ADOREnaments

My favorite name of Christ is Immanuel, which means "God With Us." To think that God left the unimaginable purity and beauty of Heaven to come live among His creation. He didn't come as an adult, busting in and taking charge. He came as a baby, probably the most vulnerable creature there is.

"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

That verse to me is the amplified meaning of Immanuel. Jesus came and set the example of what a relationship with God the Father is all about. And then He died for my sins and rose again to make that relationship an eternal reality. All I have to do is accept the free gift He offers, because no gift is actually mine until I decide to accept it.

Each Christmas season my husband, son, and I use ADOREnaments to draw our attention to the different names and attributes of Christ. There are twelve ADOREnaments in all. The first one is my favorite, Immanuel. A few of the others are The Bread of Life, The Giver of Living Water, The King of kings and Lord of lords. We take turns reading the Scripture, reading the short devotional, and saying a prayer. My son then hangs the ADOREnament on the Christmas tree. I also buy a (usually not too costly) family gift to open after each ADOREnament.

It is all too easy to lose focus on what Christmas is really about. This is just one way to stop and think about the Reason for the Season.

He Reigns!

I cry every time this song is sung during worship at church.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMT_kAD6cOg

Believe it or not, everyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ does not live in the United States. I would venture to say a minority of God's people live in the United States. The church is a world-wide body, but looking around the typical church congregation does not really reflect that, does it?

The United States seems to be more of a melting pot than ever. People are coming here for the same reasons they always have - to flee persecution, better economic opportunities, education, etc. The church should be a melting pot, too.

I want to see the body of Christ united. I want us to remember our brothers and sisters around the world who worship God in spite of the fact that it could cost them their lives.

London Calling

Jane Austen, C.S. Lewis, Midsomer Murders, Foyle's War, Inspector Lynley, Wallace and Gromit, Inspector Lewis, The Lake District, the Cotswolds, Big Ben, the cliffs of Dover.

What do all of the above have in common? England! I have completely fallen in love with things English. I love the accent, the way they turn a phrase, the very Britishness of England. I enjoy books, movies, and television shows from England. The food - not so much.

I would love to visit England, but not as a tourist. I want to experience England like the people who live there. I want to visit the small villages. I want to sit on the rocky beach and look out over the Atlantic. I want to envision the little boats going across the Channel to rescue the British soldiers at Dunkirk. I want to visit a real Anglican church. I want to (maybe) have a ploughman's lunch at a pub with an interesting name. I want to visit Harrod's in London. I want to ride in a lift and visit a flat.

Actually, I have been to England, but only Heathrow Airport. I was on my way home from India and we had a layover there. I did get to see an actual English bobby (policeman). I want to get beyond the airport, though. And if I don't get to England before I die, I hope Heaven will have an England section.

Pièce de Résistance

The pièce de résistance is the best part of something, a highlight. Pièce de Résistance is the highlight of the French Twist trilogy by Sandra Byrd.

If you haven't read the first two books in the series, Let Them Eat Cake and Bon Appétit, I would strongly encourage you to do so. Not because it is crucial to understanding references in Pièce de Résistance so much, but because they are very good books and can bring added enjoyment. An additional benefit to all three books is the recipes included.

In Let Them Eat Cake, Lexi Stuart needs a job and a place to live. She finally finds a job at L'Esperance, a French bakery in Seattle. In the course of her job she meets Dan, an attractive lawyer, and their relationship develops.

At the end of Bon Appétit, Lexi has finished her schooling in France and is returning to Seattle to work for the Delacroix family at Bijoux, their newest business venture. While in France, she met a charming widower, Phillipe, and his equally charming young daughter, Cèline. Phillipe and Cèline are also going to Seattle so Phillipe can take over business operations for the Delacroix family.

So now in Pièce de Résistance, Lexi is back in Seattle. This time she has a job, but she needs somewhere to live - and transportation. She loves her job making cakes for Bijoux, but discovers that there is more to her job than she originally thought or desired. Is she up to the challenges ahead? And then there is the choice she needs to make between Dan and Phillipe. Or is it really her choice to make?

Here is the promotional synopsis:

Having earned her chef’s hat, Lexi Stuart bids au revoir to her glamorous and deliciously satisfying pastry mentorship outside of Paris and returns to her hometown of Seattle, Washington. There, she finds life unexpectedly complicated. She’s put in charge of a high-end catering bakery called Bijoux, which should be her dream job, but there’s a catch: She has to make this lavish bakery into a successful business in just a few, short months, which will require more than her ability to make an amazing wedding cake. Stir in a complicated relationship with her French beau Philippe and his daughter, Celine, then add a dash of romance with down-to-earth lawyer Dan, and life suddenly contains more ooh la la than Lexi can handle.

This book was truly the pièce de résistance of this series. I felt like I was right there with Lexi in all her highs and lows. Pièce de Résistance had just the right balance of fun and conflict. It showcased well some of the helps and hindrances to relationships that last. And I couldn't have asked for a better ending. I LOVED it!

Check out Sandra Byrd's website at http://www.sandrabyrd.com/ and her Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/sandrabyrdbooks.

