I got a flyer advertising several performing and visual arts experience opportunities. I discarded it thinking, “Reciting “Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater,” is about all the cultural performing art I can handle right now.”
I would clean up the dust bunnies under the hutch, but I’m afraid the dust boa constrictors would come and get me.
Sometimes I fantasize about having another man in my life. He would mow the grass, mop the kitchen floor and then leave.
Sometimes I think God would like me to change the world. Then I think maybe He would be pleased if I just changed my attitude.
The best thing about having a dog is not having to pick up every single Cheerio that gets tossed on the floor.
9 out of 10 Sunday mornings, trying to figure out what to wear to church leaves me feeling like I’m in junior high.
It’s not that I’m afraid to learn how to operate our new entertainment system, it’s just that I’m lazy. And I figure it is good for the kids if I periodically say, “Sorry, I can’t get your DVD to play. Put on your pajamas and we’ll read an extra book before bed.”
I eat much healthier than I would if I didn’t have little people watching me all the time. Corollary : I pack my lunches to work because I know I’ll make healthier choices 6 hours before I eat than I will 6 minutes before I eat.
Sometimes I blame the baby for the oatmeal smudge on my sweater, even if the baby wasn’t served oatmeal.
I have been halfway through a borrowed copy of the 6th Harry Potter book for about 2 years now. I’m hoping for a major illness to lay me up so I can finish the book without being responsible for neglecting my family.
I enjoy watching VeggieTales with the kids.
I look forward to library day even though I won’t be checking out any adult books.
I like having an excuse to color with crayons and sing nursery songs.
I’ve never been tempted to start an affair. Steve is all the man I need – and sometimes more than I can handle.
It has taken me 30-something years to figure out that God cares less about whether I’m right all the time than He does about whether I’m still and quiet with Him.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Winter musings
I have never lived in a house with an attached garage.
My earliest memories are of living in a house in the Snowbelt in Pennsylvania. Our garage was a solid 30 yards behind the house. Dad would hire a snowplow once or twice a year to plow the driveway for us. It created a wonderful snow mountain in our turn around. We had a lot of fun climbing it.
Here on the Kuhlman farm, our garage is probably 50 yards behind the house. We’re not in a snowbelt, but the wind can get pretty cold here in the winter. I don’t mind hiking to the garage in the cold. But the first time I had to walk to the garage with my infant son on a cold, dark, early, breezy, winter morning to go to the babysitter before work, I finally understood the benefit of an attached garage.
Last Friday was pretty cold. Our thermometer was reading 6°F. I took the children to an indoor playland. As we got ready to go, I tried to decide whether to drive the car up the house for the kids, or make them walk down to the garage. I decided it would be good for them to walk to the garage. I wanted them to feel just how cold it was. We were bundled up well, but I wanted them to experience the cold. They were impressed by how easily they could see their breath. "Mommy, there's smoke coming out of your mouth." "Mommy, I'm a dragon!"
A former coworker of mine was from Sweden. He had some interesting things to say about winter.
-He was very serious about having good snow tires on cars. He considered bad tires close to homicidal negligence.
-He said they had a proverb in Sweden, “Only two things freeze to death: innocent animals and stupid people.”
-In Northern Sweden, people don’t lock their doors. It’s not because there is no risk of theft. It is so that if a person is lost and cold they can get indoors.
-He was pretty sure that alcoholic drink was the main thing that kept the Laplanders from losing their will to live.
-There is actually legislation in Sweden concerning office windows. “When you get that little sunlight in the winter, you need to make sure everybody has access to it.”
-He wanted to know what kind of idiot would design a house without keeping the pipes in the interior walls.
He also had some interesting things to say about pickled herring, but I’ll save that for another day.
My earliest memories are of living in a house in the Snowbelt in Pennsylvania. Our garage was a solid 30 yards behind the house. Dad would hire a snowplow once or twice a year to plow the driveway for us. It created a wonderful snow mountain in our turn around. We had a lot of fun climbing it.
Here on the Kuhlman farm, our garage is probably 50 yards behind the house. We’re not in a snowbelt, but the wind can get pretty cold here in the winter. I don’t mind hiking to the garage in the cold. But the first time I had to walk to the garage with my infant son on a cold, dark, early, breezy, winter morning to go to the babysitter before work, I finally understood the benefit of an attached garage.
