Musings
One of the beauties of the average blog is that the reader is usually anonymous. Maybe you tell your friends about it, the ones you know won’t think you’re crazy. Then they tell their friends, and everyone gets to be nice and detached; if they get angry with you, well, you probably don’t know them; if they were standing behind you on the grocery store line, you and they might never know that you were “that jerk”. But you know what, since Lamb of God hosts this blog, it means I have to face all of you on Sunday mornings. So I have to take a risk of being “that jerk” and telling the truth as I see it, whilst simultaneously having to keep in mind that there’s a chance that people will have beef with me, or that Lamb might unintentionally be painted with the Esther brush. (My opinions do not represent those of Lamb of God Fellowship.) Some crazy person was short enough on sleep one day to agree to give me webspace. But exactly what I love about Lamb is our diversity of opinion on secondary things. “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” If what I write is too strongly opinionated, that’s OK; you’re free to disagree. Maybe we need your blog up here. Blogs are not the gospel. However, they represent a slice of understanding that is valid and valuable. We desperately need each other to speak the truth, in love, about our observations of the world and how it all comes under the gaze of God (gosh, I love that Dry Bones dance song).
Here in Esther’s harem, we practice the university model: the free exchange of ideas. I’ll tell you the truth, I’m nervous as h-e-double-hockey-sticks that some of you might still think I’m “that jerk”. I’ve had several people come to me and tell me I should keep my mouth shut about certain things, because it made them or others uncomfortable. Hearing comments like that makes me reflective, repentant, but sometimes cowardly. I am open to correction, but I do try to speak the truth in love. I’ve been forgiven much, and I try to love much accordingly. So whatever others think, I have to accept that they’re entitled to their opinion. Always keep in mind that here at the Kaffe Klatsch, we’re a melting pot–all coming from different places, with different experiences, and different areas of expertise. So I’ll try to teach you something, and you try to teach me something back, or reflect my own words back to me in a mirror so I can examine myself. I welcome honest debate, real and raw; respectful, loving, but not necessarily polite. Remember, you can always sign your comment “anonymous”. (If anyone would care to actually comment…come on, people!)
I cannot be aught than I am. With Esther, baby, what you see is what you get.
With great love…
Posted by Vesper on October 25th, 2007 in Musings | 5 Comments »
My husband recently went garbage picking, with another responsible and upstanding leader in the church, namely the youth pastor. The youth pastor got a gorgeous oriental rug. My dear husband got *another* turntable, and *two more* sets of old speakers. God bless ‘em both. But the man done good. He got me an old 1916 book called “Useful Household Helps, Hints and Receipts: 3000 References”. No, you read that right. Not recipes, receipts. I still don’t know what that means, but OK.
So in honor of garbage pickers everywhere, I am going to place one of these priceless bits of wisdom in each blog entry. I will begin with Part One, which lists the following: Care of the Skin, Teeth and Hair. Toilet Preparations, Beautifiers. Care of the Human Body. Prevention of Disease. Care of the Hands. Perfumes. Home Nursing. Care of Children. Household Remedies. Hygiene. Feeding. Bathing. Care in Dieting. Causes of Disease.
Bathing: Do not bathe when tired. / Avoid bathing within two hours of a meal. / Avoid bathing when the body is cooling after perspiration. / The vigorous and strong may bathe early in the morning on an empty stomach. / Take a daily water bath, not only for cleanliness, but for skin gymnastics.
Read the blog often for more.
Posted by Vesper on October 25th, 2007 in Musings, Our Bodies, Ourselves | No Comments »
See, ladies, this is what I’m talking about! Everything comes under the gaze of God, and under the auspices of community–not just “spiritual” talk, but teaching each other, sharing what we know. Katie Mendelsohn has some incredible skills she’d like to pass on, so I’m going to make room for that here in Esther’s harem. We all have something we can pass on at the Kaffe Klatsch. So bring it on! –Love, Esther
I recently was talking with a sister (who shall remain nameless to protect the innocent) who commented that she did not know how to make a pie crust. I remembered a conversation with a friend years ago about how one of her goals in life was to learn to make a pie crust by the age of 30–(she achieved it). And I began thinking about how many of us have things we’d like to learn, but don’t know how to go about doing easily. These goals don’t tend to be major things, but yearnings we have to master some skill or overcome some obstacle. It occurred to me that we could be the answer for each other’s unfulfilled wishes in this regard. I know how to make bread. I sew. I could help someone learn how to read a pattern, for example. I have taught many people how to make bread and would be willing to show more. I’ve never learned to crochet or read a knitting pattern.
Any thoughts, sisters?
Posted by Vesper on September 30th, 2007 in Musings, States of Life, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
