Attend the Tale...

I just came back from seeing Sweeney Todd:  The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and my heart is still racing.   At the time I'm writing this, the movie has earned an 87% rating at Rotten Tomatoes, and personally, I think that's a bit low.  Before seeing Sweeney, I suggest that you remember a few simple points.

First, Sweeney is a musical.  A very different musical, but a musical nonetheless.   There are some people in this world who can't stomach musicals. Having grown up with wonderful shows like The Sound of Music and Oklahoma, I don't understand this, but there it is.   If you can't abide musicals of any kind, you might want to pass on Sweeney Todd.

Second, Sweeney is not The Sound of Music or Oklahoma.   Julie Andrews will not sing about her favorite things. Shirley Jones will not vocalize about love.   This musical is about the depravity of man, the loss of hope, insanity, murder and mayhem.   It is very dark, intense and gory.   The film is bloody.   Think the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, make it realistic, and raise it by a factor of a hundred.   Lots of arterial action.  If you have a weak stomach, you may want to pass on Sweeney Todd.

Third, Sweeney is a movie.   If you saw the musical on Broadway or the film of the national tour, expect some differences.   Theater is more removed than film.   Theater is fantastical.   Although the movie did not significantly deviate from the script, the medium is much more realistic, more personal, far more intense.   Expect a different experience from the stage production.

The performances were outstanding.   Vocally, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter give respectable performances of Stephen Sondheim's music, but it was their acting that distinguished them.   Their performances are intense, manic, powerful.   The best musical performances were by Jayne Wisener (Johanna) and Ed Sanders (Toby).   Along with Jamie Campbell Bower (Anthony), these young actors light up the screen.   Alan Rickman was predictably wonderful as Judge Turpin.   Timothy Spall (Beadle Bamford) was good, but I kept wondering how Wormtail ended up in 19th century London.   Sacha Baron Cohen did a good job as Signor Pirelli.

My biggest disappointment was that the Ballad of Sweeney Todd was not sung.   The greatest improvement was the direction for the song By the Sea.   That song never worked for me in the stage production, but in the movie, it's very funny and effective.

I have seen several theatrical productions of Sweeney, and at one time, I owned the soundtrack.   Knowing what to expect did little to lessen the tension.   If you ride a rollercoaster several times, you may know when to expect the drops and loops -- but anticipation only heightens the excitement.   Sweeney is very bloody, very graphic, very, very dark and intense.   It is a total thrill ride.   It's poignant, frightening, funny, gross, and sad.  Director Tim Burton is a genius at telling dark, quirky, surreal tales -- and Sweeney is no exception.  I give Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street five sanguineous stars.

Book Challenges for 2008 -- Part Two

I've picked my books for the 888 Reading Challenge and In Their Shoes Reading Challenge. The overlapping titles are in color.

Books by TARAns
1. Scream for Me, Karen Rose
2. True Pretenses, Karen Lingefelt
3. Good Girls Don't, Kelley St. John
4. Phantom Pleasures, Julie Leto
5. Kill Me Twice, Roxanne St. Claire
6. Chasing Charlie, Kathy Carmichael
7. The Twisted Trail, L. W. Rogers
8. Atlantis Unleashed, Alyssa Day

Memoirs, Biographies, and Autobiographies (In Their Shoes!)
1. Not a Tame Lion: The Spiritual Legacy of C.S. Lewis, Terry W. Glaspey
2. Statesman and Saint: The Principled Politics of William Wilberforce, David J. Vaughan
3. Roman Lives, Plutarch
4. The Parish Papers, George MacDonald
5. Undaunted Courage, Stephen Ambrose (Lewis & Clark)
6. Stephen King, On Writing
7. Travels with Charley in Search of America, John Steinbeck
8. The Pirate Hunter – The True Story of Captain Kidd, Richard Zacks

Award Winners (eight different awards)
1. The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck (Pulitzer)
2. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card (Nebula Award)
3. Speaker for the Dead, Orson Scott Card (Hugo Award)
4. Bootlegger's Daughter, Margaret Maron (Agatha)
5. Lisey's Story, Stephen King (Bram Stoker)
6. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (Richard and Judy Best Read Award)
7. The Devil to Pay (RITA)
8. Citizen Vince, Jess Walter (Edgar)

Fantasy/Science Fiction (including Romantic Fantasy)
1. Dark Celebration, Christine Feehan
2. The Hollow, Nora Roberts
3. Sizzle and Burn, Jayne Ann Krentz
4. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
5. Speaker for the Dead, Orson Scott Card
6. A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin
7. A Clash of Kings, George R. R. Martin
8. A Storm of Swords, George. R. R. Martin

Religion/Philosophy/Christian Living
1. Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyon
2. Pilgrim's Regress, C. S. Lewis
3. Stepping Heavenward, Elizabeth Prentiss
4. Hind's Feet on High Places, Hannah Hurnard
5. The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence
6. Pray with Your Eyes Open, Richard Pratt
7. Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, John Milton
8. The Four Loves, C. S. Lewis

Dystopias
1 Animal Farm, George Orwell
2. We, Yevgeny Zamyatin
3. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
4. 1984, George Orwell
5. Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
6. The Giver, Lois Lowry
7. The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick
8. The Stand, Stephen King

