Learning to Be a Warrior

Recently, Warrior and I had a date night to see "War Room," the latest movie by Alex and Stephen Kendrick.  I think we were both significantly ministered to by it.  And I might have even cried a small popcorn bucket full of tears.  Or maybe a peanut M&M box.  For a few minutes I think I also wanted to go home and get a jump rope, grab a couple of my children, and put on a TobyMac song to go with it.  (Maybe I should write a book called, "If You Take Me to the Movies," instead of the mouse.  I realize I'm starting to sound like that book...)

If you are a regular guest to my blog, it is no secret that I refer to the men and boys in my household as "warriors."  Tender warriors has been my hope and prayer for them.  To have, on the one side, a firm resolve to stand strong for truth in God's Word, to be mighty in faith, persevering, co-laboring with like-minded brothers to hold one another up when the battlefield fires rage, and when it comes down to it....sheer grit and determination to choose honor, integrity, and obedience to Christ.  Temper this with a tender heart that listens to the Spirit of God, cultivates that relationship with Him, and lovingly cares for and disciples his family, and shows mercy and compassion to those weaker than him.  I know.....it's a tough job, and a high calling.  Very high calling.  Our men live in the face of REAL battles. EVERY. DAY.  Perhaps my "take-home" from this film is that I, too, live among the battle.  And if my men are to be Tender Warriors, well, maybe that requires me to be a Warrior Princess of sorts.

  

Courageously Feminine.

Knowing I am Beautifully Treasured.....by the King of the Universe,

and figuring out what that's supposed to look like when faith meets the frontlines.

Certainly it means employing prayer as one of my primary strategies.

And every warrior needs discipline....including me.  Both self-discipline to become better at my role, and corrective discipline for all my failures and the sin still resident and at work in and around me.

So, imagine my delight, at the end of the movie, to see the credits roll and hear a song.  It takes a few seconds, and my Tender Warrior and I look at each other and simultaneously say, "Steven Curtis Chapman."  (He has been our musical companion our whole adult and married lives--my perennial favorite for his ability to put real life beauty, joys, and struggles and genuine hope together lyrically in a way few artists can)! 

 So, of course we were the LAST people out of the movie theater because we stayed and listened to the entire song.  Because, well, I just have to do that.  And even better?  His song is called, "Warrior!"  LOVE THAT!

Here's to more fully embracing that call, and standing tall in the battle with my head bowed to My King.  Join me?

   

I can taste the fear but I choose courage
As I raise my shield and lift my sword

And I fall on my knees and I fight like a warrior
I am a warrior on my knees
I call on the name of the one who is Conquerer
I’m more than a conquerer when I believe
The enemy trembles every time
He knows the battle is no longer mine
When I fall on my knees and fight like a warrior
Like a warrior

~Steven Curtis Chapman

California Getaway

Warrior had a work conference in southern California....rough, yes?  And on the beach no less!  How to remedy this sad state?  GO WITH, of course!  It being just a little in advance of our anniversary, it was also opportune time to celebrate the occasion.  How GLAD I am to have had this opportunity!

First up, flying into Santa Barbara.  Can I just say that I LOVE small airports??  So easy to navigate.  And this one is so charming.

It nearly looks like a mission.  And with lemon trees, of course.

We found a place to park near the pier and harbor areas.  We found a quiet and lovely al fresco corner of a restaurant to dine at for dinner.  Then we walked the pier, enjoyed seeing how MANY sailboats there were, and took in this most gorgeous of sunsets!  It's true, that we took the above one with the vivid setting on our camera.  Because it just wasn't quite capturing the color hues.  But it really wasn't too far off from this.  The azure and fuschia-type colors are only my two favorite colors combined!

Ahhhhhh, palm trees.  We decided they just have this thing about them that says "warm" or "vacation" to Northerners.

