The larger of the two baby turtles, then five days old, wouldn't eat worms, but did crawl out of the food receptacle, land on his back, and then right him/herself. The smaller turtle was not quite so active. Click on the arrow to watch the video.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Baby turtles
For years one of our adult turtles, Speckles, has been laying eggs once or twice a year. In recent years, we've adopted an elaborate incubation system for the eggs, but grew pessimistic about them hatching (We knew they could be fertilized.). Imagine Stephane's surprise two weeks ago when she noticed something moving in the incubation chamber, and found not one but two apparently less than one-day-old baby turtles. We've done lots of research since, but haven't got them to eat, which we are very concerned about. We've created a somewhat different kind of habitat for them than for their parents, tried different foods, and tried fiddling with the temperature and lighting (and tried taking them outside). Their father (Greenville) went on a five-month hunger strike when he first connected with us, but the vet we took them to last week said the babies definitely wouldn't last that long. Wish for patience and ingenuity for us and energy, healing, and (eating) inquisitiveness on the part of the babies, who Stephanie have dubbed Big Mac and Filet of Fish.
-- Perry
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Challenges
Tough couple of days coming up: stressful encounteres anticipated, with a church meeting Friday and then spending time with Stephanie's stepfather and stepsiblings. We'll hope to see Vincent during this.) Also Friday: Mom shifts the stuff she couldn't fit in her apartment from a storage space a couple of miles away to a space within her retirement center complex. Keep all of us in mind as we make our way through these days.
-- Perry
-- Perry
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Mid-week
In mid-week news: I learned that my student loan income-based repayment arrangement has been extended for another year, Stephanie learned the name of her mother’s/stepfather’s lawyer (from Bob) as we prepare for our Ohio visit this weekend, and I learned that my nephew starts 5th grade this morning. The school (pictured above) is a K-5 school, and so Jacob will be a senior!
Tuesday I narrowly averted catastrophe when I turned out my key had NOT broken off into the ignition, requiring rebuilding the ignition. Instead, the key had just broken off apparently onto the ground and all I needed was to have a copy of Stephanie’s key to my car made. We’re holding our breath because I think my transmission is going, but it’s possible we’re going to wind up with Nancy’s car, perhaps depending on what’s going to happen this weekend.
-- Perry
Monday, August 23, 2010
Atlanta experiences
The presentation I made on behalf of my colleagues Joelle and Ida and me at the Association for the Sociology of Religion (ASR) Annual Meeting earlier this month in Atlanta went OK. Not a lot of feedback until I talked with fellow panelists and others afterwards – who gave advice on an alternative tactic – using hierarchical logistic regression, as a form of multi-level modeling. (So far some web materials almost make it sound like multiple regression – as well as SPSS - is out in academic circles.) There were a few other religion presentations that looked at community involvement/civic skills issues also. We may explore these (other methodological approaches) for our upcoming Religious Research Assiciation Annual Meeting presentation. (Pictured above is the Hyatt Regency hotel, site for the ASR meeting. Pictured below is another of the scholars on Friday morning panel, presenting.)
Rhys Williams’ ASR presidential address on the development of Muslim American identity also dealt with the controversy over the “Ground Zero” mosque, as did at least one other ASR presentation. I thought his speech was good.
The Census Bureau director (pictured below) continued (what he’d started talking about at the American Association for Public Opinion Research Annual Meeting, which I attended last May) to talk about ways the census might shift to using some administrative records, like Social Security files, and some public pressure to do so (don’t you guys already have this info in several other federal government databases?). He also talked about public outcry about various things, including a number of steps that they were sure would enhance response rates (and ultimately save money), including the controversial Super Bowl ad.
The American Sociological Association (ASA) presidential address dealt with efforts to get undocumented non-citizens able to take classes at state universities and colleges and eligible for federal financial aid. Some of the introduction dealt with school segregation for Asian Americans, Latinos/as, and Native Americans, some of which I didn’t know about (“Oriental schools” in California, for example). There were a number of other presentations I heard vaguely related to the Arizona law: administrative, political, and social-movement opposition to immigration, etc.