Thrillers (Including Romantic Suspense)
1. The Last Goodbye, Reed Arvin
2. The Good Guy, Dean Koontz
3. Scream for Me, Karen Rose
4. Predatory Game, Christine Feehan
5. Shadow Dance, Julie Garwood
6. Have You Seen Her? Karen Rose
7. The Monk, Matthew Lewis
8. Shadow Music, Julie Garwood

Written before 1940
1. The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck (1939)
2. Paradise Lost (1667) and Paradise Regained (1671), John Milton
3. Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyon (1678)
4. Evelina, Frances Burney (1778)
5. The Monk, Matthew Lewis (1796)
6. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley (1818)
7. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson (1886)
8. The Parish Papers, George MacDonald (1867-1872)

Book Challenges for 2008 -- Part I

My friend Kristi introduced me to book challenges.   I will participate in these two for 2008.

"In their shoes" Reading Challenge. Read memoirs, biographies or autobiographies.   You choose the number to read.   I plan to read eight.  I'm not sure yet which ones.

Triple 8 Challenge   Read eight books in eight categories of your choosing in 2008.   You may have eight overlaps, so a minimum of 56 books.

Here are my thoughts on categories so far:

Books by TARAns

Memoirs, Biographies, and Autobiographies (In Their Shoes!)

Award Winners (eight different awards)

Fantasy/Science Fiction (including Romantic Fantasy)

Religion/Philosophy/Christian Living

Around the World

Thrillers (Including Romantic Suspense)

Written before 1940

I'll let you know when I figure out the books.   Please let me know if you are doing these or any other reading challenges.

Perspective and Purpose

One of the best ways to get out of a funk is to help someone else.   Part of the reasons this works, I suppose, is that when we see others in need, it reminds us that we aren't alone in our problems.   Serving others gives us perspective and purpose.

Serving and giving are great ways to show thankfulness and to demonstrate love.   The world's needs are great, so finding a place to plug in and help is pretty easy.   I have links to some of my favorite charities and ministries in my blog.   Find a place of your own and start giving of yourself -- your time, your talents, your treasure.

Happiness cannot come from without.  It must come from within.  It is not what we see and touch or that which others do for us which makes us happy; it is that which we think and feel and do, first for the other fellow and then for ourselves.   Helen Keller

Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.

Oren Arnold

Count Your Blessings

When I'm worried and I can't sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings.

Name that movie.

1954.   Vera-Ellen.   Rosemary Clooney.   Danny Kaye.   Bing Crosby.   The above song, written by Irving Berlin, was nominated for an Oscar.   Too easy?   It should be.   White Christmas.

I love that movie.   As far as I'm concerned, if there were a Canon of Christmas Movies, White Christmas would be among the greats – along with the Miracle on 34th Street (1947, Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwinn and Natalie Wood), It's a Wonderful Life (1946, James Stewart, Donna Reed), Scrooge (1951, Alistair Sim), A Christmas Story (1983, Melinda Dillon, Darin McGavin, Peter Billingsley) and Christmas Vacation (1989, Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo).

I love Christmas Vacation.   It's everything our celebrations generally are.   Lights that tangle and don't light.   Relatives that bicker.  Children that complain.   Kitty-Os in the jello salad.   Crazed squirrels.   (Or is that just my house?)   Clark Griswold is my soulmate.   We both have expectations we can never hope to meet.

Ellen: You set standards that no family activity can live up to.
Clark: When have I ever done that?
Ellen: Parties, weddings, anniversaries, funerals, holidays, vacations, graduations....

Clark Griswold has watched White Christmas too many times.

White Christmas is 1950s Utopia in Vistavision.   Vera-Ellen looks more put together in her flannel pjs after sleeping on a train or after sweating from a strenuous dance routine than I did on my wedding day.   She and Rosemary Clooney wear the most gorgeous dresses throughout the film, and they never get wrinkled or spill hot chocolate on themselves.  

In White Christmas, even World War II looks clean.   Patriotism is the norm.   Democrats in Vermont are rare.   {Giggle}   Dashing Danny Kaye dances into Vera-Ellen's life.   (The best things happen while you're dancing….)   White knight Bing Crosby croons his way into Rosemary Clooney's heart.   Soldiers from all over the country fill the lodge to honor of General Waverly, the boys get the girls, and the long-awaited snow falls to the strains of, what else, White Christmas.   I love a good romance.

What does any of this have to do with being thankful even in difficult circumstances?   I believe that if you look hard enough, you can find wisdom anywhere – even Hollywood.

When you're worried, depressed, or troubled, count your blessings.   Think of all the good things in your life.  Or as Paul wrote,

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. – Philippians 4:8

When times are trying, remember when times were rough before – and how you came through them.   In the Old Testament, God's people are constantly instructed to remember, to repeat what God has done in their lives.   It's not that God needs our constant praise (although He deserves it) – it's that we need to remember who He is and what He has done in our lives and in the lives of others.   Remembering His faithfulness gives us courage to live.