Last Friday was pretty cold. Our thermometer was reading 6°F. I took the children to an indoor playland. As we got ready to go, I tried to decide whether to drive the car up the house for the kids, or make them walk down to the garage. I decided it would be good for them to walk to the garage. I wanted them to feel just how cold it was. We were bundled up well, but I wanted them to experience the cold. They were impressed by how easily they could see their breath. "Mommy, there's smoke coming out of your mouth." "Mommy, I'm a dragon!"
A former coworker of mine was from Sweden. He had some interesting things to say about winter.
-He was very serious about having good snow tires on cars. He considered bad tires close to homicidal negligence.
-He said they had a proverb in Sweden, “Only two things freeze to death: innocent animals and stupid people.”
-In Northern Sweden, people don’t lock their doors. It’s not because there is no risk of theft. It is so that if a person is lost and cold they can get indoors.
-He was pretty sure that alcoholic drink was the main thing that kept the Laplanders from losing their will to live.
-There is actually legislation in Sweden concerning office windows. “When you get that little sunlight in the winter, you need to make sure everybody has access to it.”
-He wanted to know what kind of idiot would design a house without keeping the pipes in the interior walls.
He also had some interesting things to say about pickled herring, but I’ll save that for another day.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Petra play
Petra has become a huge fan of "Ring Around the Rosy." We often hear her singing it to herself before she falls asleep at night. She loves taking someone's hands and doing the "Ring Around the Rosy" actions.
She has also discovered that she can get attention if she brings a book for someone to read to her. Several times I have been sitting on the floor and suddenly realize that Petra is toddling backwards toward me with a book in hand. Her favorite book right now is Sandra Boynton's, "Moo, Baa, La La La."
On Saturday, Paul was sitting on the floor reading a book to himself. This, in and of itself, is noteworthy and wonderful. Then Petra plopped onto his lap with her own book. It was a little golden moment.
I said, "Paul, she wants you to read to her."
"Mom, I think she has a stinky diaper!"
It was a short lived golden moment.
She has also discovered that she can get attention if she brings a book for someone to read to her. Several times I have been sitting on the floor and suddenly realize that Petra is toddling backwards toward me with a book in hand. Her favorite book right now is Sandra Boynton's, "Moo, Baa, La La La."
On Saturday, Paul was sitting on the floor reading a book to himself. This, in and of itself, is noteworthy and wonderful. Then Petra plopped onto his lap with her own book. It was a little golden moment.
I said, "Paul, she wants you to read to her."
"Mom, I think she has a stinky diaper!"
It was a short lived golden moment.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
no school
Paul is attending school exactly one day this week. Julia, only two.
Monday was a holiday for Martin Luther King Jr Day.
Tuesday, Paul vomited in the car on the way to school.
Wednesday, Paul and Julia both made it in.
Thursday (today), is cancelled on account of snow.
Friday, is scheduled off for a teacher's in service day.
So Tuesday was eventful. I had promised to bring a treat in for Julia's half birthday. Since the kids both have summer birthdays, I wanted to give them the chance to bring a treat in for school. Julia's true half birthday is a holiday, so we celebrated her half a year plus half a month birthday. She asked to bring in pumpkin pie. I ended up sending the pie in with Grandma since I was home with sick Paul and wasn't feeling really well myself.
Paul felt better by noon. I think there should be some kind of rule that if you get sick and make a terrible mess, that you have to feel wiped out until at least the end of the school day. In any case, he ate a normal lunch and was back to his old self in the afternoon. We read and played marbles.
My big victory of the day? (This is kind of gross.) I explained to Paul that if he felt like he needed to vomit and have diarrhea at the same time, that he should sit on the toilet and hold the bucket in front of himself. Later in the morning I came out of the laundry room to find that he had remembered and heeded my advice. I was so proud of him!
P.S. Big thanks to Julia's school staff and teachers for letting me drop her off at school 10 minutes early so that I could hurry home with Paul.
Monday was a holiday for Martin Luther King Jr Day.
Tuesday, Paul vomited in the car on the way to school.
Wednesday, Paul and Julia both made it in.
Thursday (today), is cancelled on account of snow.
Friday, is scheduled off for a teacher's in service day.
So Tuesday was eventful. I had promised to bring a treat in for Julia's half birthday. Since the kids both have summer birthdays, I wanted to give them the chance to bring a treat in for school. Julia's true half birthday is a holiday, so we celebrated her half a year plus half a month birthday. She asked to bring in pumpkin pie. I ended up sending the pie in with Grandma since I was home with sick Paul and wasn't feeling really well myself.
