Happy Friday, friends!! Not much time to write but thought I’d poke my head in. Had a delightful last night chatting with David Tombs…who is in town this weekend visiting me! So excited, so utterly fantastic to catch up and have amazing talks about so many things. Thankful to Dream that she allowed her husband to come and hang out with me!! This weekend shall be delightful, I so declare. Now I’m at work, but it is a Friday and I’m trusting it won’t be too hectic. Famous last words. But my peppermint mocha is hot and the day is young and all is rosy and bright at the moment. Saw Penelope and Katie at Starbucks and nice chats were had (as always!!) and now I suppose I should settle down to the business that is at hand. I did want to write about my luscious time reading through Psalm 37 (+38 + Proverbs 31) but…the minutes have fled too rapidly and I dare not attempt to write more. I can say that it is oh so truly beautiful to rest in my Lord and to wait patiently for Him. At the thought of being close to my God…joy fills my heart and my soul sings.
Month: August 2018
once Again we Dance
This sleepy Thursday morning…a few more books vanquished:
26. The Daring Mission of William Tyndale by Steven Lawson. This was a very little book, but massively encouraging. I got this from Mom & Dad last Christmas…and I do so love biographies, so even very little ones are always worth it! This was a great reminder of Tyndale and the great works of God that were done through him. He lived in 16th century England for a time…but eventually fled to Europe to complete his Great Work – the translation of much of the Bible into English. A truly staggering accomplishment, especially as he was not translating from the Latin, as had been done before. No – he translated from the original Greek & Hebrew…and in doing so, he created a marvelous translation that still is the foundation and backbone of the majority of English translations today. He translated all of the New Testament and much of the Old, coordinating the printing and smuggling of these English Bibles into England so that the common man and woman could read. Before he could finish the Old Testament translation, he was captured by English agents, held in prison in Belgium and eventually executed for the grave crime of translating God’s Word into English so that all could read. Tyndale’s passion for the glory of God and desire that all might know Him through His Word…oh so gloriously inspiring. May the desire for God’s glory to increase fill our hearts this day.
27. They Were Counted by Miklós Bánffy. I don’t even know how to describe this one. Originally published in Budapest in the 1930s, this Hungarian novel(first of a trilogy!!) is magnificent, luscious & depressing…all at the same time. Maybe when I read the next two books in the trilogy, I will talk about them more. But briefly – these books are set in early 20th century Transylvania, when Hungary controlled much more territory than they do now. It is written by a Hungarian politician who lived through the tumultuous early 20th century and actually signed the peace treaty with the US that granted Hungary access to the League of Nations after end of the Great War. What’s fascinating is this book is very obviously a depiction of Hungarian high society in the waning days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire…and a vivid look into the short-sighted and decadent behaviour that was part and parcel of that life. The characters are vividly painted, although so many of their decisions and actions are so terrible. One of the characters that started out as my favourite slowly descended into a bottomless pit of his own making (I have been reinforced in my opinion that gambling is not altogether a Wise Thing) and another character, while honourable for the most part, seems to consider it acceptable to chase after a married woman (who yes, may be married to an evil psychopath, which makes me feel slightly better about it. But still). I have heard this trilogy/novel compared favourably to Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, one of my very favourites. I wouldn’t go quite that far, as I don’t think Bánffy is quite the equal of Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, but I do greatly appreciate this author’s style, as overwrought as some of the prose may be! (Or…maybe that’s why I like it…hm) There are some truly lovely scenes early on (before things get too terrible)…and the descriptions of the great Hungarian estates are a treat for the (imaginary) senses. And one of the things I love about this novel as well, as painful as the reading sometime is…is that the characters are all so very flawed. There are no perfect characters here. People feel deeply…and people err greatly. And the author doesn’t let the characters get away with acting rashly on their emotions. Now, I may be slightly biased in liking this novel, because it has Hungarian characters and written by a Hungarian author…and I do so have a soft spot in my heart for Hungary – having visited there and having dear friends from there. But despite this bias, I think this book has some worthwhile qualities. One of my favourite things is the absurd depiction of Hungarian politics…and it would almost be hilarious if you don’t stop and think that these same political dramas are what set the stage for the soon-coming world war. I love reading about historical events and this book, while fiction, very much educated me on the mindset and political currents that were present at the time. Especially since the book was written by someone who was very much a part of the political scene back then! This mini-review has gotten a bit long. We shall see what I think of the other two books of the trilogy, although I do not have much confidence things will get better. We shall see. Very intrigued to see what happens to Balint, Laszlo, Adrienne, Klara and the rest of the characters I’ve gotten to know so well…as the Austro-Hungarian Empire – and the world – further descends into madness…
Slightly Transylvanian
A restful night. Meatloaf and green beans in oven…and mashed potatoes shall accompany once it is time for dinner. A quiet night. I am ever so grateful to my Father God for blessing me so. I have had a long weekend and my body craves rest. My heart longs for quiet. My soul cries for love. This night I lift my song of praise and thanksgiving to my Lord, my God, my Father. He has given me much. He has forgiven me everything. Thus sings my soul. A lovely night.