Don't have unreasonable expectations.   Real life is more Family Vacation or A Christmas Story than White Christmas – which becomes very apparent when you dress up four children and try to keep them clean and looking at the camera for that family Christmas photo.   Strive for perfection in the areas that are meaningful – in love, in forgiveness, in humility, in faithfulness – and be flexible with all the other stuff.

Even when things aren't perfect, when circumstances aren't what we expect, when Cousin Eddie arrives unannounced, parks his RV in your front yard, and empties his chemical toilet in your sewer, you can still find joy.   When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.   Or to borrow from A Christmas Story, when the Bumpuses's hounds steal the Christmas turkey, find a Chinese restaurant and discover Peking Duck.   (Fa ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra.)

Remember these things, and you'll find joy and thankfulness.

Oh, and one more thing – don't eat Aunt Bethany's jello.

Going through the Grits

I have a theory.   Given enough time, patience, and sandpaper, a person can fell a full-grown oak tree.   I'm reasonably confident of this hypothesis. After all, wind and water can shape rock over time.   I'd say the chances are infinitely better than that of an infinite number of monkeys with typewriters completing the works of William Shakespeare.

But even if it is possible, why would you do it?   It would be a silly use of your time and resources.   Even I know that if you want to cut down a large tree, you need a large saw with large sharp teeth – preferably powered by something other than muscle.

A carpenter chooses the tools he needs to shape the wood into a beautiful, useful item.   One saw for cutting the tree, another for ripping boards.   A lathe for turning legs, a fine tool for carving designs.   Occasionally, a woodworker will shape wood by exposing it to boiling water or steam and pressing or stretching it over a form.

When the item has been built, the carpenter will want to give it a beautiful finish.   Now is the time to reach for that sandpaper.   Woodworkers talk about "going through the grits."   Sadly, this has nothing to do with devouring Southern corn porridge seasoned with salt, pepper, butter, and maybe a bit of cheese.   To a woodworker, going through the grits means to move progressively from coarse to fine sandpaper to remove blemishes and leave a smooth finish.   As tempting as it might be to skip a few grades, this may not produce the best results.

We are a lot like the oak.   Adversity may cut and scrape and pound and expose us to great heat and pressure.   Pain and loss and tears and grief are some of the tools that shape our lives into things of beauty and purpose.   The apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 5:3-4:

…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

If we follow Paul's advice, if we will offer a sacrifice of Thanksgiving through pain and adversity, adversity can transform us.   Helen Keller believed:

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet.  Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

There are no shortcuts – we can't bypass the saws for the sandpaper.   Trials can give us perspective, produce humility, drive us to a reliance on God, create hearts sensitive to the needs of others, teach patience, strengthen our character, and increase our appreciation for our blessings – but only if we embrace the lessons they teach.   Swiss writer/philosopher Henri-Frédéric Amiel once wrote,

You desire to know the art of living, my friend? It is contained in one phrase: make use of suffering.

  We'll explore how we might make use of our suffering next.

Leprosy

I first heard of leprosy in Bible stories as a child.   I wasn't too clear on what it was, but if you had it, it was gross. and no one wanted to be near you.   I learned more about leprosy reading Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.   The anti-hero in this epic fantasy, Thomas Covenant, is a modern-day man with leprosy. That alone was a revelation.   Until then, I thought leprosy was a thing of the past.   Donaldson grew up in India where his father served as a medical missionary, and he injects his knowledge of the disease into his books.

The other surprising thing I learned from Thomas Covenant is that leprosy damages the victim's peripheral nerves, leaving him unable to feel pain in those areas.   Diabetics face a similar problem with their feet.   If you can't feel pain, you don't realize if you've been hurt, and you may develop a serious injury or infection and be unaware of it.

My brother-in-law is an avid golfer.   One day, an errant golf ball connected with his, um, family jewels.   Needless to say, he experienced excruciating pain. When the pain didn't go away a few days later, he visited his doctor, who subsequently discovered testicular cancer.   Until the golf ball made contact, he was completely unaware he had a problem.   Pain probably saved his life.

The fundamental purpose of pain in our bodies is to make us aware we have a problem.   Pain reminds us to avoid touching a hot stove, to wear shoes, to seek shade on a hot day.   Pain is necessary to our safety.   Can we carry on this analogy to other types of adversity?

Some of life's problems can serve as an early-warning sign.   When a teacher catches a student with drugs at school, his parents are devastated, but they also have the opportunity to seek help before the problem gets worse.   When an adult loses a job, it might signal the need for a career change.   A child's failing grade in reading may alert a parent to poor eyesight or dyslexia.

As difficulties in life are inevitable, we'd like to believe they have a purpose.   We've looked at some purposes for pain and adversity – to help us relate to others, to test and reveal our character, to reveal the attributes of God, and to alert us to existing or impending underlying problems.   Trials can do more than alert us to the need for change; trials can be the agents of change.   We'll look at that next.

GMC

Before I joined TARA, if you had asked me about my GMC, I would have described the pick-up truck my dad drove during the '70s.

