Deborah looked, it quickly became obvious that something was wrong. Deborah's little heart was incomplete, and she died within a week of her birth.

I will never forget the car trip from East Texas to West Texas for the funeral of a baby girl. I will never forget seeing that beautiful little girl in the dainty little dress her father had bought for her to wear home from the hospital. I will never forget hearing my brother-in-law cry in the middle of the night for a daughter that would never grow up, or hearing my sister sob for her baby.

Time does heal, and less than a year after Deborah's death, my sister was blessed with another little girl. My niece Cynthia Anne is grown up now, married and has her own babies.

But every year around this time, my sister experiences a season of sadness as she mourns the baby that never grew up.

We were talking about it just the other day. "It's hard to believe it's been 31 years now," Beverly said softly. "She died on January 22nd, 1973."

"January 22, 1973? Beverly...that's the day the Supreme Court Roe versus Wade decision legalized abortion!"

My sister had never connected the two events. We were both struck with the irony. She still grieves the death of a baby on that day...the day that paved the way for millions of mothers to end the lives of their babies voluntarily.

Ironic, indeed.

Abortion stops a beating heart.

********

Enough about "metrosexuals"?

Could there be a backlash brewing against the "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" trend?

USA Today has an article on the front page of its Life section today, titled "Regular guys cast a jaded eye at 'metrosexual' trend."

Apparently, marketers have been trying to cash in on the "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" mentality, "looking to convince men that they needed to cram their cabinets with as many expensive balms, masks and scrubs as women stockpile."

The story suggests that "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" has lost its novelty, and that the "demise of contrived dandy-ism" is imminent. Comedy Central is even planning a parody titled "Straight Plan for the Gay Man."

Fine with me. Call me old-fashioned, but I like the line between the sexes to be clearly delineated. I'm all for sensitive men who aren't ashamed to cry and take showers...but I'm glad to say that although my husband does both (and even takes more time getting ready than I do, sometimes!) he is 100 per cent HETEROsexual.

Viva la difference.

Why do I have a picture of Russell Crowe here?

Well, because it's my blog, and I felt like it. :)

Spoonerisms never fail to crack me up

This from an article at Netscape.com about the Reverend William Archibald Spooner:

" The good Anglican priest and Oxford University scholar, who was known for being genial, kindly, and hospitable, had quite the reputation for saying almost the right thing, but not quite. He once said to a stranger seated in the wrong place: 'I believe you're occupewing my pie. May I sew you to another sheet?'"

Other mis-speaks by Reverend Spooner that tickle my funny bone:

"The Lord is a shoving leopard."

Raising a toast to Her Royal Highness Queen Victoria: "Three cheers for our queer old dean!"

Exhibiting his patriotism during World War One: "When the boys come back from France, we'll have the hags flung out."

Then there's my own husband, who often used to accidentally say "Pana and Dolly" when referring to our friends, Dana and Polly. :)


I should talk about the President's State of the Union speech...



I should, but it's early in the morning and the speech has already been reacted to, hashed over and dissected to death by a plethora of pols, pundits and opposing candidates.

Besides, I didn't even see/hear the speech last night. I went to a basketball game instead.

If you didn't catch the speech and would like to read it for yourself, click here.

I'm immersed in another great book...

Yep, and I can't wait till I can delve back into "'Round The Corner" by Nancy Moser and Vonnette Bright.

One of the great joys of my job is that I frequently get free books in the mail. (I know--YAY!!!) When I got Francine Rivers' "And the Shofar Blew" from Tyndale House, the package included two other books. One of them was "'Round The Corner."

Quite honestly, I didn't think I'd like it, and I have no idea why, because I'm a huge fan of Nancy Moser. Nothing against Vonnette Bright, but maybe I was thinking a book Nancy co-authored with someone else couldn't be as good.

Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. Apparently, "'Round The Corner" is the second in the Sister Circle series. (That may have been another reason I subconsciously panned it--maybe I thought a book about a "sister circle" would be boring or trite.)

Turns out, this is the kind of book in which you immediately start liking the characters and wanting to spend time with them. You're interested in what happens to them, and you're sorry when the book is over, because you don't want to stop hanging out with them.

My liking for Nancy Moser shows me that I'm attracted to much more than one style of writing. Nancy's can be described as crisp and clean. She moves the story forward in a no-nonsense manner, free of frills and frou-frou. I love her writing, while still loving writers characterized by more poetry and descriptiveness, like Jane Kirkpatrick, B. J. Hoff, or for that matter, the Gothic melodrama of Charlotte Bronte and Emily Bronte.

I don't know what part Vonnette Bright played in the writing of the book, but the style is vintage Moser.

Look for a review of "'Round The Corner" in the reading page of my website in the not-too-distant future. In fact, if you're a bookworm like me and love fiction, you may want to head over to that page now and read some of the reviews I've posted there. Quite frankly, I only post reviews of books I really like. I figure it's my website, so that's my perogative! :)

Metrosexuals?

This from PluggedIn's "Culture Clips":

QUOTE: "No longer is the male universe divided between homosexuals and heterosexuals. Now we have metrosexuals. These are straight men who act like they are gay. Metrosexuals obsess over their appearance. They preen in front of mirrors. They love to shop. They try to emulate the look of the pretty boys in GQ and the Abercrombie & Fitch catalogs—buff bodies and effeminate faces, photographs modeled after gay erotica—all, ironically, to attract girls." —Gene Edward Veith, World Magazine's cultural editor, further refining a term coined by journalist Mark Simpson back in 1994 [World on the Web, 9/20/03]

The Tuesday Three...

Thanks to Rick's blog, I answer the burning questions of the day:

1) what is one WORD you think could be dropped from our vocabulary?--The "F" word. It viscerally assaults my senses whenever I hear it, in real life or on a movie. There are other ways to emphasize your point without being a potty-mouth!

2) what is one COMMERCIAL you never want to see again on television?--OK, maybe I'm a prude, but do we need those Victoria's Secret commercials? They're practically soft-core porn.

3) what is one SONG you wish would vanish from all music collections, never to be played again?--"Imagine," by John Lennon. I think that's an AWFUL song. I wouldn't want to live in the world he describes--a world without religion, without posessions, et cetera--because far from being some sort of Utopia, it would actually be a bleak and dismal Godless wasteland. And I can't help but think that even John Lennon enjoyed the money and possessions he earned...why did he want us to imagine not having any???

Have you ever just...walked out?

I walked out of a nail salon on Saturday...and I don't regret it.

OK, it all started in Boise, when I got my nails done for the wedding. You've got to understand, my fingernails are an ongoing issue with me. For years, I bit them. Just bit them right down to the quick. Then I decided to grow them out for my wedding (yes, 25 years ago), and from there on out, I've had a love-hate relationship with them.

Once I decide to grow them out, I'm fine. If they wander anywhere near my mouth, I make a conscious decision to keep them AWAY, and before you know it, they're growing. I immediately start pampering them. Nightly cuticle-pushing-back while in the tub. Frequent shapings with an emery board, even when there's just a sliver of white to shape. Then the polishings, with things like Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails. Soon I have a lovely set of fingernails.