Five Dozen Eggs
Brief entry this morning. It is Thursday…and like most Thursdays of late, it is extremely busy with work meetings and then community group tonight, so I’m already breathing in deep in preparation for the plunge. But shall I complain? Not I, I say – especially not while I have hot black coffee steaming away in front of me, honey fragrance strong. For sure though, I can say that although I didn’t really get good sleep last night(because I went to bed far too late!), I much enjoyed the evening…went to Miller Outdoor Theatre, where a beautiful night was had watching the classic Disney movie – Beauty and the Beast. My second-fav Disney movie, I’ve always said, even though I haven’t seen it in oh so many years…but it held up and did most certainly not disappoint! The artistry was stunningly gorgeous(the rich colours! the landscapes!) and the music was just as good as I’d remembered…love it so. I remembered one of the reasons I loved it so much…Belle is a book-lover and her scene when she is shown the grand library…so much happiness!! A quality movie all around, I say. And of course – to watch it with good friends makes it all the more fun…there with John, Emily, Erica, Meagan, Amanda and others…so yes, it was a most fun midweek activity. God is good, for blessing me with such dear friends. Truly.
And now I suppose I should prepare myself for the frenetic day ahead. Peace, my friends. Peace and love.
Surfside
I have so much I could write about…but so little time…hence, I shall log my latest read(already a few days late on this!):
25. The Works of John Owen, Vol 3: The Holy Spirit by John Owen. And there you go. After more than a year(not exactly sure when I started it, but I think it was in 2017??), with gaps where I took time to read other theological works…I have finished Vol 3 of Owen’s Works. What a masterpiece of a book. I’m not sure how often I’ve written of Owen here, so I guess I should be brief. This book was all about the Holy Spirit and His work (mostly in our lives as Christians – but not exclusively!). Apparently this volume was not big enough to contain all of Owen’s thoughts on the Spirit though…as Volume 4 is called “The Work of the Spirit”! But this book was very encouraging to my soul. I very much hesitate to recommend Owen, as he’s a difficult read at the best of times, and most would probably not get much out of it. I tend to read so quickly though, that when reading many books, I miss out on the truth within because I’m just reading so fast! With Owen though…because of his dense and obtuse writing style, I’m forced to read slower and analyse carefully what he’s saying…and so in a weird way, I am more greatly benefited by his Puritan language than I am by more modern authors(like a Keller or a Piper…both of whom for some reason I’m not really either edified or moved by as much…). But reading Owen’s words on the Spirit of God – and how He indeed actively works in our lives and how this knowledge should drive us to holiness and dependence on God for all things…indeed humbling and thrilling all at the same time. I’m rambling a bit, I know, so I shall close. But one of my takeaways from this hefty tome is the beauty and sheer necessity of our holiness as Christians. When we sin before God, we show God that we despise Him and His words. Is that what we want? As we know that we are sons and daughters of God…as we know that we are a temple of the Holy Spirit…our driving passion should be to honour our Lord God in every word we speak and every step we take. Be holy, as our Father in heaven is holy. We are God’s children, fellow heirs with Christ Himself. Meditate today on what it means to truly abide in Christ. Remain at peace in the love of God, which burns brighter and hotter and more beautifully than anything we can even begin to imagine.