But when a writer refers to the GMC, she is referring to Goal, Motivation and Conflict as described in the classic book by Debra Dixon.   The GMC drives the plot.   (Pun intended.)   It can be defined as follows:

Goal – what the character wants
Motivation – why the character wants it
Conflict – why the character can't have it

I've been contemplating whether or not I could apply the GMC model to real life.   We all have goals.   Simple goals.  Complex goals.   External goals and internal goals.   Whether it is to fix the kids a healthy lunch, lose weight, or get to work on time, we have hundreds of goals every single day.

We all have motivations behind these goals as well.   We want to fix the kids a healthy lunch because we love them.   We want to lose weight because that 25th reunion is around the corner.   We want to get to work on time because we value our jobs.

So far, so good.   Now we come to conflict.   We know we have plenty of that!   I want to fix the kids a healthy lunch because I love them, but the dog snagged the loaf of whole wheat bread from the counter and ate it.   I want to lose weight in order to look good for that reunion, but Thanksgiving and Christmas arrive first – with all that tempting food.   I want to get to work on time because I value my job, but I picked up a nail in my tire and have a flat.   Sometimes the conflict is a consequence of our action or inaction, other times it arises from sources beyond our control.   But wherever it comes from, we have it to spare!

The difference between an author's GMC and real life is that in real life, we do not want conflict.   We do everything we can to avoid it.   We pray to be delivered from it.

An author, on the other hand, creates characters she loves, then tortures them for your reading pleasure.   There are a few important reasons an author persecutes her characters.

Without conflict, a story is boring.   Imagine a 400-page novelization of Teletubbies or the Wiggles.   No, even those shows have conflict of the mildest sort.   Four hundred pages of dialogue from a Wal-Mart greeter?

Conflict helps readers connect with the characters in a story.   If you are divorced, you may relate to a character who is looking for love after a divorce.   If you are fighting cancer, you may understand a character who struggles with the disease.   If you are an archaeologist with an expertise in medieval weaponry who is chasing a serial killer who murders his victims in bizarre ways, you've been reading Karen Rose's Die for Me too long.   Put the book down and step away.   (Sorry.   I couldn't resist.)

Conflict also helps an author reveal a character's moral fiber.   How do I show that the heroine is strong if she never struggles?   How can you learn that a hero is faithful if he is never tempted?   How will we know a character is courageous if he never faces difficult circumstances?

Author Julie Leto writes "tough-cookie heroines" -- so tough, she needs some serious conflict to reveal any weaknesses.   "One of the only ways I can make my heroines vulnerable is to have them nearly electrocuted and put in the hospital."

An author has great reasons to inject lots and lots of conflict into stories, but do we need adversity in real life?   A boring life doesn't sound so bad to me.   It reminds me of the supposed ancient Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times."

Does adversity help us connect with others?   Look at the proliferation of support groups for your answer.   We all suffer in various ways, and no one understands our pain like someone who has been through it.

After my ectopic pregnancy, I went through a period of serious depression.   My concerned husband called my OB/GYN, who referred us to a pregnancy and infant loss support group at our local hospital.   The group was led by a couple who had experienced two miscarriages.   We found tremendous healing in that group and became good friends with this couple.   Later on, our experiences in infertility led us to help start an infertility support group in our community.

Experiencing infertility and losing a pregnancy made us more sensitive to others in the same situation.   We were helped by a couple who suffered before us, and in turn, we were able to help others in need.   In hindsight, I can see purpose in the pain we faced when we lost our first baby.

Adversity definitely tests and reveals our moral fiber.   It can also reveal the character and nature of God.   In John 9:1-3, we read:

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

Jesus went on to give the blind man his sight.

I don't want to carry this analogy too far.   I don't want to cast the Creator as some Cosmic Stephen King, merrily inflicting terror and disaster on His creations for His own entertainment.   I only want to illustrate that pain may have a purpose – to help us to relate to those in need, to test and reveal our own strengths and weaknesses, and to reveal the character of God.   Does pain serve any other purpose?   We'll continue exploring that soon.

Pain with a Purpose

In 1988, my husband and I attended natural childbirth classes in anticipation of the arrival of our firstborn child.   I remember one of the films we watched described labor as "pain with a purpose."

Although I resented the statements that described labor pains as "discomfort" or "tightening" instead of mind-searing, gut-wrenching agony – I did appreciate the concept of pain with a purpose.   We marched into the labor room armed with a wedding photo as a focal point and tapes full of soothing music like Pachelbel's Canon in D Major and Handel's Water Music.   Hours and hours later, our son Christopher was born.   The concept of pain with a purpose helped me handle a difficult labor, and unlike Alex in A Clockwork Orange, I still enjoy classical music without experiencing physical pain.

Labor was the most intense physical pain I've ever experienced, but it wasn't the worst pain I have experienced.   The worst pain came a year earlier, when I lost our first baby in an ectopic pregnancy.

We had suffered through infertility treatments for 18 months before I had the joy of finding two faint blue lines on the home pregnancy test.   I was ecstatic.   Everything looked sharper.   Colors appeared brighter.   The world held great promise – for five glorious days.

That's when I started spotting.   Then the pain began.   Five days, two trips to the emergency room, two ultrasounds, and a hospital stay later, the doctors told me I was probably miscarrying and sent me home.   The following day, I ruptured.   The pain was excruciating, right up until the time I passed out.   I was in surgery for two and a half hours.   In recovery, while I was still out of my head from the anesthesia, my husband recalls I chanted over and over "It hurts. It hurts. It hurts."