We ended the day by driving to our hotel in Ventura and getting settled.  As I mentioned, Warrior had to work.  So I had to decide what to fill my day with.  Since we were on Ventura Harbor, the choice was easy--walk the harbor, and find the beach.  My primary goal was to still and quiet my heart with the Lord and refuel my soul at the oceanside--in short, to live and breathe beauty.

It was a charming little village with tons of "toothpicks" sticking up out of the harbor.  So many sailboat masts, that's what they looked like.  The sailing schools for children would line up the little sailboats and they would head out of the harbor.  It would look, sometimes, like Mama sailboat and her babies following along.  It reminded me of our own days of learning to sail on that little sunfish boat on a reservoir in Idaho.  We're a bit out of practice 20-something years later!  But it did look fun!  Too bad there were no one-day sailing lessons.

I oriented myself to the village, and then found this Channel Islands National Park Museum at the end.  I didn't know these islands existed until coming here.  And it looked fun to explore them by hiking or sea kayaking.  As we were there a short time, there was no planning ahead.  And we must not forget we're only an hour out of LA!  Which means any cruises or island excursions are booked long in advance.  We consoled ourselves with the fact that it was cloudier than usual the days we were there, and we decided we wanted to do that when you could actually SEE from the islands (and if a bit warmer, would be nice too!)

My little snapshots of said Channel Islands, on display at the museum.

After meeting up with Warrior and some of his colleagues for lunch at a Greek restaurant, I was off to the beach!  Hurray!  But first....a stop in the shops.  You see, I forgot to pack a couple of essential items.  Those being a beach towel and sunscreen!

The book I took along was Sarah Mae's "Longing for Paris."  Maybe I'll review it sometime.  It arrived just before I left, so I decided it would be a quick read that I could actually accomplish in one trip!  The subtitle says, "One Woman's Search for Joy, Beauty and Adventure Right Where She Is."  That resonates with me, so I thought I would check it out.  Plus, the cover is just lovely :)

It just so happens, there is a delightfully delicious french bakery in the village!  Oh, JOY!  So, I brought my little taste of Paris beachside with my croissant and iced blended mocha.  My croissant is barely peeking out of the bag to keep it out of sight of the seagulls!  I didn't want any intruders.  I think this croissant is one of the best I have ever tasted.  I do have to laugh at myself, though.  I went into the bakery/cafe and asked if they made the pastries right there.  The man in the chef's hat opened his mouth and out came, in his strong French accent, "Yes, everyday, except Mondays." (when they are closed)  That answers that! 

Amidst other experiences, I actually also got to eat at a French country restaurant.  Warrior's colleagues held an after-work dinner there.  Though I was not in-the-know about all the goings-on discussions related to the work project at hand, I did find the discussions interesting and the company intriguing--half of our table (which is 3 out of 6) were from other countries-- Holland, Quebec, and Scotland.  We were so trying to be good and eat small dinners (we weren't that hungry, anyway) that when the waiter asked if anyone would like dessert, we all said, "No, thank you."  As our table was dispersing for the evening and we were trying to figure out how to pay, we were informed that the grant was paying for the dinner.  Needless to say, we were a little bummed that we passed up the opportunity to have a French dessert! :)

One evening we took this walk at sunset toward the pier.  'Twas a bit chilly, so my beach towel doubled as an extra-layer skirt.  The Ventura County Fair was going on, and I guess it's a big one.  We laughed as we listened to the Huey Lewis concert coming down the walkway.  Guess it was that middle-school nostalgia.

A fisherman had caught a little shark off here.  Oh, and I learned that this is one of the biggest squid harbors on the West Coast!  Calamari, anyone?  (Not me, thanks!)

What a place for a county fair!

We watched sunsets every opportunity there was!

When work was over, we did arrange to have one extra day that we could spend together.  When we arrived in California and were looking through those tourist books of what there is to see and do in the area, we discovered that the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was not far off!  After a leisurely morning and a return trip to that French bakery (tres magnifique!),  we spent the afternoon being greatly inspired by one of the heroes of our lifetime!  Come back next time for a whole post on that experience!