Paul felt better by noon. I think there should be some kind of rule that if you get sick and make a terrible mess, that you have to feel wiped out until at least the end of the school day. In any case, he ate a normal lunch and was back to his old self in the afternoon. We read and played marbles.
My big victory of the day? (This is kind of gross.) I explained to Paul that if he felt like he needed to vomit and have diarrhea at the same time, that he should sit on the toilet and hold the bucket in front of himself. Later in the morning I came out of the laundry room to find that he had remembered and heeded my advice. I was so proud of him!
P.S. Big thanks to Julia's school staff and teachers for letting me drop her off at school 10 minutes early so that I could hurry home with Paul.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Weekend games with the kids
We have had the last two weekends at home with our children. It has been nice not to go anywhere. Here are some of the things we did.
Indoor scavenger hunt. I wrote leveled clues: one set for Paul and one for Julia. It's amazing how much Julia can read when she is properly motivated. She would walk up to us with a clue and say, "I can't read this." Then she would look at it for a moment longer and proceed to read it.
Outdoor hide-and-seek. Julia is getting better at seeking. Paul is getting much better at hiding and staying hidden. Soon enough he will learn to be sneakier about obscuring his footprints in the snow.
Sledding on the little hills here on the farm.
Reading and practicing reading.
On Saturday, while Steve and Paul played, "Battleship," I got out a little baggie of small lengths of yarn for Petra. She had fun digging her fingers through the bits. Then Julia came along and decorated Petra's head with some of the yarn.
Later Steve brought out the Nerf guns and he and Paul played a few rounds of "Capture the Chipmunk" with Chip and Dale in the upstairs bedrooms. Paul broke into tears when he lost 5 or 6 games in a row.
I said, "Steve, you knew you were going to slaughter him as this game."
Steve answered, "Not really. He's fast. And he's a much smaller target, which makes him harder to hit."
Steve didn't throw the next game, but to Paul's great joy he won that time.
Yesterday he asked Steve, "Hey, can we play 'Attack Squirrel' again today?"
Indoor scavenger hunt. I wrote leveled clues: one set for Paul and one for Julia. It's amazing how much Julia can read when she is properly motivated. She would walk up to us with a clue and say, "I can't read this." Then she would look at it for a moment longer and proceed to read it.
Outdoor hide-and-seek. Julia is getting better at seeking. Paul is getting much better at hiding and staying hidden. Soon enough he will learn to be sneakier about obscuring his footprints in the snow.
Sledding on the little hills here on the farm.
Reading and practicing reading.
On Saturday, while Steve and Paul played, "Battleship," I got out a little baggie of small lengths of yarn for Petra. She had fun digging her fingers through the bits. Then Julia came along and decorated Petra's head with some of the yarn.
Later Steve brought out the Nerf guns and he and Paul played a few rounds of "Capture the Chipmunk" with Chip and Dale in the upstairs bedrooms. Paul broke into tears when he lost 5 or 6 games in a row.
I said, "Steve, you knew you were going to slaughter him as this game."
Steve answered, "Not really. He's fast. And he's a much smaller target, which makes him harder to hit."
Steve didn't throw the next game, but to Paul's great joy he won that time.
Yesterday he asked Steve, "Hey, can we play 'Attack Squirrel' again today?"
movie review - "End of the Spear"
Usually, if I pick a movie to watch, I want something light. I like to laugh. I don't volunteer to disturb myself mentally or emotionally for a film. Real life is intense enough.
But I was in a rare mood last night when Steve asked if I would be interested in watching "End of the Spear" with him. He had started the film and told me that it was about missionaries reaching out to a particularly violent people group in the Amazon basin in Ecuador.
Steve and I had just finished a bit of house cleaning while Grandma and Grandpa were watching our children. I said that "End of the Spear" sounded good.
"Are you sure?" Steve asked. "It's pretty rough."
But I knew that if I didn't watch it last night, I might not be up for it again any time soon.
Okay, yes. It was pretty rough. I cried. We both had a little trouble speaking for a while afterward. It took me a long time to fall asleep last night.
BUT - if you want a film that will seriously mess with your head over the WEIGHT of God's forgiveness and the amazing DEPTH of his redemption, then I can highly recommend, "End of the Spear."
Now all I need to do is look to see how God is reaching into the jungles in my own head.