Another ASR theme was unconventional worship and congregational activity (particularly centered around young adults) including a panel discussion mainly among Emerging church movement practitioners. Most of them also tried to be amateur sociologists, but the most interesting presentation was PowerPoint slides and stories from a PC(USA) NCD organizing pastor of a emergent church ministry in SW Atlanta. The pastor talked about an Ash Wednesday event in which folks had burned their own (something?) and then they texted everyone and asked that everyone meet at dinner time at a MARTA (Atlanta subway) stop and they combined their ashes and played music in the subway station. It’s not clear if this was an alternative to conventional worship. He also talked about lunching with the pastor of a black Pentecostal church in the neighborhood and generating ideas for how to help the local neighborhood tackle the problem of child sex work in the neighborhood. Here’s a web presence (though I find the website confusing): http://churchasart.com/blog/neighborsabbeyhome/about/
Afterwards I asked the pastor if he found helping coming up with new ideas for activities all the time both liberating and exhausting. He said - not at all – that’s my personality, as it is for most of the creative class that we’re partly angling towards. These folks control many of the messages that we receive from the culture industry – why wouldn’t we want them in our churches?
Keep in mind that the ASR meeting program coordinator’s books are both studies of congregations catering to young adults: http://praxishabitus.blogspot.com/2009/12/hollywood-faith-holiness-prosperity-and.html).
Monday I had lunch with two friends, including one who formerly worked here (Columbia seminary prof Martha Moore Keish) and her husband, a pastor at Atlanta’s First Presbyterian Church, and we had an interesting conversation, including about the future of the denomination.
-- Perry
Monday, August 16, 2010
Mid-August news
Mom went to the doctor and got set up with yet another new medication. Stephanie will meet with her principal Tuesday about which kids she will be teaching and starting when. Apparently she will stay put in her new classroom, but her classroommate - who's been very helpful - will move into a different classroom (with a smartboard). Stephanie will not be sharing rooms, although she and Tiffany will continue to work together as the two READ 180 teachers. Part of an expected bump in enrollment did not materialize, and so another classroom opened up. Stephanie and Papa Bob talked a couple of times this weekend about us coming up there in a couple of weeks to get more of Stephanie's mother's stuff. More things may be forthcoming later. Apparently Bob is not doing great. He said Nancy has left him notes throughout the house which he is uncovering gradually. I got in a little trouble today because late last night - for a complex reason - I erroneously sent out a wrong version of something to an important client. Wednesday - half a day after returning to Louisville - I am slated to help follow up on an issue from last month's Guatemala mission trip.
-- Perry
-- Perry
Monday, August 9, 2010
First day
First day of school for Stephanie, and first day back for both of us. It's the first day for teachers in her school district (with no big district-wide meeting this year), but no doubt there will be some meetings today and Tuesday at her school. Students arrive Wednesday; Stephanie is supposed to not have students until later, but she now has a classroommate, and her students, and her classroommate spent all last week what Stephanie had planned to do: set up the classroom ("volunteering"), them having both moved over the summer and now sharing a classroom. We'll see what kind of negotiation there is with her (Tiffany) and with their principal (Susie Gahan). Stephanie also doesn't know what she's teaching exactly, who she's teaching, whether she's doing after school activities (she didn't sign up for this), let alone do any lesson planning. You'll recall that the school lost the 5th grade, which Stephanie used to teach, but gained 100 extra students, plus the usual new students, with all of the district-wide school closings. Also, last year, Stephanie started teaching the READ 180 intervention program and sometimes math, in addition to teaching English as a new language, and we'll see what happens with that. You'll also recall that a district-wide ENL administrator got promoted.
(Also: As part of the reorganization, the school district switched the middle school and elementary school times, and now elementary schools start earlier, and so Stephanie must be there at 7:40 a.m., instead of at 8:15 a.m. We both got up at 5 a.m., and I may start coming in to work at 7:30 a.m. instead of more like 8:15 a.m. myself. Even if we're not carpooling, things work better if we leave at around the same time.)
Things are also a little different at my work, where I've also been gone for a week. I had to clear out much of my office before I left (when I thought I was going to meeting in Chicago), for recarpeting and refinishing the desks, etc. This is done, but now I must move back in. I've lost my telephone, which I'll probably have to pay to replace. I have behind with a range of projects and am slated to go to a couple of conferences in Atlanta for five days, starting this Thursday PM, and must prepare a Friday AM presentation for that (plus church meetings this Wednesday). Lots to do while we also try to follow up on this past week's events.
P.S. I did get some good health news for me over the weekend, although some follow-up is needed.
-- Perry
(Also: As part of the reorganization, the school district switched the middle school and elementary school times, and now elementary schools start earlier, and so Stephanie must be there at 7:40 a.m., instead of at 8:15 a.m. We both got up at 5 a.m., and I may start coming in to work at 7:30 a.m. instead of more like 8:15 a.m. myself. Even if we're not carpooling, things work better if we leave at around the same time.)