We soaked in the last moments of sunny California beach, bare feet in the sand, with our little breakfast before heading up the highway for our return flight home.  Only us on the beach with surfers in the waves.  We never get tired of this scene.  Ever.

Leaving this entry with a favorite song.  In the quiet morning of a beach run, all alone, it was the perfect opportunity for worship.

           

My New Favorite Hymn

Learning THIS, more than ever right now:  "My soul is satisfied, in Him alone."

"Two wonders here that I confess:  My worth and my unworthiness."

~Keith and Kristyn Getty

Now, if I can just have my daughters learn that fiddle part....

(To listen to video, mute the playlist at the bottom of the page)

The Music of 2014

Music.  Doesn't that word just stir up a whole lot itself?  There are whole histories and a gamut of philosophies that can be expounded on.  Let's not forget theology in there, either.

As I am thinking through my end-of-year book post (coming soon!), I couldn't help but reflect on music.  Now quite possibly that is because it is Christmas and our home has been filled with music...both on instruments and on players.  Adventure Girl and I were lamenting at the close of the evening yesterday, as we sat listening to some beautiful choral renditions of Christmas carols on Pandora, that the music of the season will soon be over.  And why does it not carry over past the Christmas season?  I think we concluded that it doesn't conclude.  It is just different.  The music of Christmas is its own entity and beauty.  The music of the rest of the year can be so in its own right.  It is also different, and perhaps there is a seasonal characteristic to it too.

But I think it is also because music tells something about us.  The what and why of our listening choices speaks something about the heart.  Like reading choices, I can tell something about a person by what music they listen to before I know very much more about them.  Which is probably about as far as I'm going to venture in this post on waxing eloquent about the meaning behind music

Which had me thinking...what have I listened to this past year?  What has been new?  What is on my playlists?  Have my musical choices been a growing experience?  It is true at this season of life, that what is on my children's (or husband's) playlists tends to be what dominates our home.   I don't often state, "Let's listen to....."  Except when it is related to purposeful education, or at the end of the day when I just need. some. calm.  Or Sunday mornings, when I can be picky about what style of music I want to hear.

What indeed IS a great blessing to me, is that by carefully crafting the sounds of our home over many years and hopefully giving them an appetite for beauty in all things, my children's music choices have echoed my own in some form or fashion.  We all have slight variations in preferences at any given time.  But we have a great deal of harmony about music in our home--in listening, that is!  We're still working on the singing part!

I think our music was most expanded on a local scale this year.  That is, we were introduced to music of a "locally grown" fiddler, Rebecca Lomnicky, and her duo partner, David Brewer, early in 2014 at a concert.  Country Girl, Adventure Girl and I went and we thought it one of the most fun concerts we have ever attended.  Maybe it had something to do with the homecoming enthusiasm for the musicians.  Or that we had never seen a bagpiper with so much energy or enthusiasm while playing (or Christmas lights and decorations on a set of bagpipes!)  Or the stirring strathspeys, lovely airs, and toe-tapping reels of Scotland and Ireland that we enjoy.  Or that she could make her fiddle play "Amazing Grace" in the sound of bagpipes.  All of it combined meant we had to listen to it often, so "Inspired" entered our home playlist.



I am not sure where this one has been hiding.  I mean, I have heard of Keith and Kristyn Getty many times the past few years.  Somehow I finally looked them up more closely and this is what I found:



"Joy, An Irish Christmas" has been our Christmas treat in music this year.  It has a very fun combination of traditional songs mixed into jigs or reels (to which I often give in to the call to practice my Irish dance steps we learned at a class earlier this year) and then their gift of hymn-writing shines through.  I think "Jesus, Joy of Highest Heaven" might be my new favorite hymn.  Kristyn Getty's "Magnificat" is beautiful and full of worship as well.  I only wish their tour this year had come to our part of the country!