But what really hurt was that, on top of all the physical pain, we had lost our baby, and I had lost a fallopian tube.   The chances of ever having another child were reduced, and I was desolate.   All that pain had no purpose, or at least no good purpose that I could discern.

A friend recently reminded me of the story of Joseph (the one with the Technicolor Dreamcoat).   You can read the story in the book of Genesis, Chapters 37, and 39-48.   Joseph's envious brothers sold him into slavery.   Once in Egypt, his master Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph of attacking her.   Potiphar cast Joseph into prison.

I can't imagine the pain of that betrayal by his own brothers or the fear that prison brought.   Personally, I would have been bitterly angry and would have railed against the injustice.   But Joseph was confident that God had a purpose for everything that happened, and he patiently continued to serve God in whatever way he could.

Joseph's faith was rewarded.   God used Joseph to interpret Pharoah's dreams.   Because of Joseph, the nation of Egypt was saved from famine – as was the nation of Israel.   When Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, they were afraid.   But Joseph told them:

And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.   For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping.   But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.   Genesis 45:5-7.

God eventually revealed His purpose to Joseph, but before he knew God's intent, Joseph trusted that the Lord had a purpose for his difficulties.   It is easier to handle pain, to give thanks through adversity, if you know there is a purpose.   Most of us don't have the luxury of knowing that our pain has a purpose.   Or do we?   Let's explore that next.

The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving.   The word brings to mind many things to a 21st century American.   Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock.   Myles Standish and Massasoit.   Family gatherings.   Football.   And of course, an abundance of food.   For me, that food always includes roast turkey, cranberry sauce, my father's cornbread and sage dressing, my mother's fruit salad, and pumpkin pie.

But the tradition of a thanksgiving meal goes back thousands of years before the Mayflower.   Back in the days of Leviticus, one of the sacrifices offered was the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving.   The thanksgiving sacrifice was a peace offering given to thank God for His grace and to restore a right relation between God and man – a relationship broken by man's sin.   According to JewishEncyclopedia.com, peace offerings were usually private offerings.   A family would present oxen, sheep or goats to be sacrificed.   The sacrifice was followed by a joyous sacrificial meal.

Today, we don't thank God by sacrificing oxen, sheep, goats, or even turkeys.   In fact, sacrifice does not seem to be a word that goes well with the traditions of an American Thanksgiving.   Sacrifice involves the destruction, surrender or loss of something as an offering to God.   Thanksgiving is not about sacrifice but indulgence – isn't it?

Even though our Thanksgiving traditions focus on celebration and even indulgence, the act of giving thanks can be a sacrifice.   Sometimes it is difficult to see and give thanks for our blessings when life seems full of uncertainty, pain, or grief.   Some of my family members, friends and acquaintances face some difficult times this holiday season.   I'm thinking of:

a woman spending her first Thanksgiving since her divorce

a boy who lost his beloved pet dog

a woman with breast cancer recovering from surgery

a woman confronting a life of pain with no relief in sight

a woman facing a hysterectomy and unemployment

siblings and parents who are estranged

a man struggling with drug and alcohol addictions

a woman striving to keep her family warm this winter.

a single mother fighting for child support for her daughter

a family who lost many possesions in a fire

a couple spending the holidays separated from their young son

spouses and parents serving in the military separated from their loved ones.

What do we destroy, surrender, or lose in offering to God when we give thanks through difficulties?   Perhaps we destroy the idea that our present pain is significant in light of God's eternal purpose.   We surrender fear, loneliness, despair, longing, bitterness, and regret.   We lose the right to nurse our grief or grievances.   We surrender ourselves to joy and hope.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I am going to explore the meaning of thanksgiving over the next few days.   I hope you'll join in the journey.

Love Songs

Romantic that I am, I love a good love story and a good love song.   The ultimate love story is one of a perfect love thwarted by separation, betrayal, or brokenness, redeemed by some great act of courage or sacrifice, culminating in reunion, restoration, and the obligatory happily ever after.

In that light, here are some of my favorite love songs.

This Fragile Breath – Todd Agnew
Grace Like Rain

I searched the world for a song that I could sing,
Praise to my King, a gift that I could bring.
But no music I found could compare to You
Not one could do justice to Your glory.
What are my songs compared to Yours?

Chorus:
You speak with thunder and lightning
Your voice shakes the mountains
The foundations of the earth.
All I can offer is this fragile breath,
With each one I'll praise You
With each one I'll praise You more.

I searched the world for a poem I could read,
A rhyme that would bring glory to my King.
But no writing I found was worthy of
This God high above all other gods.
What are my words compared to Yours?

Chorus

Speak to me, speak to me please.
Won't You speak to me?

Chorus

Look at Me – The Waiting
Blue Belly Sky

Golden bars of sunlight come sneaking through the shutters
Laying stripes on my back like a zebra.
Sweaty fingers turning pages, and clinging to the bed
Like it's a bride and I never want to leave her.