Things are also a little different at my work, where I've also been gone for a week. I had to clear out much of my office before I left (when I thought I was going to meeting in Chicago), for recarpeting and refinishing the desks, etc. This is done, but now I must move back in. I've lost my telephone, which I'll probably have to pay to replace. I have behind with a range of projects and am slated to go to a couple of conferences in Atlanta for five days, starting this Thursday PM, and must prepare a Friday AM presentation for that (plus church meetings this Wednesday). Lots to do while we also try to follow up on this past week's events.
P.S. I did get some good health news for me over the weekend, although some follow-up is needed.
-- Perry
Friday, August 6, 2010
Notes for Pastor Hamilton's August 5 funeral sermon
Romans 8:31-39
“31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36As it is written,
‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jn. 14:1-6
1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4And you know the way to where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
I knew the first time I met Nancy that she had a kind and compassionate spirit. We met at the hospital when she was visiting her mother. We talked briefly about her automobile accident. She greatly loved her “big” brothers and was well-loved by all her family.
Born February 19, 1950, Nancy was part of a caring clan. Graduated from Olentangy High School in 1968. Worked for Merle-Normon, 7-Up, Shasta, and Coca-Cola before retiring in 2005. Maybe some men objected to having a woman as their boss—but she won everyone over.
Nancy possessed a character that—
• Did not complain or talk ill of others.
• Served others even when sick herself.
• Didn’t seek pity and never lost hope.
• Generous, compassionate, patient.
• Faithful and family-oriented (Hostess of a lot of family gatherings).
• She loved to laugh, had an infectious smile, and knew how to have fun in life.
• She listened because she genuinely cared.
• Deeply loved her four stepchildren.
Oh how she liked to shop. She appreciated beauty (Biltmore) and took care of her looks over the years. Yes, she was the family princess, but she could be tough and put bigger, stronger people in their place. When she was laid up for a while because of a serious auto accident, Nancy was still concerned about others before her own needs.
Growing up in Powell when Powell was country meant some lean times. She learned to sew and at times stayed up late at night to make her clothes for the next day.
Nancy was wife, mom, and “Memaw”. She was there for all her family, and will be truly missed.
Nancy and Bob celebrated thirty years of marriage in September of 2009.
On her Facebook profile Nancy wrote “there is never enough time in the day to accomplish everything you set out to do.” She maintained a positive outlook on life and endured all kinds of treatment for her cancer, but in the end, her body wore out and she passed away without doing all she would have liked to do on this earth.
The author of the book in the Bible called “Ecclesiastes” knew similar frustrations. There were things he wanted to know and do, but because he lived in a sin-cursed world, he found many of these pursuits “vanity” and “striving after the wind” (Ecc. 1:16). He learned that God’s sovereign hand controls everything.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die…” (Ecc. 3:1-2).
A life can be ended suddenly in the prime of youth, or the eventual end of years of suffering.
“What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time, and then vanishes” (James 4:14).
One can die so suddenly and leave others wondering how this happened, or one can pass after years of cancer. The fact remains the same—we have an appointment to keep.
“It is appointed unto man once to die, and after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27)
Solomon learned, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” (Proverbs 27:1)
No one should presume upon the future. God reminds us of the brevity and uncertainty of life. The arrogant fool assumes that he is “the master of his fate, and the captain of his soul.” He assumes that he controls his destiny. The Christian knows that God controls the future, and that what God wills will happen. It is not, “What will be, will be,” as though no one is in control. It is not, “What I will, will be.” It is, rather, “What God wills, will be.”
When Nancy was diagnosed with cancer I was able to visit her at Mt. Carmel East for a short talk. I shared with her some truths from Ephesians 2. We didn’t get to finish the study until a few months later when she was receiving treatment at Zangmiester. As she heard what the Apostle Paul said about our spiritually lost and dead condition, Nancy blurted out, “I believe!” At that moment she stopped trusting good works and trusted in the finished work of Jesus Christ for salvation.
A funeral causes all survivors to think about mortality and eternity. The departed loved one is missed and mourned. Family and friends wonder why. We try to comfort each other. Did you know that heaven rejoiced when Nancy arrived?
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” (Ps. 116:15)
Most people would not put “death” and “precious” in the same sentence. We say that life is precious and worth protecting.
Death reminds us that we are not in charge, but that we have an appointment—with death. A person’s view of death reflects their world view. Living in this cursed world we need redemption of body and soul. You are not only dying, but you are dead! Or were (spiritually).
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air…carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Eph. 2:1-3).
We want to hear that we are good and doing fine, but the fact is that we are born sinners and estranged from God. Something must be done to change our status or we remain condemned.
“We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)
Many of you witnessed changes in Nancy over the years. Maybe she wasn’t as spry as she used to be. Maybe she could not wear her favorite shoes anymore. Maybe the treatments left her sick or tired. Maybe you noticed spiritual peace the last year of her life.