But I was in a rare mood last night when Steve asked if I would be interested in watching "End of the Spear" with him. He had started the film and told me that it was about missionaries reaching out to a particularly violent people group in the Amazon basin in Ecuador.
Steve and I had just finished a bit of house cleaning while Grandma and Grandpa were watching our children. I said that "End of the Spear" sounded good.
"Are you sure?" Steve asked. "It's pretty rough."
But I knew that if I didn't watch it last night, I might not be up for it again any time soon.
Okay, yes. It was pretty rough. I cried. We both had a little trouble speaking for a while afterward. It took me a long time to fall asleep last night.
BUT - if you want a film that will seriously mess with your head over the WEIGHT of God's forgiveness and the amazing DEPTH of his redemption, then I can highly recommend, "End of the Spear."
Now all I need to do is look to see how God is reaching into the jungles in my own head.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
nibble, nibble
We keep our breakfast cereal in plastic tubs to protect it from pests like mice or ants. But the tubs are powerless against some critters. This morning I walked into the kitchen to discover Petra had removed the one of the tubs from the cupboard and was helping herself to the cereal within.
Not the Cheerios, mind you.
The Honey Bunches of Oats.
A.K.A Daddy Flakes.
Steve, you don't mind a little bit of toddler finger residue in your breakfast cereal, do you?
Not the Cheerios, mind you.
The Honey Bunches of Oats.
A.K.A Daddy Flakes.
Steve, you don't mind a little bit of toddler finger residue in your breakfast cereal, do you?
Monday, January 10, 2011
nascent humor
What did one snowman say to the other snowman?
-
Do you smell carrots?
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My children are starting to get jokes. They eat up joke books. But their retelling of the jokes betrays that full comprehension is just not quite there yet.
We have this toy Pooh Bear with magnets in its hands. Steve has long thought it was funny to say things like, "Poor baby. Did you wake up with poo in your bed? I'd be sad too." This weekend he tossed the Pooh Bear at the fridge, and the magnets made it stick. He said, "Look, kids. I just flung poo at the fridge."
Paul and Julia laughed, "Ha-ha-ha-ha-hee-hee."
"Steve," I grumbled. "They are old enough to get that joke now."
Steve just smiled, shook his head,
and pointed at our son who was saying, "Daddy, I want to do it too! Look, look! I just threw Pooh Bear at the fridge too! Ha-ha-ha-ha-hee-hee."
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Oh well. I'm looking forward to the day that I can share my affection for bad puns and geek humor with them. Like, "What's large, un-orientable, and swims in the sea?"
-
Mobius Dick.
---------------------------------
I'm going to be waiting a while.
-
Do you smell carrots?
------------------------------------
My children are starting to get jokes. They eat up joke books. But their retelling of the jokes betrays that full comprehension is just not quite there yet.
We have this toy Pooh Bear with magnets in its hands. Steve has long thought it was funny to say things like, "Poor baby. Did you wake up with poo in your bed? I'd be sad too." This weekend he tossed the Pooh Bear at the fridge, and the magnets made it stick. He said, "Look, kids. I just flung poo at the fridge."
Paul and Julia laughed, "Ha-ha-ha-ha-hee-hee."
"Steve," I grumbled. "They are old enough to get that joke now."
Steve just smiled, shook his head,
and pointed at our son who was saying, "Daddy, I want to do it too! Look, look! I just threw Pooh Bear at the fridge too! Ha-ha-ha-ha-hee-hee."
------------------------------------
Oh well. I'm looking forward to the day that I can share my affection for bad puns and geek humor with them. Like, "What's large, un-orientable, and swims in the sea?"
-
Mobius Dick.
---------------------------------
I'm going to be waiting a while.
Friday, January 07, 2011
Let's Play Confuse the Mommy
This morning I was telling Paul that he needed to hurry and eat his breakfast because he needed to catch the bus. Usually he has a little more time in the morning because we drive him to school. On Fridays he rides the bus.
Paul replied, and what I heard was, "With Annette?"
I asked, "Does Annette ride on your bus?" I know there are no Annettes in his class.
"No, mommy. With a net."
"Huh? Oh, you mean catch the bus with a net. Ha ha ha ha."
----------------------------------------------------
Later in the day Julia and I were playing charades. I had a pretty massive advantage because I had just written the prompt cards myself. I wanted Julia to practice reading, so many of the cards had very simple words like "dog" and "sad" on them. I also had Paul in mind when I made the cards, so I included a few harder words like "laugh" and "snake." I told Julia that if she couldn't read a word, she could pick a different card.