A somewhat Odd phenomenon In this Early morning
So very quickly I write!! Just wanted to comment briefly on some words I read this morning in 1 Samuel 2. Sobering words, but God’s Word nonetheless. Was reading about the sons of Eli, who were…not nice men. As is made abundantly clear. The text describes some of their sins against God, against the people who brought sacrifices, and against women. I shall not go into all that here. But we do see these lines, “Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord.” And again a few verses later, “Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord”. Chilling words. Now eventually their father Eli heard about his sons’ reputation. Why he didn’t already know about their wicked behaviour and terrible sins, I know not. I don’t think Eli can be held up as a model father, that is for sure. But we see that he learned through various rumors and reports about what his sons were up to and we see that he (finally!!) talked to his sons and chastised them and made it clear that what they were doing was “evil” and that they were sinning “against the Lord”. But what does the text say next? “But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the Lord desired to put them to death.” Right then. This is a hard verse to understand…could not the Lord show mercy and give them a chance to repent? But it seems clear that their hearts were hardened and God had judged them for their sins and now despite the warning of their father…they could not hear nor could they repent, nor desired they to repent – because God’s judgment was incoming and could not be turned away. These are fearsome words. At the end of the day, we do not understand all of God’s ways, but we must rest in His sovereignty and His goodness. God is just in all His ways, so do we all confess. So do I confess.
And so what can we learn from these words? Firstly, to sin against the Lord and to disobey His commands is most grievous indeed and worthy of all judgment, worthy of eternal horror and death. Do not take lightly the commands of God. Holiness is greatly prized by God, for God is holy and He desires that we all be holy before Him. Secondly, be warned that to reject God and His commands is a very serious thing, for as you reject God, so shall God reject you. Thirdly and finally – I must end on a note of hope, so the hope that I offer is that because we are all utterly wicked apart from God, so does God offer a pure and perfect sacrifice of His only Son, who can make us right before God. Only through Jesus can we find peace with God. And peace with God…there is nothing greater than that. Flee to Christ this day. Before it is too late and before the words of this passage could be applied to you – “for the Lord desired to put them to death”. Flee to Christ, cry out for your salvation. For God is truly merciful and compassionate and desires that you would come to Him. And God does most surely offer you rest for your souls.
Skinny Love
My muse burns but yet the words are dammed. Weeping, my heart sings in joy, in sorrow, in love.
And so…like so many times before, I flee to previous writings and remember the goodness of my God!!!
…and yes, so this is an excuse to run a word cloud on my poetry throughout the years. 2004-2018, inclusive of a few short stories as well. Clearly I need to stop using the word ‘now’. I’m so impatient, what can I say??
Oh my friends – be at peace this night. My heart prays for you.
Over the Hills and Far Away
And so a Monday begins (once again) and the week begins (yet again) and though the work will be hectic and I will surely get stressed at certain points…that is no matter. The moonless sky slowly lightens and the promise of deepest night’s deepest wish is sublimely fulfilled by the glory of the dawn. And so does my heart burn as I ponder the beauty of the Lord and all His promises to me. I am unworthy yet I am loved. May I meditate on the truth and love of God this day. A song is in my heart. Remember – always – that no matter the darkness that surrounds, the light is greater still.
The Dying Light of 6 O’Clock
Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!
Remember this. Forever and always.
Praise the Lord, oh my soul.
Black Lab
Hello friends!! I have been having a nice reading time here on the couch in my room…sipping tea and reading some Owen. Finished the current chapter and realised I have only one chapter to go – 10 pages more and Owens Vol. III shall be conquered! Milestone, y’all.
Anyways upon finishing that chapter, I also realised that I am quite far behind in logging my reading….I have a pile of books that I’ve read recently that I have not chronicled here. Tragedy. I shan’t take too long to describe my thoughts, but I do want the record to show that I have read the following…
18. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis. Still making my way through Narnia. And Silver Chair is simply marvelous. It never used to be my favourite(and it still might not be), but each time I read it, I like it more. The adventures of Jill & Eustace & Puddleglum…and their battle against the serpent. So many classic moments.
19. Young Miles by Lois McMaster Bujold. Another Bujold omnibus, so I technically could count this as 3(The Warrior’s Apprentice, The Mountains of Mourning & The Vor Game). But no – I shall count it as one. Anyways, after reading about the magnificent Cordelia, I moved on to the next book in the chronology and finally met the infamous Miles Vorkosigan. This book was a delight…although I must confess, need to take a break from Miles for a bit. Just like the characters in this book, can only take so much Miles at one time!!