That's when everything starts to fall apart.

I'll be out somewhere without an emery board in sight, and I'll break a nail. I'm left with all these ragged edges, which I try (futilely, of course) to repair with my teeth. It's all downhill from there, and more often than not, I decide to just bite them all off and start over from (no pun intended) scratch.

When the wedding rolled around, my nails were in a confused state of some long, some short. I longed for graceful and elegant nails, so I did something I've only done once before in my life...got fake nails.

I simply walked into a nail salon in Boise. The salon was clean, shiny,and bright. The Asian girl who did my nails was perky, friendly, professional and confident. I walked out with gorgeous nails! I felt marvelous.

Well, the girl had told me that I needed to get a "fill" in about two weeks. I made an appointment at a nail salon not too far from where I live, sight unseen, but the price was right.

My first misgiving was that the place just didn't seem as clean and shiny as the other one. The carpet was dirty, the towels draped on the pedicure chairs had spots on them...it was just an overall feeling of slight dinginess.

Then, although my appointment was at 3 o'clock, I was still waiting at 3:23. What was this, a doctor's office?

Have you ever been somewhere...a restaurant, a meeting, a professional appointment, whatever....where you just can't imagine staying? where you just get the strong sense that you don't want to be here, and you're going to leave? Well, I was definitely getting that message.

The deciding factor was when I looked up at a sign that said "No checks--cash only." Good excuse...I didn't have cash.

I made my apologies and walked out.

So what about my nails? Well, they're starting to do that weird thing where the nail is growing out and looking a little clunky. I guess I'll just keep them until they start to break off, leaving my own weak and fragile little nails exposed.

Then, of course, I'll start all over again.


Lyric o' The Day

From MercyMe:

Word of God Speak

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say

[Chorus]
Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak

I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice

[Repeat Chorus Twice]

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay

Whatcha gonna name the baby? Aidan, Jaden or Caden?

No, don't get excited...no one in my family is having a baby (that I know of!), and my days of doing that are certainly long gone. But I've always, ever since I can remember, been fascinated with names--their meanings, their origins, just the way they sound.

So I was interested in article on Netscape.com about baby naming trends. According to the article: "For the first time in more than a decade, the year's most popular baby name for boys is not Biblical. Move over Michael and Matthew and make room for Aidan, Jaden, and Caden--the top three boys' names for 2003."

Madison has hung on as the number one name for baby girls. (I actually have an adorable little niece named Madison Marie.) Apparently, it was first used as a girl's name in the 1984 movie "Splash," in which Daryl Hannah played a mermaid. Remember, when she gets her legs and goes walking in Manhattan, she looks up to a Madison Avenue street sign and decides that will be her name?

Being a Celtic-phile...a lover of all things Irish, Scottish, etc...I must say I like the trend toward Celtic names. I just like the way they sound. I'm not sure if the shift away from Biblical names signifies anything...probably, if we wait long enough, the pendulum will swing back.

As far as the naming of my own children goes...well, I've known since I was a little girl that I wanted a "Jonathan" and an "Elizabeth." I always liked the name "Justin" as well. And when I was first expecting Justin, I was visiting my parents in Austin, and frequently saw a "Justin" street. I thought the name looked and sounded cool.

I do like the fact that my kids' names aren't really trendy. I think they'll stand the test of time. "Elizabeth" will sound just as good when my daughter is an old lady as it does now, at 16.

Although, I wish she would use her real name more and shorten it to "Liz" a little less. :)

By the way, if you want to do a little more baby name research, you may want to visit www.babynames.com. And if you have good reason to do so, well, congratulations! :)

BRRRR!!!!

Just got an e-mail from Tina, who lives in Central New York. She tells me that the wind chill there this morning is 101 degrees below zero! That is just CRAZY cold. You'd think that just walking outdoors there would turn you into a block of ice. Stay warm, Tina!

Give me my burger WITH the bun, please...

Wow, the Atkins craze is really making inroads into the fast food industry! AP reports today that Burger King is rolling out its breadless Whoppers this week. It's seen as a nod to the low-carb craze that's sweeping the nation.

Apparently, Hardee's and Carl's Junior have already debuted burgers wrapped in lettuce instead of bread, and TGI Friday's has a bunless cheeseburger. No word yet from McDonald's or Wendy's.

This is going to be great for people who are on the Atkins or similar low-carb diets. Personally, I've tried that type of dieting, and it just doesn't work for me. I rebel against a diet that totally forbids any one kind of food. I have better luck with a Weight Watchers approach to eating...more of a moderation-in-ALL-things idea.

I guess I would rather have my Whopper (or Whopper Junior) with bread at lunchtime, even if it means I have to sacrifice for the rest of the day. Let me enjoy it to the fullest!

That said...I have no problem with "baked" chips, and I would definitely try the low-carb chips that snack giant Frito-Lay is planning to introduce in May. The new Tostitos Edge and Doritos Edge chips are made with soy proteins and have more fiber than the usual variety.

I do know people who have had fantastic results on Atkins-type plans, and I'm truly happy for them. Whatever works for you.

Anyway, I think we all know that the old "eat less, exercise more" adage is the only tried and true method of weight loss. And it requires sacrifice and discipline.

Now if I could only get serious about exercising!

The more I listen to Steven Curtis Chapman's "All About Love"...

...the more I like it.

The CD is associated with a pleasant memory for me, anyway. Last fall, Doug and I invited our friends, Ray and Teri, to accompany us to Family Life's "Rekindling the Romance" event at the Allstate Arena near Chicago. The seminar itself was wonderful, with speakers like Alistair Begg and Joe Stowell, and it culminated in a renewal of marriage vows that was deeply emotional and powerful for my husband and me.

But one of the highlights was the music of Steven Curtis Chapman. After having met and interviewed Steven on three separate occasions, I'm convinced he is the real deal--a man who is sold out to God and using his talents to worship Him and further His kingdom. You couldn't meet a nicer, more down-to-earth, genuine Christian man.

I vividly remember Steven taking the stage at "Rekindling the Romance" with nothing but an acoustic guitar and singing to a hushed audience of married couples about his prayer to the Lord to help him truly love his wife, Mary Beth:

"Out of all the gifts you've given
Besides the very gift of life
There is none as precious to me
As the treasure of my wife
And still all the love in my heart
Is like a raindrop to the sea
When compared to your love for her
And that's why I'm asking please
Will you teach me what she needs
I'm an earnest man when it comes
To learning how to love this woman

How do I love her
How do I let her know she means more than anything to me
How do I love her

Well I know it's gonna take a lifetime
To answer this prayer I pray
But that okay
'Cause I've given you and her my lifetime anyway"

Ray left his seat during an intermission, and returned to hand us a copy of the CD. I've been enjoying it regularly ever since.

"All About Love" is Steven's tribute to marital love, something which is sorely needed in this day and age. He perfectly captures the mixture of wonder, romance, frustration, down times, and joy that are all a part of a committed union.

Chapman tells Jamsline.com: "There are a ton of songs about falling in love and about break-ups, but in my opinion, there aren't enough songs that dive deep into what happens in relationships on a day-to-day basis. That's something that I really felt I wanted to explore with this project."


