Tex-Tenn.

For us ex-pats in Tennessee, this says it all!

Want one, too?  Donations for the stickers go to a great cause - adoption!  Check out itexastn.com today!

Why Should He Care?

"O Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

When I look at your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,

and the son of man that you care for him?"

~ Psalm 8:1, 3-4

In the whole scheme of eternal importance, there is very little that actually matters.  Very little.  In fact, Jesus told Mary, as recorded in Luke 10, that there was only one thing needful - that which Mary had chosen, Himself.  (L.10:42)  But, we serve a God who has exalted man to be a little lower than angels and has given him dominion over creation,  (Ps.8) and our God, our Father, is interested in the smallest details of our lives; for indeed He wrought us and made us who we are to be - right down to our DNA.  

So, why is it that I should marvel that He has returned to me things that don't matter in the eternal scheme of things, but do matter to my heart and soul?  After years of being horse-less, he brought back one of my horses that I'd sold 11 years ago - one of our family favorites, in fact. And he brought back our pony, right along with a beautiful cart and harness.  Just because.  Our Father loves his children, and gives them good gifts - blessings in many forms.  And it all comes back to what really matters, for His goodness to me causes praise to pour from my lips to the glory of His name.  "O Lord, our Lord,  how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

Patrick Turns One!

On August 31st, our dear baby Patrick turned one year old.  While some of us marveled at how an infant grows and prospers in one year's time, others just had fun at the party!

And what better way to party on a hot, sticky August afternoon than with wading pools, slip'n'slides, and trampolines?

Though Uncle Justin and Auntie K. have outgrown kiddie pools, they enjoyed themselves nevertheless.         Patrick is wowed by all the cool toys he was given!Elizabeth shows Patrick how to hold a football while Gilbert gives the xylophone a test drive.No, the cage is not for naughty children while the others get to eat, it is a miniature petting zoo with a bunny and a kitten.It's a little overwhelming when everyone gathers round to look at you and sing to you!However, it's easy to know how to handle the cake situation!            Happy birthday, dear Patrick; we love you!

Look What the Fog Brought In

"The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on."   ~ Carl Sandburg

Two mornings ago, we awoke to a dense fog.  All was quiet, white, and wet when I went outside to take care of the morning chores at the barn.  After taking Mira down to the front field, I turned to go retrieve Lance to bring him down, too and as usual, cast my eye on the dog runs to check on things.  But, this time there was a sight which caused me to look, and look again, and look a third time - not believing my own eyes!  There in the large run with two boarder dogs, was a tiny orange kitten, just walking about with the dogs!

Though there was no distress on the kitten's part, I ran in quickly to scoop him up and found him to be dirty, thin, and full of burrs.  The remaining blue in his eyes told me he was still quite young, and he was also rather weak.  I gave him a meal of canned cat food and milk and he ate heartily which greatly encouraged my concerns for his welfare.  

Our dogs were very interested in this new little creature, and Chloe even showed signs of wanting to protect him, but her great, huge size was a little dangerous for the tiny guy.  So, what to do with the baby? Spying Jack the rabbit's lawn pen, I wondered if Jack might be a comfort to this young kitten and if indeed Jack might even enjoy having a companion - so, we decided to go for it and put the kitten in with Jack.Sure enough, they took very well to each other, and the now-fed and tired kitten spent most of the afternoon sleeping in the grass cuddled next to his new friend.  Since then, while the kitten - now named "Carly" in honor of the poet - prefers the company of humans, Jack has proven to be an acceptable kitty-sitter and we are vastly enjoying watching their interactions.

Rainy Day Monday

Until today, I couldn't remember the last time it had really rained.  And today, thanks to God's mercy on parched middle Tennessee, it rained!  Long, soaking showers and soft, rumbles of thunder.  It was glorious!

The horses patiently bide their time during the rainfall.

Gilbert and Nana enjoyed sitting on the porch and listening to the rain.  It smelled so sweet!

              Raindrops on Oakleaf Hydrangea.