Paul calls me a saint and the mattress shakes with laughter
And the sheets let out a chuckle while the pillow holds one in.
I don't believe a word I read, but the man is so convincing
Says You're calling me a winner of a game I never win.

But with every word I read I feel Your eyes upon me
And I don't mind at all.

Chorus
I love the way You look at me, the way You steer Your eyes
To see the bride beneath the harlot's skin, the virtue underneath the sin.
I love the way You look at me, when You lift the veil and You repeat Your vow.


Get up for the shower, wash, and scrub, and scour every part
As if a cleaner man could better bear the shame.
Now, move out into the sunlight, a frightened fool
There's reason for my fright, for I'm a messenger who's forgetting why he came.

But with every step I take I feel Your eyes are on me,
And I don't mind at all.


For when You look at me, You see every drop of blood You spent.
Like the color that comes creeping to my face.
It is such sweet embarrassment to see the dowry that You paid for my cold embrace.
But I'll never, never, never let You go because...

Chorus

Who Am I -- Casting Crowns
Casting Crowns

Who am I
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt?
Who am I
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart?

Bridge:
Not because of who I am,
But because of what You've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who You are.

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still You hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling,
And You've told me who I am.
I am Yours.
I am Yours.

Who am I
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again?
Who am I
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me?

Not because of who I am,
But because of what You've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who You are.


I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still You hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling,
And You've told me who I am.
I am Yours.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what You've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who You are.


I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still You hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling,
And You've told me who I am.
I am Yours.
I am Yours.

I am Yours.

Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?
'Cause I am Yours.
I am Yours.

Auntie's Brag

Just a plug for the new J. Calton Watters online store on Etsy.com. Julie's a very talented artist -- and I'm not at all biased.

J. Calton Watters -- Artist.

Julie Calton Watters on Alabama Tourism site.

Creative Holiday Shopping Guide

And now for something completely different ....

For weeks now, Wal-Mart has stocked its shelves with Christmas decorations -- which irritates me to no end.   The Christmas shopping season with all its trappings should not begin until the day after Thanksgiving.   I make no apologies for this sentiment, unabashed capitalist though I am.

But I'm also a notorious procrastinator.   So to get a step ahead this season, I'm going to compile and share with you, in no particular order, my Creative Holiday Shopping Guide.  With six people, two dogs, a cat, and a ball python living under one roof, our family really doesn't need a lot more clutter.   I generally prefer gifts that don't require feeding, dusting, or maintenance.   You can vary many of the ideas to suit your budget.

#1 -- Books.   A recent poll showed that one in four adults in the U.S. read no books last year.  Shameful!   There are so many wonderful writers out there, so many terrific books.  Reading fosters creativity and imagination, helps with concentration, and opens up new worlds of information.   Bookstores are full of wonderful books on all manner of subjects, including Large Print Editions for older readers.   For some ideas, click on my bookshelf or on the list of blogs, many of which are by writers.

#2 -- Books on Tape/CD.  I discovered these while driving to a writer's conference last month.   I picked one up at a Cracker Barrel in Florida, and Nora Roberts kept me company until I pulled into Atlanta.   I've discovered these also make housework a lot more fun. Cracker Barrel refunds most of your purchase price if you return the recording within a week, so maybe a gift certificate to Cracker Barrel would be a good idea.

#3 -- Games.   Games often have small pieces.   Like the dread LEGO or Barbie shoe, these can wreak havoc on your vacuum or your bare foot.   Even so, games can be a lot of fun. I'm not talking video games, but games that involve two or more individuals interacting around a table or in the living room.   Games like Nanofictionary.   My son Chris was introduced to this while on a mission trip a few years back.  LooneyLabs calls it the card game of telling tiny stories.  You are dealt a hand of cards, including Character, Setting, Problem and Resolution, as well as some other cards to make play more interesting.   You need to collect a certain number of these cards, and then tell your tiny story to the rest of the players.   Our favorite resolution, hands down, is "and that's how duct tape saved the day again."  Perfect for someone who loves writing or improv.  If you have a favorite game, share it in a comment.

#4 -- Tickets.   One of my favorite gifts last year (attached to four cans of SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM) was two tickets to Spamalot.   Tickets to sporting events, shows, movies, and festivals don't need a lot of wrapping or expensive shipping.   They pull us away from our computer screens (kicking and screaming) and involve us in the world around us.   They support local teams or the arts.  Maybe you can't afford tickets to a Broadway touring company production, but you could afford tickets to the local civic theater, college, or high school theater.  You'd be surprised how wonderful these productions can be.   Throw in dinner and a box of chocolates or a bottle of wine, and you'll really romance your sweetheart.   Or add a cooler full of sodas and beer and a picnic basket to those sporting events tickets, and you'll have a very happy honey.

#5 -- Charitable Gifts.   I have mixed feelings about giving something in honor of someone else.   It can really be a non-gift if the charity isn't something of great interest to the honoree.   But if someone on your list has a passionate interest in a cause, a gift in their name might be a wonderful surprise.   {See my last blog entry for how to donate a Long Lasting Insecticidal Net (LLIN) to help combat malaria.)   Just keep in mind that a gift should reflect the needs, wants, and interests of the recipient, not your own.

