Powerful Books and Marriage Minutes

When I started writing this blog, I hoped to change the problem of spiritual and related domestic abuse in certain Evangelical churches. I didn't think I'd manage to do much. Still, I felt responsible for doing what I could to voice my experiences and offer some good reasons and resources to help people reconsider allegedly Christian ideas that both actively and passively facilitated these abuses. 

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Remembering Sir Nicholas Winton and Hot Dogs on Independence Day

Image pirated from Despair.com

[ETA:  I learned the day after I published this that Sir Winton passed away in 2015, not 2019.  Though I'm glad for the error because of the common themes between what he did for innocent children and what many children currently suffer at the US/Mexico border.]

Today, we Americans celebrate the Declaration of our Independence from crazy King George III and the British Parliament's entitlement to our then colonial livelihood. Informed and misinformed by a host of influences, my understanding of it all and my cause to celebrate continues to change, but I don't hesitate to do so. I celebrate for sundry reasons and causes of heritage, lineage, religious freedom, and the precious gift of liberty. For those who are denied such blessings, I pray, grieve, and mourn.

I descended from a family of three French militia mercenaries who claimed Pennsylvania as their home and marched under a flag bearing a rattlesnake.  Dr Forrest Moyer who is known as the “Father of Pediatrics” in Allentown, PA spent three days and nights in a cot beside me after my birth, years before the advent of neonatal intensive care units there. He told my parents to expect my death, and I am proud that I was baptized as a Moravian that morning.

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Mother's Day Thoughts

Found on social media:

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How to I Respond to the Mother's Day Merging of Nationalism and Christian Cheese?

I have no idea how I ended up on this list or what happened, but I received this invitation to donate to this Mother's Day fund drive. I'm on enough mailing lists that I know are bought and sold among Christian ministries, so I'm not a bit surprised. 

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Mother's Day Outside of the Cruel Quiver

CLICK TO ENLARGE

This past year, I saw this meme that my best friend put up on social media. I am so happy for her and I'm so glad that she let me be a part of her life. She let me share in her family life, and her children, now grown, are still precious to me. She's now a grandma, and I am so happy for her – and it was so sweet to see her kids play aunt and uncle.

Another friend of mine has been overjoyed with her adult children, is about to become a grandma, and she is so thankful for and proud of her daughters. She shared a card that her daughter sent to her, and my heart was just so happy for her. And it's so significant to me because the parenting she received was lacking in so many ways. Lots of neglect. Lots of abuse. I think she also takes joy in watching her daughters conquer their corners of the world and expresses that joy so freely. (It's something that seems so foreign to me from my own experience as a daughter.)

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Anticipating Father's Day

Excerpt from a previous post  ~  

Purity Balls

A few days ago, I happened to see some new photos of fathers and daughters at purity balls by photographer David Magnusson from his book on the subject that will be available later this year. The portraits were featured on several online sites, but despite the “colorful” language of vulgarity in the commentary, this site shows more of the pictures in an easy-to-view format. Some of them look like the dads are getting ready to lead their girls off to the slaughter, or perhaps they were on their way to a funeral. Some of them actually remind me of a sick version of American Gothic, primarily because the poses don't look anything like ones that I find appropriate for fathers and daughters. I also can't get beyond why they all look so morbid in their expressions. ??? I'm also noted for my strong opinion about the depiction of such a ritual in Courageous, a Quiverfull Movement indoctrination film.

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The Drama of Mother's Day in High Demand Religion

For many reasons, Mother's Day takes on great significance for me this year. I turn fifty later this year, and my high hopes of possibility of having a baby of my own have vaporized with my age.

My next sentence that I must write? I take a deep breath, as I know well the showers of words of well wishers who ask why why didn't pursue adoption. The answer to that question is very complex and only people who struggle daily with chronic illness – those often suffered by children who grew up in troubled families – aren't really anyone's business.

But people ask, and people pressure for answers that they find comforting and satisfying to them with little awareness or regard for any pain that such questions might pose for others. They ask because we human beings fantasize and idealize the virtues of motherhood, and we need them. But for many of us, the reality of the subject of motherhood is not at all pleasant.

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Considering Angst as a Healthy Part of Growth while Anticipating Mother's Day

The Quiverfull and Patriarchy Movements in Evangelical Christianity (which are strongly associated with the Religious Right and with the homeschooling movement among Christians) understand any deviation “from family” as a great moral problem. 