Observations on a Trilogy, Part 1

The year's first Knoxhouse Fellowship gathering will discuss our reading of C.S. Lewis's first two books of his Space Trilogy; Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra.  Having read them a few years ago, it has been enjoyable to go through them again, not only to derive pleasure from the tales themselves, but to consider and explore the themes Lewis sets forth.  So, for what it's worth, here are a few of my observations:

In Book 1, Ransom, the main character, is a Philologist - a lover of languages, a lover of learning, apparently a man of words.  Perhaps a reflection of The Word?  For he took the place of a boy and became himself the intended sacrifice.  In Book 2, Ransom realizes that he was intentionally named, "enacting only what philosophy thinks."

Noted Themes:

1.  Prefallen-ness, Unfallen-ness, Fallen-ness

CSL's ideas on this matter cover not only man, but beasts and the earth itself.  He illustrates the idea of earth's fallen-ness being confined to its own atmosphere - indeed cut off from the rest of creation in the 1st book - hence it's name of the Silent Planet.  Eldila could rarely come and go from it, and its Oyarsa no longer communicated in the heavens.  

Also in Book 1, CSL also brings in the element of fear as being prevalent in the very fiber and being of fallen man.  "The weakest of my people do not fear death.  It is the Bent One, the lord of your world, who wastes your lives and befowls them with flying from what you know will overtake you in the end."  Yet in Book 2, Lewis's ideas of pre-fallen and un-fallen man are a strong contrast:  calm, un-earthly, pure, perfect, royal, untroubled, knowing God's voice.  "But here, where His live image like Him within and without, made by His own bare hands out of the depths of divine artistry, His masterpiece of self-portraiture coming forth from His workshop to delight all worlds, walked and spoke before Ransom's eyes, it could never be taken for more than an image.  Nay, the very beauty of it lay in the certainty that it was a copy, like and not the same, an echo, a rhyme, an exquisite reverberation of the uncreated music prolonged in a created medium."

Both books illustrate CSL's ideas of unfallen-ness in beasts; increasing their worth and ability as pure creatures, communing with man by various means, and capable of development.  In Perelandra, Tinidril - the Eve figure - answers Ransom's question about the beasts' near rationality by saying, "We make them older every day.  Is not that what it means to be a beast?"  

In observing these particular ideas on the theme of fallen-ness and unfallen-ness found in Books 1 & 2 of the Trilogy, it causes the reader to consider anew the affects of the Fall upon all creation and to long for the return of Christ when all things will be redeemed and restored.

2.  Myths

Throughout much of CSL's writings, one sees his enormous knowledge and understanding of ancient myths and how they tie into man's thinking and writings up to this day.  He gives the impression in Book 1 that he has done much thinking on the origins of these myths:  "He remembered how in the very different world called Malacandra...he had met the original of the Cyclops, a giant in a cave and a shepherd.  Were all things which appeared as mythology on earth scattered through other worlds as reality?"  and "He remembered his old suspicion that what was myth in one world might always be fact in some other...were the old myths truer than the modern myths?  Had there in truth been a time when Satyrs danced in the Italian woods?"  As Lewis' like-minded friend J.R.R. Tolkein wrote, "History became legend and legend became myth."  Personally, I think these ideas of CSL's are lovely to ponder!  Unicorns and dragons may not have simply had their origins in the imagination.

Along similar lines, one has to wonder if Lewis had the 4 Living Creatures of Revelation, Ezekiel, and Daniel in mind when he wrote of Perelandra's 4 singing beasts that proclaimed joy to all ears.

Lastly, CSL's description of the heavenly Eldila as movement, speed, and light reminded me of Tim Powers' ideas of being and frequency in his book Declare.

"August"

"Buttercup nodded and said good-bye,

Clover and daisy went off together,

But the fragrant water lilies lie

Yet moored in the golden August weather.

The swallows chatter about their flight,

The cricket chirps like a rare good fellow,

The asters twinkle in clusters bright,

While the corn grows ripe and the apples mellow."  ~ Celia Thaxter