But we did get to enjoy this concert, instead.  Tender Warrior and I went on a date night to "Winterdance" with the Celtic band, Molly's Revenge, Christa Burch, and Irish dancers.  I looked this one up, being introduced to Molly's Revenge, when David Brewer (the bagpiper mentioned above) noted that he had a Celtic band and that they annually came through our town every December. (You can click on the link to find a sample video from their tour in 2013).



It was full of energy, some lovely tunes, and the very Irish sing-songey voice of Christa Burch.  We enjoyed how she sings with hand motions.  All of it was accented with some phenomenal Irish step dancers with gorgeous costumes!  I kept thinking of how my little girls would be gasping "Wow!" at their glittery costumes.  David Brewer called it, "Irish Dancer Bling."

I do have to say, that Irish and Scottish folk music can very often feature songs that amount to "drown- your-sorrows-in-a-bottle" tunes, and those I do not care for (and we already know are not biblical)!  There are a couple of these on this album.  As with all things, discernment is in order.

These are just some new albums we've added this year.  They happen to have more of the Irish and Scottish folk music flair this year.  Having fiddle players in the home, and being a family who enjoys making music together, we have grown quite a bit in 2014. It's always a journey and doesn't come necessarily "easy" for Tender Warrior and I, as we seem to think it does for some families.  Maybe that is an illusion.  I know all who are musical work hard at it.  I just always feel like I have SO much to learn in this arena, even having played the clarinet for many years in my youth.  One of my joys is learning alongside my children, even if their abilities and understanding far surpass mine.  Warrior and I learn from them, too.

Aside from listening to music, we had several opportunities to play music throughout the year.  We had opportunities to play during church worship many times.  The older girls and I played piano, fiddle, guitar and harp for a women's ministries special event at church.  We gathered the courage to pull together a song as a whole family at the annual music camp we attend.  We participated in two fiddle contests.  Most memorable was probably blessing my 95-year-old grandmother with a concert on the porch of her care home, which filled her up immensely, and returning to sing some Christmas carols with her this season.

We look forward to the musical adventures of 2015, both in playing and listening.   And how we might continue to grow, expand, and hopefully improve our playing to bless others with God's gift of music!

Dance at the Shire

When the invitation came across my email, it seemed high time to go.  The invitation said, "Bilbo's Belated Birthday Ball."  One of the themed balls held a few times a year by a local English Country Dancing club.  That means not only was it one of my favorite ways to exercise, but it had the bonus of having a "Lord of the Rings" theme.  Which means I wouldn't have to twist Tender Warrior's arm to go.  Not that I do anyway.  He is so sweet to oblige me when it comes to historic dancing and he enjoys it as well.  Even when I make him get up in the middle of the living room to dance my favorite Emma and Mr. Knightley dance in the newer version (my favorite!) of "Emma."

The weather was beautiful and the location perfect for such an event.  Truly, it looked like a place that hobbits could dance.  And hobbits there were (some even with fur on their feet)...and elves (pointy ears too), an Aragorn with the hair to prove it, Legolas (without the trademark hair) and well, even a Black Rider or two (though the invitation warned to not come in scary costumes as this is a family-friendly environment).  And the beautiful gowns....oh my.  Made me want to break out my sewing machine.  Though I don't have so much time to spend on creating beautiful gowns right now.

I took the opportunity to try out some LOTR-inspired hairstyles, thanks to YouTube.  I so enjoy styling hair and I am very grateful to have daughters who let me.  This one was inspired by Arwen's "Helm's Deep" style.

 

And this one is Eowyn-inspired for my blonde girl.  Now we have very fine hair around here (not like those LOTR ladies), so we do our best and we often have to use lots of bobby pins and extra ponytail holders.

 

It was a gloriously perfect fall day to dance outdoors until dark.  So many took the opportunity to dance in true hobbit fashion with bare feet.

 

Love this couple on the end.  They look so authentic.  The young hobbit definitely knew what he was doing.  This young lady's costume is adorable and I love the flower wreath in her hair (my girls were admiring those too).