Since I had just made the cards, I could guess very quickly what she was acting out. And then she stumped me. She lay down on the floor.
"Are you a snake?"
"No."
"Are you 'down'?"
"No."
"Are you 'asleep'?"
"No."
"Hmm... Are you sure you're not a snake?"
"I'm not a snake."
I guessed everything else I could think of that I had written. "Okay, Julia. I give up. What are you?"
"I'm a log!"
And I have to say that "log" is a very logical guess for the word "laugh."
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Is Petra also confusing her mommy? Well, this evening she started making a game of walking up to Steve and I with her hands above her head as if she wanted up. As soon as either one of us started to reach for her, she spun around, giggled, and ran away.
Paul replied, and what I heard was, "With Annette?"
I asked, "Does Annette ride on your bus?" I know there are no Annettes in his class.
"No, mommy. With a net."
"Huh? Oh, you mean catch the bus with a net. Ha ha ha ha."
----------------------------------------------------
Later in the day Julia and I were playing charades. I had a pretty massive advantage because I had just written the prompt cards myself. I wanted Julia to practice reading, so many of the cards had very simple words like "dog" and "sad" on them. I also had Paul in mind when I made the cards, so I included a few harder words like "laugh" and "snake." I told Julia that if she couldn't read a word, she could pick a different card.
Since I had just made the cards, I could guess very quickly what she was acting out. And then she stumped me. She lay down on the floor.
"Are you a snake?"
"No."
"Are you 'down'?"
"No."
"Are you 'asleep'?"
"No."
"Hmm... Are you sure you're not a snake?"
"I'm not a snake."
I guessed everything else I could think of that I had written. "Okay, Julia. I give up. What are you?"
"I'm a log!"
And I have to say that "log" is a very logical guess for the word "laugh."
---------------------------------------
Is Petra also confusing her mommy? Well, this evening she started making a game of walking up to Steve and I with her hands above her head as if she wanted up. As soon as either one of us started to reach for her, she spun around, giggled, and ran away.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
just a snapshot of home
I was at home yesterday and had a good time with my kids.
For a while Julia was pretending that she was Julia-Rock-Star and that she was a distinct person from my daughter Julia Rose. Julia-Rock-Star was thanking me for inviting her home for lunch and said something about having brought Julia Rose home from preschool for me.
"Really?" I asked. "Where is Julia now?"
This made Julia-Rock-Star stop and think a minute. She decided that Julia Rose must be resting upstairs in bed because she had a rough day in preschool. She stayed in character for the rest of the meal. At one point she asked if she could have a sleep-over at our house with Julia Rose. "I could sleep in Julia's bed."
"Oh, and where would Julia Rose sleep? Could she use her sleeping bag and sleep on the floor?"
"No she could sleep in the bed with me."
Now Julia is small enough that we could easily fit two of her in her twin bed, but I said, "I don't think you would like to sleep with Julia. She rolls around a lot in her sleep. Sometimes she sleeps like this." I leaned to the right and put my arms straight out. "And sometimes she sleeps like this." I leaned to the left and put my arms straight up. "She might roll over you." Julia giggled at my portrayal of her sleep habits.
Yesterday evening Steve noticed Petra was singing something that was clearly inspired by "Ring Around the Rosie." It is hard to transcribe her because there weren't many consonants in her vocalization. It was something like, "Ah-heh, Ah-heh, wa-ee-ah Du!" The tune was there for, "Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!"
Petra has been a little clingy, but that is to be expected because she is teething. We noticed Sunday night that she was red cheeked and a little warm to the touch. Sure enough I could feel a molar starting to poke through her gums. Last night I was checking her progress and realized that she has 3 molars working their way in. Yikes! I'm sure I would be a moody irritable mess if I had three molars cutting into my mouth. All things considered Petra is doing great.
Paul is doing pretty well too. The last two nights have been a real battle to get him to eat his dinner and finish his homework before bed. He has been dragging his feet. Last night I handed him off to Steve for his spelling practice because I was getting frustrated. Steve has a pretty good system for practicing spelling with Paul. I need to learn this system.
Julia and I played hide-and-seek with Paul in the barn yesterday afternoon. (He needed a little physical activity before we sat him back down for homework, dinner, and more homework.) He hid so well that I finally called him to come out because I was starting to get nervous about him. I worry too much. He was so proud of himself for being an excellent hider. It was great.