Looking back, I remember sharing with Steven in Nashville a couple of years ago, how his song "God is God" had ministered to me and encouraged me while dealing with my father's terminal illness. I was amazed and touched to see tears glistening in his eyes as he listened to me.

While I don't give a blanket endorsement to the music of any singer, I have been impressed with the depth and "scriptural-ness" of Steven's lyrics. The songs of his that have blessed and enriched me are many, including "God is God" (click here to read the lyrics).

(Below, a pic of Steven and me in the 101QFL booth at the Gospel Music Association Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, in April 2003.)

Just finished Francine Rivers' "And The Shofar Blew"....

After finally obtaining a copy of this book, I dived into it and came up for air only when necessary. Francine Rivers is one of my very favorite authors, and she's done it again...spun a highly absorbing tale that packs a powerful spiritual punch as well.

Click here to read my review of And the Shofar Blew. Great book!

Speaking of favorite authors...



Recently I was also spellbound by Jeri Massi's "Valkyries" books, and you can hear my radio interview with Jeri by clicking on the link in the sidebar here. If you haven't read "Valkyries," I highly recommend them.

I was pleased to see that Jeri has now linked this site on her blog...and the icon she found to represent me is the cute little bookworm above! I love it! :)

Says Jeri: "As Cindy is quite the read-a-holic but has a lot of energy and charm, I wanted a bookworm with personality." Thanks, Jeri!

I don't know about the energy and charm, but "read-a-holic" is 100 per cent accurate!

That pic of my family needs to be updated...

The family portrait you see in the sidebar was actually taken at Thanksgiving 2002, before Daylyn became a part of our family circle. Unfortunately, I can't update the pic just yet, or add pics from the wedding, because I don't have a digital camera and have to scan pics for my site...and the only scanner I have access to is on the fritz right now. Hopefully, soon. In the meantime, here's a fairly recent pic of Daylyn and Jonathan...



I've been reflecting, gratefully, on the fact that Doug and I are so pleased with Jon's choice. Daylyn loves the Lord; she is sweet, talented, and has a certain calmness and serenity about her that I just really admire (maybe because I am NOT usually calm and serene? :))

For the first time, when we were in Boise for the wedding, we were able to hear Daylyn play the harp. Wow. She is incredibly talented. Her sister Danielle then played the violin while Daylyn accompanied her on the harp, and it was achingly beautiful.

Daylyn's pastor, Arnold Rubey, who officiated at the ceremony, wryly told Jonathan: "You realize that by taking these vows, you are pledging to transport Daylyn's harp for the rest of your life together." That produced some chuckles. :)

I'm a little overwhelmed by my role as a mother-in-law. How do you hit on just the right combination of kindly concern, and minding your own business? It will be an interesting challenge...

Speaking of Daylyn's pastor...

Arnold Rubey, the pastor of Lake Hazel Bible Church in Boise, gave us a copy of his book Fallen Brother in Blue: The Tragic Death of Police Officer Mark Stall. It's a story that hits especially close to home for Rubey, because Boise police officer Mark Stall was his son-in-law. It hits close to home for me in a less forceful but still poignant way, because my younger brother David is a police officer and SWAT team leader.

I read the book aloud to Doug on the car trip home, and had to stop several times as I became too emotional to speak. Besides the fact that Mark Stall was born the same year as my brother, and was in the same high-risk occupation, there is the fact that my son's 23-year-old niece, Jennifer, was killed in a car crash in 1996...so our family is acquainted with the shock of the sudden death of a loved one in the prime of life.

Rubey's book addresses some important issues regarding the public's attitude toward police officers. Yes, there are unfortunately dirty cops and brutal cops...but I believe the vast majority are solid citizens not unlike Stall and my brother, who choose this dangerous profession because they genuinely want to serve and protect their fellow citizens.

I personally give police officers high respect and deep appreciation. They put themselves on the front line of harm's way when they go to work, risking death even when making a routine traffic stop. You see, it was during a routine traffic stop that two brothers emerged from their vehicle to fire semi-automatic weapons at the police officers present, and one of those bullets killed Mark Stall.

"Fallen Brother in Blue" is an absorbing, moving and well-written read, and if you can follow the link above to find a copy online, I highly recommend it.

My interview with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Church

 




I had the privilege to interview Dr. Erwin Lutzer for my weekly radio interview show. Following is an excerpt from that interview.

CINDY: I'm truly honored to have as my guest today a man who is extremely respected in the Christian community. Dr. Erwin Lutzer is a pastor, an author and a radio speaker, who has since 1980 been the senior pastor of the Moody Church in downtown Chicago. Dr. Lutzer is going to be the speaker at the January Life Breakfast, which is coming up January 16th at Cliffbreakers...this is a major prolife event in Northern Illinois.
First of all, Dr. Lutzer, welcome to Weekend Magazine.

DR. LUTZER: Well, I'm so glad to be with you today.

CINDY: Well, I'm delighted to meet you over the phone, because I have admired you for quite some time. Living fairly near Chicago, my husband and my family and I are trying to take more advantage of the fact that we live close to one of the greatest cities in the world. A couple of years ago we were able to attend a Sunday evening service at Moody Church and, it wasn't held in the big sanctuary, but we were able to tour the sanctuary, and it's a wonderful place. I was so, just, overwhelmed by the Moody Church. What is it like to be involved in ministry in that great church, with so much history?

DR. LUTZER: Well, it is a tremendous honor of course, and I've been the pastor since 1980, which means 24 years... and when I became pastor I certainly did not expect to be around that long, because the challenges were quite formidable, but God has been very good to us. It's a great honor, when you think in terms of our past...some people would remember a pastor by the name of Harry Ironside, who was there for nearly 18 years, and Warren Weirsbe and Dr. Sweeting and so forth...and I'm certainly unworthy of it. But after being there 24 years, I would have to say that there's no place in the world really where I would rather preach. I've preached in many different places. but there's something very unique, something special about Moody Church. Its history...founded in 1864 by Dwight L. Moody., the famous evangelist, under whose ministry tens of thousands of people were converted, and I think I'm the 17th pastor. And so, it's been a privilege to be there that long. And what we've tried to do, Cindy, is to reach out and to create bridges to the neighborhood. We don't want to just be known as this big brick church on LaSalle street,. but what we want to do is to be touching lives, and throughout the years I think we've been able to do such things.


CINDY: I recently read an article in a Cedarville alumnae magazine by a girl who is a Cedarville grad, and she and her husband go to the Moody Church. and they help out in the Awana program that reaches out to the Cabrini Green neighborhood...so I was vividly able to see how Moody Church is a living, breathing church that's fulfilling the Great Commission, not just sitting around being a beautiful landmark. Dr Lutzer, how does the life and legacy of D.L. Moody actually impact you in real life? Are you cognizant, are you mindful of that in your ministry?