“When one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
God provided a remedy for the curse of death. Jesus our Savior was the perfect, sinless, Son of God. He had no sin of His own, yet He took our sins upon Himself on the cross. He died in the sinner’s place, bearing the penalty for sin, the curse of death.
But God also raised Jesus from the dead. He is now in heaven, sitting at the Father’s right hand. All those who repent of sin and put their faith and hope in Jesus as their Savior have the forgiveness of sins, and the assurance of eternal life.
None who trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior need fear death. On the authority of Scripture we can claim an unshakeable confidence that we are Christ’s child and that He will guarantee our safe passage to heaven.
Those who are saved by the blood of Christ will never see hell or a made-up place called “purgatory”. The moment they die, their spirit goes to heaven, and they will be given a new and glorious eternal body. For the unsaved the picture is not good. They will know eternal suffering in a literal hell that was prepared for Satan and his demons.
Just as God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, He will also raise the true believer to eternal life. Death need no longer be viewed as something we dread, but rather can be welcomed as our passage from this cursed existence to a marvelous one.
“1For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Cor. 5:1-10)
David prayed in the Psalms, "Now, also, when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not." The closing words of Psalm 23 record David’s confidence—“…and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
All who have put their faith in Christ are assured that they need fear no evil. Make sure your sin has been put on Christ, and you have been declared righteous by His perfect sacrifice. Live! Like Nancy, “Live joyfully” (Ecc. 9:9). The way to live joyfully is not to live for yourself, but to live for Christ! Live with the prayer on your lips “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”!
“To the old rugged cross I will ever be true, its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away, where His glory for ever I’ll share.”
1 Cor. 15:50-58
50I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
"Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"
56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
“31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36As it is written,
‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jn. 14:1-6
1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4And you know the way to where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
I knew the first time I met Nancy that she had a kind and compassionate spirit. We met at the hospital when she was visiting her mother. We talked briefly about her automobile accident. She greatly loved her “big” brothers and was well-loved by all her family.
Born February 19, 1950, Nancy was part of a caring clan. Graduated from Olentangy High School in 1968. Worked for Merle-Normon, 7-Up, Shasta, and Coca-Cola before retiring in 2005. Maybe some men objected to having a woman as their boss—but she won everyone over.
Nancy possessed a character that—
• Did not complain or talk ill of others.
• Served others even when sick herself.
• Didn’t seek pity and never lost hope.
• Generous, compassionate, patient.
• Faithful and family-oriented (Hostess of a lot of family gatherings).
• She loved to laugh, had an infectious smile, and knew how to have fun in life.
• She listened because she genuinely cared.
• Deeply loved her four stepchildren.
Oh how she liked to shop. She appreciated beauty (Biltmore) and took care of her looks over the years. Yes, she was the family princess, but she could be tough and put bigger, stronger people in their place. When she was laid up for a while because of a serious auto accident, Nancy was still concerned about others before her own needs.
Growing up in Powell when Powell was country meant some lean times. She learned to sew and at times stayed up late at night to make her clothes for the next day.
Nancy was wife, mom, and “Memaw”. She was there for all her family, and will be truly missed.
Nancy and Bob celebrated thirty years of marriage in September of 2009.
On her Facebook profile Nancy wrote “there is never enough time in the day to accomplish everything you set out to do.” She maintained a positive outlook on life and endured all kinds of treatment for her cancer, but in the end, her body wore out and she passed away without doing all she would have liked to do on this earth.
The author of the book in the Bible called “Ecclesiastes” knew similar frustrations. There were things he wanted to know and do, but because he lived in a sin-cursed world, he found many of these pursuits “vanity” and “striving after the wind” (Ecc. 1:16). He learned that God’s sovereign hand controls everything.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die…” (Ecc. 3:1-2).
A life can be ended suddenly in the prime of youth, or the eventual end of years of suffering.
“What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time, and then vanishes” (James 4:14).
One can die so suddenly and leave others wondering how this happened, or one can pass after years of cancer. The fact remains the same—we have an appointment to keep.
“It is appointed unto man once to die, and after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27)
Solomon learned, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” (Proverbs 27:1)
No one should presume upon the future. God reminds us of the brevity and uncertainty of life. The arrogant fool assumes that he is “the master of his fate, and the captain of his soul.” He assumes that he controls his destiny. The Christian knows that God controls the future, and that what God wills will happen. It is not, “What will be, will be,” as though no one is in control. It is not, “What I will, will be.” It is, rather, “What God wills, will be.”