#6 -- Memberships.   How long has it been since you've visited your local museum, zoo, botanical gardens, or science center?   Many of these have affordable annual memberships for individuals and families.  Just make sure that the membership is something that would interest the recipient.

#7 -- Subscriptions.   There are wonderful magazines out there for every interest -- cooking, travel, home improvement, business, sports, pets, history, electronics, entertainment, gardening -- you name it.   Sometimes it's nice to package a gift subscription card with an appropriate token -- a spatula with Cook's Illustrated or a USB flash drive with PC Magazine.

#8 -- Ornaments.   One year, we sent glass flamingos wearing santa hats to all the relatives in Connecticut.   We've received some lovely personal ornaments throughout the years.   Ornaments are great, because they remind you of the giver year after year. 

#9 -- Lessons.   I've always wished I could {knit, sew, sail, salsa dance, decorate cakes, grow orchids, ski, make stained glass, play piano, arrange flowers, do woodworking, ______________}. If you've ever heard your loved one utter those words, you have a gift idea.   Lessons broaden horizons and stretch abilities.   Lessons they enjoy show you not only know their dreams, but you also support them.   Priceless.   Lessons can be expensive, but you can often find reasonably-priced instruction at your local craft or fabric stores, home improvement stores, vo-tech schools, or community colleges.

#10 -- Food and Wine.   Everyone eats, making food an obvious choice.   Of course, with dietary restrictions, you have to be careful when choosing food or beverage gifts.   I'm a foodie, and I know from bitter experience that many of those pretty holiday gift packages look lovely but taste nasty.   If you are a decent baker, homemade gifts can be a real treat.   I bake a mean Christmas cookie -- better than anything you can get prepackaged and better than most you would buy in a bakery.   That's because I use fresh, high-quality ingredients and add a lot of love.   Baking isn't necessarily inexpensive, but it is usually appreciated.

If baking isn't your style, there are many books for making homemade mixes.   Packaged in canning jars with pretty labels and a cap of holiday fabric, these can be a wonderful gift.   One year, we gave pretty jars filled with a special pancake mix we put together -- perfect for breakfast on Christmas or New Years -- to all the teachers on our list.  Don't forget to include the recipe.  Here's a recipe for Baking Mixes.  If you don't want to make your own mix, King Arthur makes wonderful mixes like these for scones.   I've never had a bad mix from King Arthur.

Certain ingredients can be expensive which might keep them off of the every day shopping list.   Perhaps the chef in your life would enjoy spices from Penzeys.   If your region of the country has a food specialty, it might make a treasured gift for your friends and relatives far away.

Wine can be a lovely gift, but not everyone likes wine, or even the same kinds of wine.   When it comes to wines, I like it sweet and wet.   Give me a Riesling or Liebfraumilch Auslese or Spätlese, Eiswein, a late-harvest red or sparkling wine, or a bottle of Cockburn Port, and I'm a happy camper.   My friend Shannon likes her wine dry.  She would prefer a dry Cabernet to any of those I like.   You don't have to be an expert to give a nice bottle of wine.   Many stores have ratings from organizations like Wine Spectator displayed on the shelves.   If you know your friend's tastes, you can choose a fine wine within your budget.

One final word of warning:   if you're giving a gift of food, please let the recipient and anyone helping with its transportation know it's perishable when you give it.   Once, we sent a nicely-wrapped summer sausage to my father-in-law.   Unfortunately, the person carrying the gift to Miami didn't get it to him right away.   Summer sausage is pretty hardy stuff, but Miami winters are warm.  Perhaps it was left in the trunk of the car....   All I know is that my father-in-law received a rotten sausage for Christmas that year.   He still speaks to me, forgiving soul that he is.  Sorry, Ed.

Please share your favorite gift ideas in a comment.   I would like to finish my holiday shopping early, so I can spend Advent and Christmas concentrating on the reason for the season.

Malaria isn't History

In 1942, Robert Kanavel, an 18-year old Navy Hospital Corpsman, left the MOB 5 Hospital on New Caledonia and headed to Guadalcanal as a volunteer for innovative Malaria Control Unit “Skeeter Beaters.”   Early in the Pacific Campaign of WWII, malaria caused more Allied deaths than did Japanese bullets.   With the help of his unit and others which followed, casualties in the Pacific were cut by 98%.  Many of the Skeeter Beaters, including my father, Pharmacist Mate Kanavel, contracted malaria while fighting it.

Malaria isn’t history.  According to the World Health Organization(WHO), malaria kills more than one million people each year.  More than 40% of the world’s population is at risk, in areas such as Africa, Central America, Hispaniola, India, the Middle East, Oceania, South America, and Southeast Asia.  Children and pregnant women are most at risk.  The Centers for Disease Control   (CDC) report that malaria is the fourth leading cause of death for children under five years of age worldwide.   A child dies of malaria every 30 seconds.

The Skeeter Beaters are still fighting malaria.   Joining with the charity Against Malaria, Skeeter Beaters, their families, and friends are helping to combat the illness by purchasing long lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN).   You can join them. A contribution of only $5.00 buys one LLIN. You can also contribute to the Skeeter Beater legacy by purchasing items from the Skeeter Beaters -- U. S. Navy Malaria Control Unit Cactus online store.   The proceeds will be donated to Against Malaria in honor of Malaria Control Unit Cactus.