 Family translates for many as only the specific will of the parent, and for many, this means obsequious submission to the “vision” of the father concerning even banal elements of daily life. Not every family is so stringent, but children, budding adult children, and fully grown adults are expected to write their lives according to the dictates of the family script of their family of origin. Such families do not tolerate true differentiation from their ideal, regardless of what price children may pay.

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Anticipating Mother's Day

Mother's Day (Cindy Kunsman)

My first multimedia work inspired by a vignette about five year old Ashley's behavior described by Francine Shapiro in EMDR: The Breakthrough 'Eye Movement' Therapy for Overcoming Anxiety, Stress and Trauma.

I know too well what it's like to be Ashley.

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A Christmas Analogy: "Be a Womb. Be Surprised."

On this Christmas Day, I think back to the many which came before this one, considering from whence I came and where I will be on Christmas Days yet to come, as God is willing to give them to me. I also think of the significance of all of the elements of the birth of Jesus, the long awaited Messiah, considering what I might glean beyond the history that ushered in the events that provided for our atonement. What can I learn from those involved in the events that presented Christ (the Greek term for “the Messiah”) to the world? Though there are many other lessons to be learned about trusting God fearlessly, I always come back to thinking about Mary.

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My Prayer for My Hephzibah House Sisters on Easter Morning

May the rumours continue to stir and all your cell keys swiftly turn ~




And for Easter Morn ~

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Empty Graves

The other day a loved one of mine mentioned that they would be driving only about 15 miles away from the cemetery where my grandparents are buried. This is significant, because my grandfather bought burial plots for our extended family on the day that I was born, as it seemed certain that my grave would be needed before the end of the week. I told this loved one of mine that if they knew where to find the plot, they should go find it and rejoice that I am not in it. It occurred to me the last time that I was there that I might like to have a stone there to declare that I am alive. I am also reminded of the time my grandfather spoke of the strange lady he ran into on that hillside one day who talked about how her son, killed at a young age, would one day rise up out of that ground to meet the Lord in the air, per the writings of the Apostle.

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A Prayer for 2009

By God's grace and work in our lives, may we all aspire to and realize every aspect of this verse this year and live it more fully than we every have before in our Christian walk. May this be true for the whole Body of Christ.

Amen, amen, and amen.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

(NKJV)

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity,
but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

(NIV)

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity,
but of power and love and discipline.

(NASB)

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity
(of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear),
but [He has given us a spirit]
of power and of love and
of calm and well-balanced mind
and discipline and self-control.

(Amp)

God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts,
but bold and loving and sensible.

(Message)

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Fooling Ourselves

Only a Rumor

*As it appears in
"Watch For the Light"

Søren Kierkegaard

(from "Meditations from Kierkegaard,"
© James Nisbet and Co, Ltd., 1955)

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

Matthew 2:1-4

Although the scribes could explain where the Messiah should be born, they remained quite unperturbed in Jerusalem. They did not accompany the Wise Men to seek him. Similarly we may know the whole of Christianity, yet make no movement. The power that moved heaven and earth leaves us completely unmoved.

What a difference! The three king had only a rumor to go by. But it moved them to make that long journey. The scribes were much better informed, much better served. They sat and studied the Scriptures like so many dons, but it did not make them move. Who had the more truth? The three kings who followed a rumor, or the scribes who remained sitting with all their knowledge?

What a vexation it must have been for the kings, that the scribes who gave them the news they wanted remained quiet in Jerusalem! We are being mocked, the kings might have thought. For indeed what an atrocious self-contradiction that the scribes should have the knowledge and yet remain still. This is as bad as if a person knows all about Christ and his teachings, and his own life expresses the opposite.

We are tempted to suppose that such a person wishes to fool us, unless we admit that he is only fooling himself.

from "Watch for the Light:
Readings for Advent and Christmas"
The Plough Publishing House
of the Bruderhof Foundation, Inc.
Farmington, PA

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A Christmas Post

This holiday has turned out to be quite odd thus far. It's more of a melancholy
one than usual, and most of my holidays are melancholy anyway. A headache produced this strange thing... I never really liked the old poem anyway. I'm not too big on Santa Claus.