When Nancy was diagnosed with cancer I was able to visit her at Mt. Carmel East for a short talk. I shared with her some truths from Ephesians 2. We didn’t get to finish the study until a few months later when she was receiving treatment at Zangmiester. As she heard what the Apostle Paul said about our spiritually lost and dead condition, Nancy blurted out, “I believe!” At that moment she stopped trusting good works and trusted in the finished work of Jesus Christ for salvation.
A funeral causes all survivors to think about mortality and eternity. The departed loved one is missed and mourned. Family and friends wonder why. We try to comfort each other. Did you know that heaven rejoiced when Nancy arrived?
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” (Ps. 116:15)
Most people would not put “death” and “precious” in the same sentence. We say that life is precious and worth protecting.
Death reminds us that we are not in charge, but that we have an appointment—with death. A person’s view of death reflects their world view. Living in this cursed world we need redemption of body and soul. You are not only dying, but you are dead! Or were (spiritually).
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air…carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Eph. 2:1-3).
We want to hear that we are good and doing fine, but the fact is that we are born sinners and estranged from God. Something must be done to change our status or we remain condemned.
“We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)
Many of you witnessed changes in Nancy over the years. Maybe she wasn’t as spry as she used to be. Maybe she could not wear her favorite shoes anymore. Maybe the treatments left her sick or tired. Maybe you noticed spiritual peace the last year of her life.
“When one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
God provided a remedy for the curse of death. Jesus our Savior was the perfect, sinless, Son of God. He had no sin of His own, yet He took our sins upon Himself on the cross. He died in the sinner’s place, bearing the penalty for sin, the curse of death.
But God also raised Jesus from the dead. He is now in heaven, sitting at the Father’s right hand. All those who repent of sin and put their faith and hope in Jesus as their Savior have the forgiveness of sins, and the assurance of eternal life.
None who trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior need fear death. On the authority of Scripture we can claim an unshakeable confidence that we are Christ’s child and that He will guarantee our safe passage to heaven.
Those who are saved by the blood of Christ will never see hell or a made-up place called “purgatory”. The moment they die, their spirit goes to heaven, and they will be given a new and glorious eternal body. For the unsaved the picture is not good. They will know eternal suffering in a literal hell that was prepared for Satan and his demons.
Just as God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, He will also raise the true believer to eternal life. Death need no longer be viewed as something we dread, but rather can be welcomed as our passage from this cursed existence to a marvelous one.
“1For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Cor. 5:1-10)
David prayed in the Psalms, "Now, also, when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not." The closing words of Psalm 23 record David’s confidence—“…and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
All who have put their faith in Christ are assured that they need fear no evil. Make sure your sin has been put on Christ, and you have been declared righteous by His perfect sacrifice. Live! Like Nancy, “Live joyfully” (Ecc. 9:9). The way to live joyfully is not to live for yourself, but to live for Christ! Live with the prayer on your lips “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”!
“To the old rugged cross I will ever be true, its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away, where His glory for ever I’ll share.”
1 Cor. 15:50-58
50I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
"Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"
56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Memories of Aunt Nancy (August 3)
I have been thinking all this for days, and this is how it comes out...
I will start by saying that I have the honor of being the first grandchild and the first niece, so my memories go back, far back, to young Aunt Nancy. No offense cousins, but being first has its advantages, I suppose (and I take this very seriously : ). So, at least for this generation, I will go back as far as I can remember.
But I digress.
(Already. Imagine that.).
($100 to anyone who can guess the other cousin who can out-digress me. You know who you are.)
I also hold the distinct honour of being named after Aunt Nancy.
Ever since I can remember, the Haywood's have called me Nancy Ann. I don't think I realized it until I was older, but being called Nancy Ann made me feel special. I was named after my beautiful, glamorous aunt. But in addition to that, my family gave me my own name, too. It is difficult to explain how it makes me feel when I hear it, even today…especially today.
Only as an adult do I realize that all those years ago, I hoped more than anything that I would grow up to be as fabulous as she. Correct me if I am wrong, but I always think of Aunt Nancy (even at 60) with the hourglass Barbie doll figure wearing the latest fashion and that big, beautiful, blond (or red, oh the beautiful red of late!) hair that she did herself, as well as everyone else's hair around Grandma and Grandpa's big kitchen table where every seat was full, with the kids running up and down and under the table and everywhere. She was always, all her life, so put together with the stylish clothes and hair and makeup. I know now that I inherited my love of hats and shoes from her.
More importantly, I remembered she always smiled, was always patient, always happy, always fun.