 

Sun was setting and moon was rising.  How much more lovely can it be?

 

As night fell, the festivities moved in to the barn.  This lovely barn was where the refreshments were served.  Did someone say that hobbits like to eat??  If you saw the spread, you would know.  It fast disappeared with all those hungry dancers even though it looked like so much at first! 

Pardon the orange light (still trying to get those indoor settings right without flash photography), but you can see the fun continues indoors as well.  My Country Girl and Adventure Girl were determined to stay to the end because the final dance was their most anticipated....Mairi's Wedding, a good 'ol Irish circle dance (and it's pretty easy as well!).  Part of the reason they so anticipated it was that they've been learning to play it on their fiddles.

The only thing missing from Bilbo's Birthday Ball must have been Gandalf's fireworks.  I'm sure the owners of the farm well appreciated that one (and probably wouldn't have allowed it)!

It was a bit of a late night, but surely rejuvenating to our minds, bodies and spirits to have had such a delightful time out of doors with beauty for the eyes, ears, and even taste buds to behold.  I think we shall have to make this a more regular occurrence!

Scenes from a Week of Joyful Noise

We just returned from an amazing week at Booher Family Music Camp!  We decided early this year, upon learning of it, that we would make this our family vacation for the year.  I haven't been so inclined to tent camp with babies and little children.  I know they love the adventure.  I just don't love the work.  Nor do I like not sleeping well on the hard ground and hearing strange noises outside my tent.  Tender Warrior and I have done a fair bit of camping in our time.  And even some wilderness camping.  But with a family to care for, it's not so appealing.  Though I adore being in God's creation and the quiet, I just find the work and the dirt overwhelming at this stage of life.  I do like yurt camping together.  Because I just like that door that can lock and that little heater, and that shelter from the rain, you know.

I was willing to make the concession to tent camp on this one.  Do you want to know what was a major motivation for me (no puns intended..really)??  FOOD!  That's right!  I would not need to plan food for an entire week!  (Insert happy dance here).  And I don't mean just food to get by.  We were downright treated to the very best camp food in the country.  I was told it would be so, and it was true.   The kitchen crew that served was a huge blessing.  And we had nutritious, home-cooked style food in abundance.  I hear that Grandma B. goes to great measure to ensure the food is good.  There are rules here.  Like "No macaroni and cheese or spaghetti and meatballs."  I wish I had taken pictures of food.  Because there were glorious salads, fresh fruit, amazing entrees, hearty breakfasts, homemade biscuits like I've never had, and amazing homemade cinnamon rolls. 

Food was truly secondary though.  I relished the idea that our family could have some good quality music lessons together under some of the very best musicians in the country.  Tender Warrior took his guitar and Country Girl, Adventure Girl, and Young Warrior took their violins.  This mama doesn't have so much time to devote to music lessons at this stage, though I treasure making music.  I grew up with the clarinet.  Because it was the only instrument we owned and I was the oldest, so when band came around, that's what there was to play.  I was good, as far as band goes.  But I never loved it.  I always wished I could play flute or something beautiful.  I was surprised to see one clarinet player (who doubles as a fiddle player) at camp.  And I thought to myself, "Wow!  I never knew one could make this kind of music with a clarinet!"  Now, I am thankful we own many different musical instruments, so I get opportunities to play here and there.  Even though I feel handicapped because I can only read music and don't have a solid foundation in chords and theory.

I did steal a few moments to play in this beautiful place.

And he would be my favorite back-up musician...he's had this guitar for 20 years and this is the first time he really had opportunity to take lessons.  I was so happy to see him learn to play it more and enjoy it so much (even if his fingers were mighty sore at the end of the week).

Most days during classes, I stayed at camp with the littles.  They started to want fiddle lessons too, when they saw the young children's class.  They got to play a bit in between other classes.  We did lots of fun things and enjoyed the quiet of the day while the majority of campers were away at classes at a nearby school.  Here's someone I know and love who wants to be a photographer.