A Night Before Christmas Alternative

Twas a post modern Christmas and all through the house,
There were creatures stirring, both computer and mouse
The email notes waiting with no thought or care
Confirming delivery: Fed ex had been there

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Thanksgiving Blessing from Doug and Wendy Duncan

I'd like to add my voice to this Thanksgiving Day message from Doug and Wendy Duncan who have both been a wonderful encouragement to me.

I think that anyone interested in the gender debate within the Southern Baptist Convention should read her powerful testimony of her journey through the SBC and into the cultic Christian televangelist watchdog group, The Trinity Foundation.

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A Serious Post Anticipating Christmas

Some of my favorite singers singing one of my most favorite songs.

I feel like all these people are my family, and I long for the day that I can sing this song with all of them. I cant wait to harmonize with Vestal Goodman, Michael English and Larnell Harris, John Starnes all the Cathedrals, the Porter Family, the Spears and all the rest on streets of gold.

Merry Christmas!

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Christ Crucified and Risen from the Dead!

Everywhere I've turned recently, I've heard people talking about how many churches no longer preach Christ crucified, and the do not teach about the Blood of Jesus. I heard a pastor recently who urged other pastors and music ministers to choose more songs about the Cross and the Blood of the Lamb, because so many churches have ventured away from the most powerful message that Christians bear: the message of Christ crucified.

Tomorrow, many of us will celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Jesus now holds the keys to death, hell and the grave! Glory to the Lamb who was slain and has redeemed us unto God by His Blood, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. Worthy is the Lamb!

May we ever sing, sing, sing of Christ crucified and risen, and of the Blood of the Lamb!

Hallelujah! He is risen!

I chose a photo of a Cross that is very close to my heart and my heart for missions.

Pictured here is the Cross of the Scriptures at Clonmacnoise in Ireland. I was taught (rightly or wrongly) that the Celts worshiped the sun, so the missionaries who brought them the Gospel helped them understand and remember that God was not in the sun, but that the Cross which stood before it. Like Paul had said of the "unknown god" to the people on Mars Hill, so these missionaries used the symbol of the Celtic Cross to teach the Gospel message. On this Cross that I was actually blessed to see myself in Ireland, there is an additional witnessing tool. The scenes carved into the rock depict the story of Christ's crucifixion. (The Roman soldiers are depicted with pointed helmets, reminiscent of the Vikings who raided the area many, many times by sailing down the River Shannon from the ocean.)

I also learned that monks named "Mullen" (my maiden name, meaning "tonsured") who lived near Clonmacnoise were scribes that penned the "Book of Mulling," small books that contained the four Gospels that were used for missionary work all over Ireland.

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A Christmas Kiss from Heaven

I received an odd Christmas blessing this morning. I drifted off to sleep with the prayer that God would bind me to Him and help me correctly discern everything that it is He would have me do. I prayed that I would not be like the Church at Ephesus of whom He Who was alive, dead and alive forevermore said had lost their First Love.

I spent the wee hours of the night posting what I had copied of the all the critical Amazon online reviews of the Passionate Housewives book onto my other website, after receiving many emails about their disappearance.  All this on the eve of the celebration and remembrance of our Savior’s Birth. It certainly was not what I picked as an ideal Christmas Eve activity.

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My Favorite Advent Meditation

Sixteen years ago, just a few weeks before my second Christmas as my husband's wife, I listened to TL Osborn on a Christian talk-show. He's a Pentecostal who looks both adorable and sinister all at the same time -- a fiery preacher of short stature with red hair, moustache and beard. He reminds me of the type of preaching I remember from my youth -- the type of preaching that is not so frequently heard anymore. I always found him to be adorable and felt a deep sense of love for him -- watching him on the little box in my living room.

.

That afternoon, he gave a short and simple message, explaining how the Annunciation can apply to every believer -- perhaps the most profound Christmas message that I have yet to hear. He explained, ever so simply, that like the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, the Holy Spirit comes upon us, the Power of the Highest overshadows us and puts the Word of the Lord into our hearts. Through the Holy Seed of the Word of God that He grafts into our hearts, that which is born of our intimacy with Him brings forth Christ in our lives. All we need to say is "Be it unto me according to Your Word, Oh Lord." I knelt down on the living room floor and wept.

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