DR. LUTZER: Well yes, you know, I try to be. I've read a couple of biographies of D. L. Moody, and you know, one of the things about him is he may have had ADD,you know, attention deficit disorder, because he was very flighty, found it very difficult to concentrate on one thing. And I've mentioned that to people that struggle with those kinds of issues, just to show you how mightily God is able to use people despite their struggles. I mean, Moody was great for beginning ministries and then putting others in charge and then running off and doing something else...but in this way, he raised up a lot of laymen. He believed that it was not his responsiblity to lead things, it was the responsibility of others to do it, but he got the work going. And, he was such a fireball of energy , from early morning till late at night, witnessing, preaching...he must have been quite a challenge to be married to...(his wife, Emma)...but, the point is that you see a man who had flaws, he wasn't perfect, but he loved God with a passion, and that passion just spilled over, and just think of the ripples. You have the Moody Bible Institute, and you have Moody Church that he founded, and like a pebble being thrown into the middle of a lake, the ripples have gone all the way to the shore.


CINDY: You're going to be speaking on the prolife issue at the January Life Breakfast. Is this subject near and dear to your heart?

DR. LUTZER: It really is, because you know, the whole prolife issue is part of a larger issue in our culture. It's part of a larger issue regarding belief in God, belief in the Scriptures, and of course as you know we're on a moral and spiritual freefall, and for me to be able to speak at this breakfast is a great honor, to try to help Christians to focus...to realize that we have a battle ahead of us, but it is a winnable battle. Whether it's the battle for the life for the lives of preborn infants and other life issues, the simple fact is that we have a responsibility to preach the gospel and to be salt and light in our culture, and that's what we're going to be talking about.I think that my sermon topic...is going to be "Where do we go from here?" What do we do in light of what's happening in America? What are those great truths that are going to set us on our way, so to speak, as we think about our responsiblity in today's culture.


CINDY: It's interesting, as you make those comments...one of the questions that I put down that I wanted to ask you, because you are a venerated man of God and have been in a position to observe Christianity for the past many years..what concerns you about the state of Christianity today, and then, hand in hand with that, because I don't want to leave it on a negative note perhaps...what encourages you about it?

DR. LUTZER: Those are two very good questions. First of all, what concerns me is that we have to see that our battle in America is primarily a theological one. You know, we can talk about prolife versus other options, but the smple fact is it comes down to theology. Do we believe in God,? Do we believe in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? Do we believe in creation, because if we're the product of evolution, then I suppose we can kill preborn infants, in fact we can even kill deformed infants after they are born,like some people suggest, if all that we are are animals on this continuum.
If, however, we are created in the image of God, that's what really makes human life sacred. So many of these issues are theological issues, andwe live in a time of theological ignorance, most assuredly, and theological diversity, where everybody's making up their own view of God, their own view of theology based on their own hunches, their own desires and their own whims. And so, as a church, we have a huge responsiblity ahead of us to educate our culture and to make sure that we are preaching the gospel. So, what concerns me is our freefall--our moral freefall, yes, but also our theological and doctrinal freefall, because the doctrines that people believe are really just a reflection of the life that they want to live, where that's where we're headed.
What encourages me is that there are many movements in America that do give us hope. There's certainly the prolife movement, but also you have various orgnizations....Promise Keepers, for example, comes to mind...the evangelical church movement...oftentimes the largest churches are those that preach the gospel...You have the gospel preached on radio...sometimes also on television, mixed with a great deal of other kinds of things--TV preachers, there's a lot of heresy out there...but nonetheless, you do have these various movements. You do have a president in the United States who is willing to sign a ban on partial birth abortion...and you do have the possibility, perhaps in our court system, of reversing and bringing some kind of balance to the kind of liberalism that we've seen in the last few years, so there are reasons to hope.

#

Back from the Wild, Wild West!

Yep, I'm back!

Long story short, the wedding was wonderful, beautiful, emotional, amazing! I am now a MOTHER-IN-LAW. Weird, huh? I will say that I couldn't have chosen a more precious and lovely daughter-in-law if it had been up to me!

I will be posting more about the L-O-N-G trip, the beautiful scenery we saw, the wedding, and hopefully some pics. Just wanted to check in.

More later!

YAY! A couple of my favorite blogs are back...

Kevin Young's blog is one of the most thoughtful and insightful ones I've encountered. Kevin is a young man who is a graduate of Cedarville University, of which my son Jonathan is an '02 graduate and where my son Justin is a junior. Kevin is now on staff at Prestonwood Baptist Church in the Dallas area.

Kevin subtitles his blog, "Searching for myself and my God in a world that loves neither." After taking a lengthy break from blogging, he's back with a new focus. He'll include few personal details, choosing to concentrate on his spiritual journey. Says Kevin, "The direction of this site has changed... yet the heartbeat remains the same. It is now solely a reflection of my personal journey with Christ and his church."

He says the Internet is the "final frontier" for ministry, affording us the opportunity to touch lives we never would have been able to before...and he wants every word to count. Cool.

Then there's Secret Radio, a blog that tells a story. I've really become caught up in that ongoing story set in a not-so-fictional Christian college in the 80's. Grace (the blogger) imbues her narrative with dignity, pathos and...well...grace. :)

Grace took a hiatus of several weeks from blogging, but with the start of the new year, she's back on track.

Christmas greetings to all...

It's hard to believe another Christmas Day is just around the corner. Shortly afterwards, my family and I head out west for my son's wedding. Any prayers for traveling mercies will be deeply appreciated!

I will be taking an extended break from blogging as we celebrate the holidays and then the wedding. As my Christmas card to any who visit this blog, here are the lyrics to Chris Rice's beautiful "Welcome to our World," copied from this site. I think this song says it all.

"Welcome to Our World"

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long awaited Holy Stranger
Make yourself at home
Please make yourself at home

Bring your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world--Chris Rice



And by popular demand...

I shared this on the air on 101qfl this morning, and a listener asked me to post it on my site. Actually, I got it from the Grif net, Dr. Bob Griffin's site that e-mails humor and good stuff to me every day. (Check it out for yourself.)

Enjoy and take to heart:

I Corinthians 13 -- Christmas Style

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling
lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just
another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at
mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all
that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me
nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata, but do not
focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and
table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return, but
rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things.

Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost,
golf clubs will rust. But giving the gift of love will endure.

Quoteworthy

"PETA turns so many away from their cause that I'm starting to think that they're funded by the meat packing industry."--John Little, Eye on the Left

Big Ups to "Time" for its choice of Person of the Year...

What could be more appropriate than Time's choice of "The American Soldier" as Person of the Year?

USA Today also writes about the choice today, quoting soldiers who appreciate the honor and say it should be good for morale.

Says Time's article online: "They swept across Iraq and conquered it in 21 days. They stand guard on streets pot-holed with skepticism and rancor. They caught Saddam Hussein. They are the face of America, its might and good will, in a region unused to democracy. The U.S. G.I. is TIME's Person of the Year."

********

Does PETA get through to anyone besides the "(disturbed) faithful"?

I stumbled across this blog called Eye on the Left just as Rockford has become the site of at least a few of the PETA billboards that are aimed-to-shock.

A few listeners have called me, outraged by the billboards, which feature a picture of a pig and the words "He Died for Your Sins"...as well as the admonition to "Go vegetarian." I ran a story about it this past Friday.