These country scenes just make me LONG to have property like this.  It is one of our dreams.

And the music...oh yes, the music!  Spectacular!  God gave those Booher brothers amazing talent and they are using it for His glory!  And so are many others who gathered there.  It's quite a showcase of talent.

 And at camp, there are always recreational activities.  Ultimate frisbee, volleyball, foosball, a fun run, playing in the creek....

And a very nice tree swing from a giant oak tree.

Each night there were either jam sessions or family music nights of various kinds.  The band scramble was a highlight for all.  Students from various instruments were put together in a band with instructors and they had to come up with a creative music arrangement with only 2 afternoons to practice.  Here are my favorite cowboys who were part of the band, "The Lone-Star Rangers."  They sang and played, "Deep in the Heart of Texas."

And everyone together on final concert night.

And for the historical dance-loving mama that I am, YES!  There was even a ceili dance (that's Irish, if you didn't know).  I love a good ceili, though some of those moves are super high energy.  There was one dance we just had to watch because it was too advanced and confusing, especially for my favorite dance partner.  But we all got to do the Virginia Reel and all were delighted (yes, I know that's not Irish.  But it is historical and it counts one hundred percent in my book of dancing and was all the better for my resident Civil War history buffs).  Sorry, we were too busy dancing to take photos.  When we weren't dancing and took photos of that "Posties Jig" (I think that's what it was called), the people were spinning around so fast that they just look like kind of a blur anyway).

Wonderful memories for all to take home.   And it's been fun to be inspired and come home to lots of music practice.  Our hope is God will use it in some way in our lives and family to be a light to others.  I think we're ready for next year (even though we will miss one of our favorite Booher families who will be spending some time serving in South America for the next two years). 

I am grateful for that little bit of stretching outside of my comfort zone.  You can't really beat camping in a group or place like this.  To put children to bed with nighttime serenades just outside the tent can't really be topped.  And that stunning moonlight from the full moon.  Something about the scene and the setting reminded me of when I was at running camp as a teen (now that was entirely roughing it!)  I was even treated to a couple of long moonlight walks hand-in-hand with my Tender Warrior.  Now I wish I had a photo of that.

Everything for His Glory

My Young Warrior was listening to one of his favorite songs.  It drew me in.  And really there are few joys in life that compare to dancing in the quiet of your home with a baby in your arms.  It ranks up there just under dancing in the living room with your husband.  So that is what I found myself doing.  It's even more fun when other children join in.

The chorus of the lyrics goes like this:

As you do every thing you do for the glory of the One who made you

Cause He made you

To do

Every little thing that you do

To bring a smile to His face

And tell the story of grace

With every move that you make

And every little thing you do

I needed to just soak in those words for a little while.  Am I telling the story of grace as I go about the day in my responses and conversations?  This song just has a way of lifting me out of the mundane and putting joy in the journey and a spring in my step.  Ordinarily, I prefer more reflective and "quieter" music.  But I have kept Steven Curtis Chapman as a favorite for well over twenty years (and yes, some of his songs are quiet and reflective).  Meaningful, well-chosen words is one reason why.  I find his  music so compelling because he also seems to have a grasp of the condition of our human souls--the struggles, the messes, AND the victories--and how we need to be turned God-ward in the midst of every moment.

These words also brought to mind the voice of my Young Princess when she was even younger and we were teaching them the Catechism for Young Children.


Q:  Who made you?
A:  God.


Q:What else did God make?
A:  God made all things.


Q:  Why did God make you and all things?
A:  For His own glory. 

When the moment was gone, I was a bit sad it was over.  I think I wanted to play it again.  I decided to see if there was a good video to go with it.  Children were giggling and the older ones came over to see.  Now all of us were laughing at the funny antics of Steven Curtis Chapman in this video. 

I hope this might bring some joy to your day---and delight that you were made for His glory!  I know I can use this reminder often.  So though the video is a bit goofy, I hope the message of the lyrics ministers to your heart today.