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Zoo lights
I'm so pleased we got the kids to the zoo lights this year. I've been trying for the last 3 or 4 years to take them to see the lights, but each year it flubbed. This year we regained enough of our respiratory health to go on New Year's Eve. I told Steve that I hoped enough people would have other plans for that night so the zoo wouldn't be too crowded.
He said, "Good luck with that."
Okay, so the zoo was pretty busy. By the time we left it was getting packed and looking like it would only get busier for a while. But we got there early and had a good time.
We went with Grandma and Grandpa H. We all crammed into Tiny, the Suburban, and it was nice to be able to travel together.
Julia got to see the giraffes. We hoisted her up so that she could peek through the window into their house. They were sitting, so we were actually look down on them. It is a little breathtaking to realize just how big they really are.
Paul got to go through the lizard house. I love the lizard house because he loves it so much. Many of the lizards were active that evening. Paul made of point of looking into each aquarium and wanted to the name of each snake, turtle, and lizard.
Petra rode in the backpack carrier. I was fascinated watching the elephants eating, so she got to see that for quite a while. We'll just call that her favorite thing. She traveled really well.
My mom got to see manatees for the first time.
Then one of the zoo handlers had a big old monitor lizard out on a table. Paul and Julia each got to pet it. Julia said she wanted to pet it and then hesitated. Steve reached in and guided her hand to its back before she knew exactly what was happening. She said later that she wanted it to be smooth, but it was bumpy.
The lights were pretty fun. We enjoyed the lights around the pond which were choreographed to flash in time with music.
He said, "Good luck with that."
Okay, so the zoo was pretty busy. By the time we left it was getting packed and looking like it would only get busier for a while. But we got there early and had a good time.
We went with Grandma and Grandpa H. We all crammed into Tiny, the Suburban, and it was nice to be able to travel together.
Julia got to see the giraffes. We hoisted her up so that she could peek through the window into their house. They were sitting, so we were actually look down on them. It is a little breathtaking to realize just how big they really are.
Paul got to go through the lizard house. I love the lizard house because he loves it so much. Many of the lizards were active that evening. Paul made of point of looking into each aquarium and wanted to the name of each snake, turtle, and lizard.
Petra rode in the backpack carrier. I was fascinated watching the elephants eating, so she got to see that for quite a while. We'll just call that her favorite thing. She traveled really well.
My mom got to see manatees for the first time.
Then one of the zoo handlers had a big old monitor lizard out on a table. Paul and Julia each got to pet it. Julia said she wanted to pet it and then hesitated. Steve reached in and guided her hand to its back before she knew exactly what was happening. She said later that she wanted it to be smooth, but it was bumpy.
The lights were pretty fun. We enjoyed the lights around the pond which were choreographed to flash in time with music.
Monday, January 03, 2011
music review
I don't think I've lost my mind.
I asked Steve for a rap CD for Christmas, and he gave it to me.
One of the first times I heard and enjoyed rap was on a high school field trip. We went to see a Midsummer Night's Dream, and after the show some students rapped a little of Shakespeare's iambic pentameter. I was intrigued. The strong driving beat complemented the emotional intensity of the words. I liked it.
I am very word conscious when it comes to music. If I dislike the lyrics, then I don't like the song. One or two lines can ruin a song for me. Take Bette Middler's "From a Distance." I like most of the song, but the last two lines about God watching us, "from a distance" nauseate me. So while I am fascinated with the energy in rap and hip-hop, I won't listen to it because so much of it glamorizes evil.
When Steve and I went to the mission's conference in November, we heard a performance by a Christian rap and hip-hop artist named Shai Linne. Wow. I mean, wow. It was a brief survey of the whole bible. Smart lyrics. Strong beat. Good theology. Glorifying God. Where can I get more, please?
I found he had an album, and that is what Steve gave me. I have only listened to it once through, but I really like it. The album is a collaboration by Linne and several other performers and writers. It is a well designed album, with questions from the beginning being answered or revisited at the end. It is emotionally intense, and I wept a few times while listening to it.
It is not for everybody. For those of us used to hymns and praise music, it can sound chaotic in places. One brutal song looks at the last moments of several different martyrs. What was going through their heads? It shook me. Another song imagines the last thoughts of three different men dying in a hospital. One of the men finds himself in hell, and like the rich man in the parable of Lazarus, pleads for a chance to go back and warn his family.