Rockford Register Star columnist Judy Emerson makes the billboards the subject of her column today; while she agrees that Christians have the right to be outraged, she seems to take an "ignore PETA and they'll go away" stance. Apparently other communities with the billboards have risen up in arms against PETA, only to give the lunatic-fringe animal-rights group (my words, not hers) the publicity they crave, and victim status to boot.

Says Emerson: "Let PETA practice its silliness while sensible Christians use their energy this holiday season feeding the hungry, tending the sick, spreading good will, praying for peace.

"Don’t we all have bigger fish to fry?"

Eye on the Left--which appears to be well-written, witty and timely-- meantime reports that PETA is up to even weirder silliness this Christmas season. They're handing out leaflets to children at performances of "The Nutcracker," with the message "Your mommy kills animals."

The Eye on the Left writer puts it succinctly:

"Once again the idiots at PETA fail to realize that their extreme message only plays with the (disturbed) faithful. Their tactics fail to convert. In fact, PETA turns so many away from their cause that I'm starting to think that they're funded by the meat packing industry."





Please don't ask me if I have all my Christmas shopping done...

The short answer? NO.

I'm hoping to get the bulk of it finished tonight. Doug and I always set aside one evening to get a large part of it done together, and there simply hasn't been time so far this season. It's been crazy.

Right now, we have a grand total of seven presents under the tree, and most of those are from Justin and Elizabeth to us!


Had our Christmas Cantata last night...

...and I have to say that it was probably my favorite of all those our church choir has done in recent years. The music and the arrangements were really beautiful and fun to sing as well, and the accompanying reader's theater had just the right touch of humor and heart-tugging moments, all centered around a vital message about the meaning of the season. All the actors did a terrific job.

"From Christmas to Calvary" is one of many musical pieces available from Bible Truth Music.

Another busy day today!

(Why is there a picture of Russell Crowe here? Just because I felt like it!)

Another busy day on tap for today. The good news: I got my dress for the wedding. No, it isn't the one I had planned to get (although that one WAS there.) This one I like even better, and it was 30 dollars cheaper! You can hardly beat that.

We still have to get Elizabeth's dress (it's being made), host the extended family Christmas party (although my sister-in-law is being kind enough to let us have it at her house...ours is entirely too small now), and get ready for the Trip to Boise.

So much to do. I feel like Prince Humperdinck in "The Princess Bride": "I've got my country's 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder, and Guilder to frame for it. I'm swamped!"

Life continues its frenetic headlong rush toward Christmas and the wedding...

Today is going to be a busy day. I have to go to Bergner's and see if the dress I want for the wedding is still there, and if it's not, I have to go to the two other Bergner's stores and see if it's there. And if it's not, I have to find another dress that I will like anywhere near as well.

This is the first time I will have been the Mother of the Groom...or actually, the Mother of Anyone Who Is Getting Married. I want to look my best if at all possible, you know what I mean? And this is a really...really pretty dress. Yes, it's going to cost more than I normally spend on a dress, although it IS on sale (I never buy anything not on sale!) and I do have a 30 dollar gift certificate to Bergner's that will alleviate the price somewhat.

Goodness, I do hope that dress is there.

I also have to go to the grocery store and get the ingredients for the thing I'm supposed to bring to my husband's staff Christmas party tonight (a relish tray.) Hopefully I'll find a lot of stuff to fill the relish tray that WON'T require hours of chopping vegetables. Baby carrots, pickles, olives and crackers, here I come!

One thing I DID manage to get done, that is something of a minor miracle, is get my Christmas cards mailed. I was quite pleased with the way our family picture turned out. No, it's not from a major portrait studio or anything like that. Basically, a friend took them. But I thought they turned out nice, and the price was right. If I can ever get access to a scanner again, I'll post one here. The one on my sidebar is from a year ago, before Daylyn really figured into our family. I was happy that we could all manage to pose together at some point before Christmas.

Wow, are stamps expensive now, or what?

I love GETTING Christmas cards. How nice, to have a time of year where you get more than bills and advertising in your mailbox.

Michael Jackson turns to Islam

No, I won't post a pic of him. We've all seen that sad mug shot of his enough...the pasty white make-up,half- confused deer-in-the-headlights expression (albeit a deer wearing black eyeliner and lipstick.) It's sad, and appalling...when did that adorable little boy, then goodlooking young man, turn into this oddity?

Now, the latest news...that Jacko is converting to Islam. I seem to remember that he and his family have pretty much been devout Jehovah's Witnesses heretofore, so Michael now trades one distortion of God's truth for another.

I don't despise Michael Jackson, and I won't go out on a limb and trumpet his guilt...although...honestly...it doesn't look good, in my humble opinion. I do think he's a prime example of a man whose fame, fortune and talents have failed to bring him real joy and peace.

There's only one Person who can give him that.

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch!

My very favorite version of this song is the one by Sixpence None the Richer, which we play here on 101QFL. Leigh Nash's oddly lovely and lilting voice, and almost childlike quality in the speaking parts, really lends itself perfectly to this whimsical tune.

Apparently this reviewer of the 1999 Christmas compilation album, Happy Christmas Volume Two, agrees with me: "If you buy the CD for only one song, it would have to be Sixpence None the Richer's 'You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch.' Their oddball rendition is just too much fun..."

By the way, I've never seen the live-action "Grinch" movie, and I don't plan on seeing the current live-action "Cat in the Hat" movie...despite the fact that I've always liked Dr. Seuss. One reviewer said the "Cat in the Hat" movie just isn't "Seuss-y" enough. I'm pretty sure I know what they mean.


Come on,Chicago, give Rockford a break!



Apparently, some Chicago columnists have recently been rippin' on the city I've lived in for the past 23 years and that I now regard as my hometown...Rockford, Illinois.

Elizabeth Davies has an interesting article in today's Rockford Register Star, titled "Smells like snobbery--Chicago, stop rippin' on Rockford!"

Particularly stinging is this quote from Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg: "Rockford is an argument against the idea of human grace... Ten miles of Wal-Mart, Jiffy Lube and Olive Garden leading to a bleak downtown where the pedestrians all seem to be killing time, waiting for the shelters to open. 'Let the insects win,' I think darkly."

Ouch!

Davies disagrees with Steinberg's assessment of the Forest City, saying that she is a Chicago girl who chooses to live here...and that she appreciates the affordable housing and the fact that she can get anywhere in town inside of 20 minutes, among other things.

To be honest, I wasn't crazy about Rockford when I first moved here. I had lived in fairly large cities for a good portion of my young life, and in a fairly bustling college town for another portion of it, and Rockford seemed a bit dull to me at first.

Through the years, I have come to appreciate it. This is a great town in which to live and raise children. Sure, it has its faults, problems and ugliness just like any other city in America. But it also has a great deal of beauty...it's not called the Forest City for nothing; there are trees and beautiful parks galore.

I love the Swedish and Italian influences on everything from architecture to food...I challenge anyone to come up with better pizza than Giuseppi's or better Italian food than Maria's, Lino's, Pino's and a host of other local restaurants too numerous to mention.