I remember Grandma and Grandpa's old schoolhouse house, and learning one day that the back room off the kitchen had been Aunt Nancy's room when she was growing up. When you're little the smallest things inspire amazement…I always loved that room after that. I got to walk through it every time I was allowed to go through it into the scary basement and watch Grandma put the clean, wet clothes through the old scary wringer which I will never forget NOT to put my hands near.
Then Aunt Nancy started to work for Coca-Cola and she would drive into the big yard full of cars and trucks and tractors and stray 50s era bumpers and other unidentifiable metal things in that great big new shiny white van with a green 7-Up logo on it. I still cannot, NOT think of Aunt Nancy every time I see a 7-Up.
As an adult I learned that Aunt Nancy was the queen of detail. Not so unlike myself, but oh, so different! I could change a tire on an 18-wheeler more easily than I could embroider the most beautiful set of cloth napkins I have ever laid eyes on. I feel I am the most un-domestic woman on the planet, so those napkins are something that I treasure. And her stories…I can picture her newly decorated house in colour, down to the new vacuum cleaner that she wanted and got (thank you Bob!) and every recipe she has given me, easy and practical as they are, include all the little tricks and extra careful thought that make it taste that much better.
Amy and I were at Grandma's with the family last Christmas. The pressure was on, as usual, to get all the gifts wrapped. Amy and I both live in Chicago so don't wrap, just fly unwrapped so those airport fools don't undo our crappy wrapping going through security and make it that much more crappy. We are crappy wrappers. Grandma cleared off the table and set us up with all the necessities and Aunt Nancy and Steph helped us wrap it ALL! We sat at the dining room table together and talked and laughed while Steph did her best to remove the lingering chicken stink-age from Vincent. (God bless the child for working so hard during the holidays.) Steph told us about Korean (Korean right Steph?) food, kim chee, etc. Aunt Nancy gave us the latest Bob and other gossip and that woman wrapped her cracked little fingers off while Amy, Stephanie, and I sat around and talked and laughed with her and wrapped nary a thing! The most beautifully wrapped Christmas gifts I have ever given. Believe me when I say that my gift recipients were highly suspicious…
One of my last memories of Aunt Nancy is also from last Christmas. We were all at Grandma's and there was this HUGE box there. All day, the box is sitting there. Everyone there KNOWS the box is for Aunt Nancy, but Aunt Nancy herself. Inside was a lighthouse. I still do not know the significance of the lighthouse. (Someone fill me in, please.) When the time came for the giant box to be opened and Grandma told Nancy that it was for HER, NOT Grandma, who Aunt Nancy THOUGHT the box was for, she was so happy! AND THEN…when she opened the box…MOTHER OF GOD. I have NEVER seen anyone's face light up like that! NEVER! It was joyous to see the joy, joy, joy, joy on her face! That damn lighthouse made her so happy!
God bless her for allowing me to see that smile and pure happiness on her sweet face.
I know I loved her from the time I could comprehend who she was, even when she was far away in years and distance and time.
I am very proud to be Nancy Haywood the Second.
(Just don't call me Junior.)
I love you Aunt Nancy and can only feel comforted that you are gone by the plain fact that I know you will be looking out for me, and everyone you loved, and who loves you dearly, until the end of time.
I believe that you died of happiness, and nothing more.
Love,
Nancy Ann
***
These are the words to one of my favourite songs, written by Dolly Parton's sister Rachel, sung by Dolly and Rachel in A-Capella harmony. It is a beautiful song and the words…well...
I have always attributed my love of bluegrass music to the Haywood in me and I think Aunt Nancy would have loved this song. I only wish she could have heard it.
But you know what?
I think that maybe she will.
***
I AM READY
I am ready
Oh, my children
When Jesus knocks at my door
I'll be there come morning
Don't weep for me
I'll be with my Lord
There's my bible on the table
Read it to me once more
I can hear God's heavenly angels
Singing me on through heaven's door
Hallelujah Lord
I am ready
No more sorrow
Hallelujah, yes
I am ready, I am ready
I am ready to go
Oh, Hosanna
Take my hand now
Lead me to the promised land now
I am ready, I am ready
Hallelujah, I am ready to go
Oh, Hosanna
I am ready to go
I can hear God's heavenly angels
Singing me on through heaven's door
Singing me on through heaven's door
And I am ready
- Nancy Blank Writing Services
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Remembering Nancy
When I think of Nancy, I think of falafel: three Fs and one L. She was Fun, Listening, Family-oriented, and Faithful.