After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd went on to publish more than three dozen books including her widely-acclaimed adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake and it’s sequels, and her forthcoming young adult fiction series, London Confidential. A former textbook acquisitions editor, Sandra is also an accomplished non-fiction writer and author. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications such as Radiant, Focus on the Family's Clubhouse Magazine, Christian Parenting Today, Today’s Christian Woman, Pockets, Decision, and Guideposts. During the past eight years, Sandra has mentored hundreds of students through the Christian Writer's Guild. Sandra resides in Seattle, Washington with her husband Michael, a chaplain, their two teenagers, and a circus dog named Brie.

Hunting Eichmann

Yesterday I finished reading Hunting Eichmann by Neal Bascomb. It was recommended to me by a co-worker, whose judgement I trust as to whether a book is good.

Hunting Eichmann is about the hunt for and capture of Adolph Eichmann, the "operational manager" of the Final Solution implemented by the Nazis against the Jewish people. I had heard of Eichmann, but really didn't know much about him and his role in the Holocaust.

The story, for being so full of characters and facts, flowed very well. I can't remember the last non-fiction book I read that was as hard to put down. Even though I basically knew the ending of the story, it was still suspenseful reading about the actual events leading up to the discovery, capture, and trial of Eichmann.

I learned at least three things that bothered me. The United States was more interested in "acquiring" top German scientists after the war than it was in apprehending those who committed war crimes. The Catholic church seemed to be very involved in helping Nazis escape to other countries after the war. The West German government formed after the war (I assume with the help of the Allied nations) contained ex-Nazis.

What I will probably remember most from reading this book, though, is something entirely different. After Eichmann was convicted and awaiting the result of his appeal, a Canadian Protestant missionary in Jerusalem met with him and urged him to repent and put his faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Eichmann refused and went to his death (as far as I know) without knowing Christ. At least one of the men who helped capture Eichmann was there when he was hanged.

Here's the thing. Adolph Eichmann was responsible for the deaths of millions of Jews. Those who brought him to justice did a good thing, but if they did not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, they were still headed to the same place as Eichmann. According to Romans 3:23, we have ALL sinned, and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), no matter the size of the sin, big or small. God has given us a free gift, though. He died on the cross for us to pay the price for that sin, so we wouldn't have to. We just have to admit that we have sinned, believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He died on the cross for us, and ask Him to save us.

Decisions, Decisions

I work as a page at a public library. That means I shelve books, shift books around, get books off the shelf that have been requested, answer the occasional patron question and, according to the boss, anything else they ask me to do. Since our custodian is off on maternity leave, that anything else can include picking up trash from the parking lot, watering the shrubs around the building, and checking the restroom to make sure there is enough toilet paper available. Thankfully, I don't have to do the custodial jobs every day. For all this, I get paid 10 cents more than minimum wage per hour.

I think I am worth more than barely over minimum wage.

Should I find another job that pays more or should I stay where I am? There are advantages in staying. The hours are very flexible and my supervisor is great about arranging our schedules to suit us. I live 2-3 minutes away from where I work, so I don't use that much gas and I could walk if I wanted to. I enjoy, for the most part, the people I work with.

Here's the thing, though. What does God want me to do? Is there some purpose He has for me there and I just need to reconcile myself to working for peanuts? Or does He want me somewhere else?

I don't have many marketable skills, so my options are limited. I am capable of other jobs in the library system, but I fear the entire system has major flaws and any job within the system would be frustrating (although at a higher salary).

Please pray with me about this. I don't necessarily want more money so I can sock it all away. I just want to earn a fair wage for what I do.

Worlds of Fun - 15 Years (at least) Later

Today my son and I went to Worlds of Fun. The last time I went was sometime before his birth and that was almost 15 years ago. At least I remembered how to get there.

We took cans of food to donate to Harvesters, so that got us a reduced rate. I paid $10 to park, so that parking lot had better look good for years to come. We parked close enough to walk to the park entrance. I don't even know if they still run the trams. I didn't see any while we were there.

Our first ride was the Spinning Dragon. Not only was it a rollercoaster, but the car also spun on the tracks as it hurtled up and down and around. I found out later that the Spinning Dragon is a double-black diamond ride, the most thrilling ride rating. We also rode the Timberwolf and Prowler rollercoasters. My son would not consent to riding the Mamba, and I really can't blame him.

Le Tour Taxi was our destination for adolescent driving practice. We went there twice. The second time I wanted to keep silent and just let my son drive without interference. I couldn't do it, though. There was a little girl right on our tail toward the end. A future speeder in the making.

Food and drinks are still expensive. We split a personal pan pizza and large drink for a late lunch. It was a good pizza, though. I don't know if it was just today, but the concessions didn't appear to be very busy for the most part. Something new that I noticed is vending machines for drinks and candy.

We had a pretty good time. A thunderstorm rolled through in the early afternoon, so we waited until the weather cleared to continue our fun. We ended our day at the Fury of the Nile, where I was the recipient of the most water in our rafting craft. I was absolutely drenched.

So much has changed in the last 15+ years, but so much has remained the same. As we went around the park I remembered how I got my brother to go on the Zulu before he could really see what it was all about. I remembered going on what is now Cyclone Sam's with a classmate years ago and being crushed against the side of the ride by the force of her weight. I remembered going on the Finnish Fling (which is still there) and determining that I would NEVER go on that ride again. Some rides are not there anymore, including one of my favorite rollercoasters, the Zambezi Zinger.

I'm glad I went and got to relate some of those memories to my son and make some new memories that he and I can share.