Some of the loveliest old, dignified, beautiful homes grace tree-lined boulevards here. The Fourth of July celebration, with its dazzling fireworks show, is one of the best around. And who can not like a city that boasts the scenic Sinnissippi bike path and the gorgeously ornate and historic Coronado Theater?

Chicago is an amazing, incredible city, and I love that I live so close to one of the greatest cities in the world. But I agree with Elizabeth Davies. Chicago...lay off my hometown!

Feliz Navidad!

All I can say is, I hope Jose Feliciano is getting royalties on that song. I've heard it repeatedly in just about all radio genres so far this season.

I got curious about what Jose is up to...after all, "Feliz Navidad" first came out in the early 70's, I believe...and found that he's still going strong, and has his own official website. According to his site, Feliciano "has been acclaimed by critics around the world as the greatest living guitarist."

Confession: I always liked his version of "Light My Fire" better than Jim Morrison's. :)

A Soldier's "Night Before Christmas"



You may have seen this version of "The Night Before Christmas" before, but I think it's worth reading again, as many of our American troops remain in harm's way during this Christmas season. As the sister of a Gulf War veteran Marine, I have a soft spot in my heart for American servicemen and women.

The author of the poem is unknown, but some say it was written by a U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa. Some Internet sites don't include the last eight lines, but I think they're great.

Here's the poem:
'Twas The Night Before Christmas'
A Soldier, The Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone
In a one room house made of plaster and stone.

I had come down the chimney with presents to give,
And to see just who in this home did live.

I looked all about, a strange sight did I see,
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.

No stocking by the mantle, just boots filled with sand,
on the wall hung pictures of a far distant land.

With medals and badges, awards of all kind,
a sober thought came through into my mind.

For this house was different, it was dark and dreary,
I found the house of a soldier, once I could see clearly.

The soldier lay sleeping, silent, alone,
curled upon the floor in this one room home.

The face was so gentle, the room in such disorder,
Not how I pictured a United States soldier.

Was this the hero of whom I just read?
Curled up on a poncho, the floor for a bed?

I realized the families I saw on this night,
owed their lives to these soldiers, who were willing to fight.

Soon round the world the children would play,
And grownups would celebrate a bright Christmas day.

They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year,
Because of the soldiers, like the one lying here.

I couldn't help wonder how many lay lone,
on a cold Christmas Eve, in a land far from home.

The very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and started to cry.

The soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice,
"Santa, don't cry, this life is my choice;

I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more,
My life is my God, my country, my Corps."

The soldier rolled over and drifted to sleep,
I couldn't control it, I started to weep.

I kept watch for hours, so silent and still
And we both shivered from the cold night's chill.

I didn't want to leave on that cold, dark night
This Guardian of Honor so willing to fight.

The soldier rolled over, with a voice soft and pure,
whispered, "Carry on, Santa, It's Christmas, All is secure."

I looked at that soldier, on that cold Christmas night.
I thought of his comrades, and knew he was right.

This great world is freer, for they're willing to fight
For Freedom and Christmas, and all that is right.

So to all you, my friends, U.S. troops in all lands,
Know that you are remembered by family and friends,

For this one special night, may you rest without fight,
Merry Christmas, my friend, and to all a good night!

More about Nicholas Jonas

I mentioned this remarkable 11-year-old singer/actor in my blog recently, and got a nice e-mail from his dad, Kevin Jonas, who told me: "Nicholas truly does have a deep love for Jesus."

Nicholas' song "Joy to the World/A Christmas Prayer" is filling radio airwaves this Christmas season.

I've added more info about Nicholas on my website for those of you who are interested.

A positive story about a child, in a world where there are so many sad or negative ones. Good stuff.

Quoteworthy

“We can’t change the channel, because this isn’t just a television invention. This is our culture. This free-for-all, libertine, conscienceless maypole dance is what we’ve created from once-strong roots of Puritan rectitude. A nation once lampooned for its innocence now wallows in smut of every kind. Were it not for the new counterculture—the millions of families attempting to raise moral and idealistic kids despite the deluge of decadence—I’d be in doubt about our future.” —syndicated columnist and political analyst Mona Charen

Saddam caught like the rat he is...

I was getting ready for church Sunday morning, a Christmas CD providing background music, when my husband came up the stairs fresh from his shower with the words: "Have you heard the news? They captured Saddam Hussein!"

I responded with a classic jaw-dropping. Just total, stunned surprise. Next, I turned on the TV and found Fox News right away. We watched, in amazement, the first raw videotape of a doctor poking and prodding around in the mouth,ears and hair of the man responsible for so much death and destruction.

He looked wild-eyed, wild-haired, disheveled and dirty...a pathetic mess. I can't imagine a much more degrading image for someone who once strutted his pride, tyranny, defiance and cruelty on the world scene.

We must now wait and see just how much of an effect Saddam's capture will have on the war on terror. But I'm sure I'm not alone in taking immense satisfaction in knowing that one of history's most heinous villains is now under lock and key.

********
'Tis the season of the inflatable snowman???



I'm not imagining it...inflatable Christmas decorations appear to be the hottest holiday decorating trend this year. Just drive down any street in your neighborhood and you're likely to see more than one blown-up snowman, Santa or teddy bear grinning at you.

A Google search quickly turned up this article by Jura Koncius, which says: "Forget icicle lights, pre-lit wire deer and illuminated spiral trees. The outdoor decoration that is blowing away the competition this year is the giant holiday inflatable."

Apparently a lot of retailers are saying they can barely keep the inflatables in stock...and Target Stores spokewoman Paula Thornton-Greer is quoted as saying, "Inflatables are one way that people can instantly make any yard look professionally decorated without breaking the bank."

They really are kinda cute. The inflatables are powered by small plug-in fan motors, and held down by tethers and spikes. However, from what I've seen, they're not immune to toppling over. I've got to admit I have to grin when I see a jolly Frosty, face down in the snow. :)

Now you can listen to my interview with Jeri Massi!

Jeri has converted my radio interview with her, about her outstanding "Valkyries" novels, to an MP3 file. (It's 16 minutes long and is about 15 MB.) You can click here to listen to the interview. If that's not possible for you, you can click on the links on my sidebar to read excerpts from the interview.

You can also read my review of Valkyries if you like.

Folks, I'm the kind of person who won't waste time reading a book that doesn't interest me, and I literally couldn't put "Valkyries" down. The books (there are two of them) are riveting.

Hope you'll be able to listen to the interview.

By the way, Jeri got some good news about "Valkyries" recently. This from a bulk e-mail she sent:

"I received a letter from my publisher yesterday telling me that VALKYRIES: Some Through the Fire (Volume One of the two volume set) has been submitted as a nominee for the Christy Awards. If you're not into Christian religious fiction, the Christy Awards are our annual book awards for books published in the previous year in the USA. Finalists are announced in May, and the winners are announced at the end of June."

Great job, Jeri!

Some interesting comments on this phenomena we call "blogging"

Clarence left some comments here about what I understand is called "genetic memory"...the only way I can explain the strong pull I experience to all things Celtic. Clarence agreed with me, saying he experiences similar feelings when hearing music related to his own ancestry.