Every day, the number of children who die of malaria would fill seven jumbo jets.   In the time it took you to read this, another two children have died.  Please join the fight against malaria.

Miscellany

Looking back at my previous posts, I thought I should share a few comments.

In my poem, My Husband, I expressed appreciation to Dean Koontz.   I wish I could say it's because he's my friend and mentor, but, alas, no.   He is my favorite contemporary author.   Guy gave me his most recent publication, Brother Odd, for Christmas, and it is a wonderful book.   Although it could stand on its own, I'd recommend reading Odd Thomas and Forever Odd first.   You won't be disappointed.   The character of Odd Thomas is delightful.   I want to take him home with me.

Also in 2006, Dean Koontz published The Husband -- another gift from Guy.  It's a thriller about a landscaper whose wife is kidnapped and held hostage for $2 million -- not an amount your average working person keeps on hand.   I won't spoil the plot -- you should read it. Start it when you have several hours, because you won't want to put it down once you've started.   My inspiration was a line spoken by Mitch, the lead character in the story.

"I'm a husband. I cultivate. Preserve."

That's good stuff, so I built on it.   Thanks, Dean.  You rock!

My poem looks at the word husband from its agricultural definition and carries those characteristics into a marriage relationship.   A husband tills and cultivates.   He faithfully manages plants and animals in his care with a goal of improving the welfare of the life under his husbandry.   I think that's true of any good husband.

I was also looking back at my blog post SPAM and Eggs -- which reminded me that Guy and I recently saw Spamalot.   (Another gift from my most excellent husband who truly knows my heart.)   Here's my quick review of the show.

Delightful!   Hilarious!   It's the only show I've ever seen that had the audience laughing in the Overture.   I don't know how well it would appeal to folks who like Monty Python but have not seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail.   If you don't like Monty Python, don't waste your money on a ticket to Spamalot.

The show differed a bit from the movie.   Several characters were combined, and the Lady of the Lake, who is only mentioned in the movie, practically steals the show in Spamalot.   You'll see most of your favorite bits, but some were omitted.   The Bridge of Death scene is gone as is The Tale of Sir Galahad at Castle Anthrax.   However, most of your favorites are there, as well as a few new bits.

From a theological perspective -- Spamalot, like most Monty Python, is somewhat disrespectful towards religion.   Spamalot parodies the Arthurian grail legends, so God does enter the picture.   Well, His foot does, in any case.   If you're prone to being offended, there's plenty to offend -- self-flagellating monks, irreverent depictions of God, and the zany musical number You Won't Succeed on Broadway (if you haven't any Jews.)   Add to that the YMCA-like number with Lancelot, and the squeamish should definitely stay away.   Evangelically-minded souls could use the show as a springboard to discuss the understandings and misunderstandings of the nature of God in the Middle Ages -- perhaps over a cup of latte or a nice glass of port after the show.   Or not.   The show is funny.   It's not instructional.   It doesn't offer any great social commentary.   It's just funny.

It's funny, that is, if you find the Black Plague, shrubbery, dismembered knights and coconut-laden swallows uproarious -- which I do.   If you don't, I hear The Lion King is excellent.   If you dine before the show -- save room for SPAM.   The Spammobile was parked in front of the theater, giving away free samples.

My Husband

My Husband
(For Guy, with grateful appreciation to Dean Koontz)

Years ago, you captured my heart with a kiss.
You bound it to yours with dreams and passion.
But my heart is not a beast that, once vanquished,
Is forever tame.

My heart is a creature caught yet wild --
Faithful, but prone to wander.
Bind it to yours with silken chains
Of tenderness and desire.

Like other wild things
Captive, but not crushed,
My heart requires tending --
Protection and provision.

Brand my breast with the fire of your passion,
Train and nurture my heart with your love.
Create for me a peaceful habitat
Where I can thrive and grow strong,
For you are my husband.

Years ago, you took my hand in yours.
Before God and many witnesses,
We said the words.
I gave myself to you, and you, to me.

We pledged to love,
To honor and to cherish
For as long as we both draw breath.
You cleave to me. I cleave to you
For you are my husband.

My Father created me and
Gave me a will of my own.
My will is vigorous and oft
Grows wild and uncontrolled.

My will is a robust vine ungoverned.
My heart, an undressed vineyard.
I wilt in the heat of trials.
My fruits wither on the vine.

Train my wandering heart with gentleness,
Uphold me with your strength.
Bind my heart upright to you
So I will grow with grace and flourish.
For you are my husband.

Your touch is like water on parched earth.
Nothing else will slake my thirst.
Your love makes me grow beautiful.
In your safety, my harvest is abundant.

Set your seal upon my lips,
Your brand upon my breast.
Bind my heart to yours and yours alone.
Fix your mark upon me.

For while we both yet breathe,
You are my husband.

With gentle attendance
And unbridled ardor,
You aid and nourish.
You strengthen and encourage.
You provide and protect,
Cultivate and preserve.
You are my husband.

Copyright 2007 Sandra D. Coburn All rights reserved.