Because Rap and Hip-Hop are intense genres and have a reputation for being dark or violent, they avail themselves to artists wanting to explore intense, dark, and violent realities. For example, a couple of the songs look at people who are down and out. Others talk about how the animal sacrifices called for in Mosaic Law foreshadow the coming of God's son. Life can be ugly. The bible doesn't tiptoe around that ugliness. Neither do these songs. What makes this album wonderful to me is that it has a Christian, and therefore, ultimately hopeful worldview.
Not all the songs are so rough. One, believe it or not, is a biography of Charles Spurgeon. I played another song to my mother-in-law. After she heard it, she commented that Elizabeth Elliot probably never dreamed she would be held up as a role model in a rap song.
I had my son in mind when I asked for this CD. I remember once he heard part of a rap song blaring from a car while we were walking down town. We couldn't hear the lyrics. He was mesmerized by the beat and thumping bass. His eyes lit up. I identified with him. I want to supply my children with media that inspires their spirits without destroying their souls. There are a couple of songs on this CD that I will play for Paul and Julia soon. Several of them, though, are too harsh for them yet. Too scary.
The album, called "Storiez" is honest, gritty, and beautiful. It all points to God and the "Greatest Story Ever Told." I know Shai Linne is not the first person to put this genre of music to a glorious use. But this is the first time I've dipped my toes into this devotional format, and I'm so glad for the chance to try it.
I asked Steve for a rap CD for Christmas, and he gave it to me.
One of the first times I heard and enjoyed rap was on a high school field trip. We went to see a Midsummer Night's Dream, and after the show some students rapped a little of Shakespeare's iambic pentameter. I was intrigued. The strong driving beat complemented the emotional intensity of the words. I liked it.
I am very word conscious when it comes to music. If I dislike the lyrics, then I don't like the song. One or two lines can ruin a song for me. Take Bette Middler's "From a Distance." I like most of the song, but the last two lines about God watching us, "from a distance" nauseate me. So while I am fascinated with the energy in rap and hip-hop, I won't listen to it because so much of it glamorizes evil.
When Steve and I went to the mission's conference in November, we heard a performance by a Christian rap and hip-hop artist named Shai Linne. Wow. I mean, wow. It was a brief survey of the whole bible. Smart lyrics. Strong beat. Good theology. Glorifying God. Where can I get more, please?
I found he had an album, and that is what Steve gave me. I have only listened to it once through, but I really like it. The album is a collaboration by Linne and several other performers and writers. It is a well designed album, with questions from the beginning being answered or revisited at the end. It is emotionally intense, and I wept a few times while listening to it.
It is not for everybody. For those of us used to hymns and praise music, it can sound chaotic in places. One brutal song looks at the last moments of several different martyrs. What was going through their heads? It shook me. Another song imagines the last thoughts of three different men dying in a hospital. One of the men finds himself in hell, and like the rich man in the parable of Lazarus, pleads for a chance to go back and warn his family.
Because Rap and Hip-Hop are intense genres and have a reputation for being dark or violent, they avail themselves to artists wanting to explore intense, dark, and violent realities. For example, a couple of the songs look at people who are down and out. Others talk about how the animal sacrifices called for in Mosaic Law foreshadow the coming of God's son. Life can be ugly. The bible doesn't tiptoe around that ugliness. Neither do these songs. What makes this album wonderful to me is that it has a Christian, and therefore, ultimately hopeful worldview.
Not all the songs are so rough. One, believe it or not, is a biography of Charles Spurgeon. I played another song to my mother-in-law. After she heard it, she commented that Elizabeth Elliot probably never dreamed she would be held up as a role model in a rap song.
I had my son in mind when I asked for this CD. I remember once he heard part of a rap song blaring from a car while we were walking down town. We couldn't hear the lyrics. He was mesmerized by the beat and thumping bass. His eyes lit up. I identified with him. I want to supply my children with media that inspires their spirits without destroying their souls. There are a couple of songs on this CD that I will play for Paul and Julia soon. Several of them, though, are too harsh for them yet. Too scary.
The album, called "Storiez" is honest, gritty, and beautiful. It all points to God and the "Greatest Story Ever Told." I know Shai Linne is not the first person to put this genre of music to a glorious use. But this is the first time I've dipped my toes into this devotional format, and I'm so glad for the chance to try it.
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