His comments led me to check out his blog, "Can You Hear Me Now?" He has some great thoughts about this blogging phenomena. Why do we do it?

Well, personally, I enjoy it because it's a quick and easy way to get my creativity on...an efficient and enjoyable way to write something and share something that might reach a few people or even touch a few hearts.

Says Clarence: "I read one comment where the author described some Blogs are containing 'daily life GARBAGE.'

"I've got some real news for that person. The details of someone's daily life is NOT garbage. Why do you suppose there is so much interest in the details of daily life for someone living in Iraq? John Q. Citizen, who lives where the conflict is on-going and conveys what they see and hear with their own eyes in the best language they possess is REAL NEWS. They aren't freelance reporters out for some sensational story line. They have no hidden agenda or code to adhere to. They write about what is reality to them, the way they see it."

I agree. I find the daily life musings of people quite fascinating. Maybe it's because, for the most part, I love people and want to hear their story. :)

A beautiful Christmas book with a vital message...

I just interviewed Grace Johnson, an author and playwright who happens to live right here in my hometown.

Grace has come out with a wonderful book called "The Candle in the Window." It's based on a short story by Leo Tolstoy, "Where Love Is, There God is Also"...and the simple theme of the book, as it was in the story, is Christ's teaching that "whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me."

The book is richly, gorgeously illustrated by Newbery Honor Award-winning illustrator Mark Elliott.

Grace tells me: "Having read the story and seen how many friends...teacher friends that I knew...that liked to read that every year to their children, I never saw it illustrated in any way...I wanted to write something that was done in a certain kind of lighthearted way that would be a happy book to read at Christmas
and yet would hit the sadness that I think so many people feel (during the Christmas season.) Because, you're supposed to be so happy, you're supposed to be so jolly, and that is the time that so many people are more aware than others of what they've lost: a family member's death, or a husband leaving them, or whatever it is. I just think we would be amazed at looking at a whole throng of people, how many of them have sadness, and I like to address that."

Grace also wanted to get the "least of these" message across to readers: "I find myself thinking, 'What am I doing that's directly for Christ?' I don't think sending money off to missionaries that I hardly know or care about, or another gift for Aunt Susie who doesn't need a thing...but I'm always reminded of my son who as an adult worked for a time in a facility that was for very severely developmentally challenged adults. These adults wore diapers, and it was my son's job to change them...and he said the only way he could get through it was reminding himself that he was doing it for Christ."

The story closes with a lovely ancient candle prayer, which Grace found years ago:

"Lord Jesus, thou whose birth we celebrate, we have lit our candle in the presence of each other and the holy angels. Kindle in our hearts thy flame of love, that day shall break and shadows flee away. Amen."

The main character, Gunther, discovers that he has shown kindness and compassion "to the least of these," and thus to Christ...and has been visited by angels:

"Slowly he shook his head in wonder. 'We have lit our candle, Lord Jesus, and you came!'

"He knelt beside the window. 'Kindle in my heart thy flame of love, that day shall break and shadows flee away,' he murmured softly.

"And Gunther looked into his heart and knew that it was so."

As I said, a beautiful book with a meaningful message.

"The Candle in the Window" is written by Grace Johnson and illustrated by Mark Elliott. It's available through www.bakerbooks.com and www.amazon.com, or your local Christian bookstore. I think it would make a lovely gift for a special child on your list, or anyone who loves wonderful books.


Apparently Evie is still pretty popular!



Since I noticed that a lot of web-surfers have been ending up on my blog or my website by searching for a reference I made to Christian singer Evie Tornquist-Karlsson, I decided to put more info about Evie on my site's page about my favorite Christmas music.

Most of the seekers seem to want the lyrics to "Come On, Ring Those Bells," so here also is a link to the lyrics and guitar tabs for that song.

By the way, Evie is still going strong and even touring a bit. She appeared with Mark Lowry at a concert last year for Radio 91, and was as lovely as ever. Apparently she and her husband Pelle Karlsson and their family are a "spokesfamily" for the Sky Angel Christian TV network, or were at one point.

There you go. Hope I've brightened up the season a bit for Evie fans! :)

Heard Enya's version of "Silent Night"...

...on the way into work this morning, and it was eerily beautiful. It was in Gaelic, which I find strange and lovely. When I hear Irish music, something calls out to me on a deep and primitive level. Some people think there is a something deep within us that connects with the country or countries that figured prominently in our ancestry. I think there may be something to that...else why have I been inexplicably drawn to Ireland ever since I was a little girl? I have strong Irish strains on both sides of my family tree.


Enya, by the way, is the sister of Christian singer Maire (pronounced Moya)Brennan, whose voice and style is much like her sister's, but has a lot more Christian and spiritual content. I have one of her CD's, "Perfect Time," and like it very much.

You say it's your birthday? It's my birthday, too!

Yep...I was born 47 years ago today. I really can't believe I'm that old! It's already been a nice birthday, though. Chris opened up the phone lines for listeners to call in and wish me happy birthday, and people were so sweet. Warm fuzzies galore. :)

Sharing a birthday with me today is Michelle Gartshore, a lovely person who checked out my website and blog and sent me a very kind e-mail! Happy birthday to you, Michelle! (She'll have a whole lot fewer candles on her cake than I will, though! :))

I suppose I should wax eloquent about midlife, how I'm dealing with aging and all that kind of stuff. The truth is, aging is probably the least of my worries right now. Yes, there are definitely things I could do to get in better shape and promote my health and longevity. One of my New Year's resolutions had better be getting into a consistent and workable exercise regime, no doubt. However, although I am disturbed when I notice a new wrinkle here and there, I've been told that I could pass for quite a bit younger than my age. (I think I have my Grandma Garrett to thank for the good genes.) So, I'm not obsessing about growing old just yet.

The fact that I've never been a smoker or alcohol drinker also works in my favor, I believe.

I do want to be the very best and most attractive 47-year-old woman that I can possibly be. Overall, I think I'm a much more interesting woman than I was, say, 20 years ago. Life experience and accrued wisdom will do that for you, I believe. I pray that I can have that beauty that glows from the inside...the kind that makes my mother a still-beautiful woman at 70.

Submission

A while back, I put a tribute to my father on my website that included lines from a song I used to love to hear him sing. It's called "Submission," and can still be found in some old gospel songbooks...none of which I have access to right now.

I got an e-mail from a Daniel Pollard, who was searching for the lyrics to the song so he could sing it a cappella in a Bible study group.

I was able to find the lyrics through a Google search, although the author's name is regrettably not included. I'll have to ask my mom if she can find the song for me so I can give credit to the author. In the meantime, check out these lyrics...wow.

Submission

The path that I have trod has brought me nearer God

Though oft it led thru sorrow's gates

Though not the way I'd choose,in my way I might lose

The joy that yet for me awaits.



Chorus-

Not what I wish to be, nor where I wish to go

For who am I that I should choose my way

The Lord shall choose for me, tis better far I know

So let Him bid me go, or stay.



The cross that I must bear if I a crown would wear

Is not the cross that I should take

But since on me tis laid I'll take it unafraid

And bear it for the Master's sake.