I’ve never seen someone so determined to have fun. I’ve known Nancy for about 14 years. For a majority of that time she was injured or sick. But she didn’t let a serious car accident or late-diagnosed illness stop her from having fun. The example par excellence of this for me came Memorial Day weekend this year, when Nancy came down to Louisville to see some of the sights with us. We had a great time. Nancy went with us for 2 ½ hours to a mostly outdoors Beatles festival, even though it was very hot. The next day she watched 10 races with us at Churchill Downs. This was only two months ago, and Nancy must have already been getting sicker. But I don’t think she was faking it. She was determined to have fun, and we all did. (The picture of Nancy and Stephanie above is from the last couple of hours of that visit.)
Something else that surprised me a little about that visit was – as busy as we were – Nancy wanted to go to church with us Sunday morning. After worship she got to meet some of our church friends and our pastor. This past Sunday during worship I passed a note to our pastor about Nancy’s death. Our pastor said a prayer of thanksgiving for Nancy’s life and a prayer of concern and hope for Stephanie and our family. Then she said just seven or eight words about Nancy, talking about Nancy’s optimism and zest for life. This is someone who had talked with Nancy at most for about two minutes. Nancy’s determination to have fun was very obvious even to virtual strangers.
Nancy was also a great listener (and a good viewer and reader). Stephanie and I are both big talkers. And Nancy was so patient, attentive, and enthusiastic as we told our stories and talked about challenges we faced. Stephanie called and talked with her mother about every day, and she is never going to find someone who listened to her like Nancy did. My own mother is a very good listener too, but she is no Nancy. Nancy also viewed (and also) kept hard-copy photographs when we generated them and gave them to her and - more recently - read our blog entries and Facebook status updates and looked through our Facebook photo albums - then and now, religiously. Since we stopped blogging as regularly, I usually e-mail a few regular readers a link when we've done a few new entries. After blogging obliquely about Nancy's death a couple of days ago, I habitually typed in her e-mail address as one of the few people I was notifying about the entry before I realized that didn't make sense. Sadly, I deleted her e-mail address. No one will follow us and interact with us on Facebook like Nancy did.
Most people know how close Nancy was with her family. An interesting thing was how expansive her vision of who her family was. It certainly included all of her stepchildren, their spouses and partners and widows, and their kids – all the way down to the daughter of her recently newfound youngest stepson, who she helped show around when the granddaughter visited the United States. It certainly included all of her brothers and their kids and grandkids. And it even included people on my side of the family, including my (step) grandfather. I wasn’t there, but I’ve heard this story: One day Nancy and Stephanie were driving near Westerville and they decided to stop by my grandparents’ house, where I also lived. It turns out only my Grandpa was home, but Nancy said she wanted to meet my Grandpa. Nancy bounded in there and gave Grandpa a big hug. This was perfectly natural, as far as she was concerned: She’d heard a lot about Grandpa, felt like she knew him, and – even though Stephanie and I weren’t married yet – as far as Nancy was concerned, he was family. Grandpa, who was in his 80s then and is somewhat reserved, was a little flabbergasted. But you couldn’t help but like and love Nancy, and soon Grandpa did: Now, every time I see him, he asks about her.
A lot of us – after a bad car accident and after being diagnosed with cancer – might say: God, why did I get stuck with all of this? Why me? It’s not fair. We might doubt there is anyone up there at all. Nancy may have asked herself these questions. But she certainly didn’t talk about it. In fact, Nancy’s faith seemed to grow stronger, deeper, and richer during the last few difficult years. She was ever more faithful in her final months and years. I don't know if I could have done that.
God: We don’t know why you took Nancy from us, and we don’t know why you took her when you did and how you did. There’s a big hole here that it’s going to be awfully hard for us to fill, no matter how hard we try. But, God, I believe you have a plan for every single one of us. I can’t know this, but it seems obvious to me that part of your plan for Nancy was that she would be an example for all of us, that she would demonstrate to us how to have fun, how to listen, how to be family-oriented, and how to be faithful. Maybe just maybe Nancy had done all of this that she could, and you called her home. We miss her terribly, and I have feeling that folks there with you are getting the better end of the deal. If it wasn’t already like this, I have a feeling there is starting to be a lot of laughter, a lot of smiles, and a lot of hugs up in Heaven right now, among all kinds of folks, many of whom Nancy already regards as family. May it be so.
-- Perry
I’ve never seen someone so determined to have fun. I’ve known Nancy for about 14 years. For a majority of that time she was injured or sick. But she didn’t let a serious car accident or late-diagnosed illness stop her from having fun. The example par excellence of this for me came Memorial Day weekend this year, when Nancy came down to Louisville to see some of the sights with us. We had a great time. Nancy went with us for 2 ½ hours to a mostly outdoors Beatles festival, even though it was very hot. The next day she watched 10 races with us at Churchill Downs. This was only two months ago, and Nancy must have already been getting sicker. But I don’t think she was faking it. She was determined to have fun, and we all did. (The picture of Nancy and Stephanie above is from the last couple of hours of that visit.)