20. A World Lost by Wendell Berry. I really cannot describe this one. I forget if I’ve talked about Wendell Berry here, but his books are truly some of my favourites. Harkening back to a simpler time. Describing the beauties of the Kentucky countryside…yet also acknowledging the true hurts and loss that reside in each and every person. Few writers touch my emotions as deeply as Berry does. This book was rather short, but no less beautiful for that.
21. Timescape by Gregory Benford. I don’t really know how to describe this one. It was recommended as one of the classic sci-fi novels, it was a delight when reading…as much as I don’t know if I can unhesitatingly recommend this one. It was a fantastic – yet dark and depressing – novel involving characters from both the ’60s and the ’90s…and this book was written in 1980!! Obviously it was fascinating to read about the author’s predictions for the “far future” 1998!! And it was just as interesting reading about his description of academia in the 1963…which was a time the author has lived in(and I have not!), so I feel as if I learned a lot about that time period. Still, the characters themselves sort of depressed me. Despite the fun time-twisting science bits, the characters cynical and immoral nature…was not the most fun to read about. Alas. So will probably not read this one again.
22. Death’s End by Cixin Liu. Another epic sci-fi novel which I shall probably not read again!! This is the third book in a trilogy by Liu…and as much as I admire Liu’s prose and his grand and sweeping tale of life, the universe and…everything(truly, this book fits that phrase better than most), the book’s worldview(er…universe-view?) was quite depressing. Truly – without God, all is dull and all are lost. And this book reflected that truly. I shall write no more about it now, as it’s making me sad thinking about it.
23. Persian Fire by Tom Holland. Finally a book I can recommend!! This book was simply amazing. Robbie recommended it to me…and yup, I need to read more of his recommendations. It’s a historical narrative about the Greco-Persian Wars of the fifth century BC…and if that doesn’t whet your interest, then you’re hopeless. Seriously though – I do love history, so I guess this is right up my alley, but even so…it was incredibly interesting. The author started by giving the history of the Persian Empire(I had no idea of most of it – reading about their conquests was riveting), then gave the history of the Athens & Sparta city-states…then slowly moved the pieces in place for the beginning of the Greco-Persian Wars. We obviously don’t know all the details(as the author stated upfront – there is much disagreement on the finer points, especially as the primary sources are all on the Greek side…and even those are limited!)…but what we do know make a wondrous account. As much as the history of the battles and political wranglings is incredibly interesting, one of my main takeaways is that all the people involved in this were…actual people. People who laughed, cried, had great passions and emotions…and most definitely were not as noble and/or savage as some of the popular conceptions. And even the great heroes in these wars…they may have had great moments, great battles, great years…but did that mean their lives were set from then on? Not necessarily. Some of the heroes on the Greek side…ended up eventually getting cast out of their cities and years later going and living with the Persian court. From praise and adulation to ostracism…pride indeed proceeds a fall. Anyway – this book was great. Very much recommended. I can’t wait to read Holland’s next book that is currently sitting on my coffee table…Rubicon. Guess what it’s about.
24. Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O’Malley. Alright. I’m not sure if this book technically counts…since it is…sort of a comic book?? But whatever, I shall count it! And I am partly shamed, as I really don’t read comic books!! But when I was in Denver with Robbie and exploring book stores…I saw this and couldn’t help but pick it up. Mostly because I love Edgar Wright’s movie Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Neither the book nor the movie are always entirely appropriate…so I can’t whole-heartedly recommend this. The characters and dialogue are quite well written though…I do love some classic high school drama!! Also, I now realise why the movie is so good. Pretty much all of its best lines are ripped wholesale from this book!! There are apparently 6 volumes of Scott Pilgrim’s adventures…not quite sure if I’ll pick up all the rest yet. But I did enjoy this one. (What that says of me, I shall let you decide on your own!!)
Right – so that was far too much of me talking about books. I am very relieved that I’ve finally logged all these books though. I can now go back to my current reads – Owen & my Hungarian novel…which you will have to find out about at a later date….because I have written too many words now and I want to go back to my tea…and pondering life and how much my God has blessed me abundantly in all things. He really, really has blessed me oh so much more than I deserve, y’all.
Peace and love.