Submission to the will of Him who guides me still

Is surety of His love revealed

My soul shall rise above this world in which I move

I conquer only when I yield.



I conquer only when I yield.

A lot of scriptural truth in that song! I can still hear my dad singing it, and I get a little choked up thinking about it. He still sings a little, but rarely sits down at the piano like he used to. :(

Quoteworthy...

Diane Keaton,57, on the fact that she's hasn't joined the trying-to-look-young bandwagon most Hollywood actresses are on: "Somebody's got to be old. Somebody's got to be out there. Because I believe everyone has to have something to look forward to. Everybody has to have someone that they can see and go, 'That was an older person. Look, they were still funny,' or 'They were still very vital, crazy and passionate.'"

Feeling a little "farklempt" (Yiddish for choked-up and emotional)...

Jonathan and Daylyn leave today, after a lovely four and a half days here. I've enjoyed them so much! They now go their separate ways before meeting again in Boise a few days before The Wedding.



^Daylyn and Jonathan^

I've never been a mother of the groom before, so this is all unchartered territory for me. I'm nervous about a lot of things...will we get there OK? (The road trip is going to be a long one, and bad weather could really ruin it). Will we blow our one big responsibility, the rehearsal dinner? Reservations have been made for it...just hoping it goes smoothly and the food is good. We chose from a list of places Daylyn gave us. Will Liz's dress turn out good? Will I find a dress? Will I look OK? (Pictures will record everything for posterity, of course!) Will Jon and Daylyn be safe when they drive a van and U-haul from Boise to Texas after the wedding?

Wow...lots of fodder for prayer there.

One good thing...the shower was lovely.

Anyway...I seem to be living on the edge of tears lately, for some reason. Well, I guess it's not so hard to understand. My firstborn is taking one of the biggest steps of his life, and my father is near the end of his. It's all a lot to digest.

Quoteworthy

"There is no spectacle on earth more appealing than that of a beautiful woman in the act of cooking dinner for someone she loves."--Thomas Wolfe

Back from the Lonestar State...

I just got back Tuesday from a trip to Texas to visit my family members who live there. Some of you may know that my father is terminally ill of liver disease, and I'm trying to get down there as often as possible. My sister Lisa made this visit possible, and I'm so thankful.

The day after I returned...yesterday...Jonathan and his fiance Daylyn arrived for a visit, Jonathan flying up from Texas and Daylyn from Idaho, meeting at O'Hare. It's wonderful to see them, and I'm giving Daylyn a bridal shower tonight.

These are busy days!

Some of my favorite Christmas music...

I'll admit it, I'm a sentimental softie when it comes to Christmas music. It's one of my favorite things about the season, which I still love in spite of the stress and commercialism that threatens to spoil everything at times.

The following is lifted from my website:



The Soundtrack of Christmas

Christmas music I love...

There are certain musical sounds that have formed the backdrop of Christmas for me...some in years past,and some in more recent years. I can remember growing up to the lilting sounds of Brenda Lee's "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"! In junior high,I was introduced by an incredible music teacher to the majesty and wonder of Handel's "Messiah." The strains of "For Unto Us a Son is Born" never fail to stir me, and I could make a good case for "The Hallelujah Chorus" being sung in Heaven!

When I was in Bible college, Evie Tornquist was all the rage. I still enjoy Evie's "Come On,Ring those Bells"!

Years ago,my sister gave me a Christmas tape of the Oak Ridge Boys. I've since lost it, and would love to have the CD. I can remember playing it for my little sons at night while they went to sleep during the Christmas season.

Some of my favorite Christmas music is more contemporary, but several have quickly become standards in our home. Here are a few:

For the fourth year I'm thoroughly enjoying Michael W. Smith's "Christmastime." I heartily recommend it!

No one is going to pretend Smitty is an awesome vocalist, but he is, in my opinion,a musical genius, and there is something endearing about his voice, too. The arrangements and orchestration are absolutely gorgeous as well. This is one of my very favorite Christmas albums. It is the perfect, joyous blend of the lighthearted and the reverent. Now I can't imagine the Christmas season without it.

His first Christmas album (I believe it was just titled "Christmas"), also remains a Christmas season staple for me, but it has a much different tone. The first album is more quiet and worshipful overall.

All of Amy Grant's Christmas albums are great,but my personal favorite is "Home for Christmas." It has become a seasonal classic in our home.


Also once again enjoying Point of Grace's Christmas C-D...I believe it's called "A Christmas Story." Lush, shimmery, angelic female four-part harmony, with a nice balance of the sacred and the secular.



And one of the best Christmas albums EVER...4Him's "Season of Love". I can't come up with enough superlatives for this one. . 4Him's version of "Little Drummer Boy" is one of my favorites...and "Strange Way to Save the World" is beautiful and poignant. A must-have!

And now for something completely different...

My son Jonathan has never been a huge fan of Christmas music...and he got especially burnt out on the sounds of the season when he worked in a Franklin Covey store at an Ohio mall for two years in a row. Here, he argues his case against Christmas music:

GRINCH NO MORE

By Jonathan Swanson

I have been called a Grinch before because I don't always "Get in the Christmas Spirit". I have always realized that Christmas music and the Christmas atmosphere don't excite me as much as some, but I always am truly moved when that second hand goes from 11:59:59 pm Dec. 24 to 12:00:00 Dec. 25. I have diagnosed my lack of Christmas spirit as a disdain for crappy, so-called Christmas music. Yeah that's right, I dislike Christmas music. Before you picture me with a cane and a t-shirt that says "BAH HUMBUGG", let me clarify. Not all music that is passed off as Christmas music is really Christmas music. "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", "Silent Night" - these are real Christmas songs, but I am convinced that upwards of 70% of Christmas music is not Christmas music at all! I think real Christmas music should, at some point or another, mention Christ and his birthday! Most of it does not even come close! Let me give you a taste of what I've been subjected to just about every day, for the last two Christmas seasons :

"Santa Baby" - "Santa cutie, there's one thing that I really need, Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree, For me.I've been an awful good girl, Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight." (imagine this performed by a disgustingly whiny/flirty female voice)

"What Christmas Means To Me" - "Candles burning low,Lots of mistletoe,Lots of snow and ice Everywhere we go Choirs singing carols Right outside my door All these things and more All these things and more That's what Christmas means to me, my love Christmas means to me, my love" (the legenday Stevie Wonder stumbles through this ode to remind us that Christmas isn't about a virgin birth and the arrival of the God-man that will change the course of history, it's really about kissing strangers under a plant, and singing songs in the cold)

"We Wish You the Merriest" - "We wish you the merriest, the merriest, the merriest, the merriest to youWe wish you the merriest, the merriest, the merriest, yes the merriest, / We wish you the merriest, the merriest, the merriest Yule cheer,/ We wish you the happiest, the happiest, the happiest, yes the happiest, / We wish you the happiest, the happiest, the happiest New Year./ May your tree be filled with happiness, happiness and friendliness for all / May your heart be filled with cheerfulness," /

(Yes this is actually a song, if you've ever heard it, you know how much it sucks.)--Jonathan Swanson