Something else that surprised me a little about that visit was – as busy as we were – Nancy wanted to go to church with us Sunday morning. After worship she got to meet some of our church friends and our pastor. This past Sunday during worship I passed a note to our pastor about Nancy’s death. Our pastor said a prayer of thanksgiving for Nancy’s life and a prayer of concern and hope for Stephanie and our family. Then she said just seven or eight words about Nancy, talking about Nancy’s optimism and zest for life. This is someone who had talked with Nancy at most for about two minutes. Nancy’s determination to have fun was very obvious even to virtual strangers.
Nancy was also a great listener (and a good viewer and reader). Stephanie and I are both big talkers. And Nancy was so patient, attentive, and enthusiastic as we told our stories and talked about challenges we faced. Stephanie called and talked with her mother about every day, and she is never going to find someone who listened to her like Nancy did. My own mother is a very good listener too, but she is no Nancy. Nancy also viewed (and also) kept hard-copy photographs when we generated them and gave them to her and - more recently - read our blog entries and Facebook status updates and looked through our Facebook photo albums - then and now, religiously. Since we stopped blogging as regularly, I usually e-mail a few regular readers a link when we've done a few new entries. After blogging obliquely about Nancy's death a couple of days ago, I habitually typed in her e-mail address as one of the few people I was notifying about the entry before I realized that didn't make sense. Sadly, I deleted her e-mail address. No one will follow us and interact with us on Facebook like Nancy did.
Most people know how close Nancy was with her family. An interesting thing was how expansive her vision of who her family was. It certainly included all of her stepchildren, their spouses and partners and widows, and their kids – all the way down to the daughter of her recently newfound youngest stepson, who she helped show around when the granddaughter visited the United States. It certainly included all of her brothers and their kids and grandkids. And it even included people on my side of the family, including my (step) grandfather. I wasn’t there, but I’ve heard this story: One day Nancy and Stephanie were driving near Westerville and they decided to stop by my grandparents’ house, where I also lived. It turns out only my Grandpa was home, but Nancy said she wanted to meet my Grandpa. Nancy bounded in there and gave Grandpa a big hug. This was perfectly natural, as far as she was concerned: She’d heard a lot about Grandpa, felt like she knew him, and – even though Stephanie and I weren’t married yet – as far as Nancy was concerned, he was family. Grandpa, who was in his 80s then and is somewhat reserved, was a little flabbergasted. But you couldn’t help but like and love Nancy, and soon Grandpa did: Now, every time I see him, he asks about her.
A lot of us – after a bad car accident and after being diagnosed with cancer – might say: God, why did I get stuck with all of this? Why me? It’s not fair. We might doubt there is anyone up there at all. Nancy may have asked herself these questions. But she certainly didn’t talk about it. In fact, Nancy’s faith seemed to grow stronger, deeper, and richer during the last few difficult years. She was ever more faithful in her final months and years. I don't know if I could have done that.
God: We don’t know why you took Nancy from us, and we don’t know why you took her when you did and how you did. There’s a big hole here that it’s going to be awfully hard for us to fill, no matter how hard we try. But, God, I believe you have a plan for every single one of us. I can’t know this, but it seems obvious to me that part of your plan for Nancy was that she would be an example for all of us, that she would demonstrate to us how to have fun, how to listen, how to be family-oriented, and how to be faithful. Maybe just maybe Nancy had done all of this that she could, and you called her home. We miss her terribly, and I have feeling that folks there with you are getting the better end of the deal. If it wasn’t already like this, I have a feeling there is starting to be a lot of laughter, a lot of smiles, and a lot of hugs up in Heaven right now, among all kinds of folks, many of whom Nancy already regards as family. May it be so.
-- Perry
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Missing Nancy
Stephanie called me at 3:45 a.m., after texting Vincent, to tell me the news. Hard to believe that just two months ago Nancy (pictured above during Night 1 of that long weekend) joined us for a marathon weekend that included 2 1/2 hours at a largely outdoor Beatles festival and 10 races at Churchill Downs and two weeks ago Stephanie and Nancy went shopping for a wedding present for Dustin and Jamie at Kohl's in Pickerington. Nancy went through an awful in the last eight years - with her car accident, Bobby's illness, and her own illness - and she remained determined and in good spirits - and deepened her faith - during almost all of it. But we so wish we had even a few more months with you.
- Perry
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