Dearest Rachel – There have been moments in our lives where we managed to forget that conflict – well, perhaps I shouldn’t sugarcoat it, and just call it ‘war’ like I ought to – is the natural state of the world collectively, just as sin is the natural state of individual mankind. When we wereContinue reading “Prison Planet”
Monthly Archives: November 2023
The Point is in the Pulling
Dearest Rachel – I’m not about to claim to have had an illuminating vision like, say, Peter, who was basically told by God that “what God has made clean, do not call unclean.” If nothing else, I’m already a couple of millennia too late to come up with insights like that; other people have arrivedContinue reading “The Point is in the Pulling”
The Hard Way
Dearest Rachel – To think that I was just telling you yesterday about the beauty of the first snows of winter. That beauty comes at rather a cost, after all, foremost of which is the cold. Already, I find myself challenged as to how heavily to dress for one activity or another – for example,Continue reading “The Hard Way”
It Happens Every Year, But…
Dearest Rachel – I realize that this really doesn’t qualify as the ‘first’ snow of the year; we’d already seen a handful of flakes on Halloween (I’d even taken a picture with them suspended in air, which, to be fair, doesn’t convey the same effect as when you’re standing there with them falling – orContinue reading “It Happens Every Year, But…”
from Rachel: Broken Pottery
Based on our previous lesson, how can God’s Word become our glorious liberation? [by] “obeying it” Complete the following sentences with the first four characteristics.1. A rebellious child of God doesn’t “act like a child of God.”2. A rebellious child of God isn’t willing to “listen to the Lord’s instruction.”3. A rebellious child of GodContinue reading “from Rachel: Broken Pottery”
The Rut
Dearest Rachel – I know it’s weird for me to comment on the titles of these letters; as far as I’m concerned, it’s weird for letters to have titles in the first place. But when they’re set out in this blog format, it seems they need something to distinguish one from another. This isn’t necessarilyContinue reading “The Rut”
Conspiracy Meeting
Dearest Rachel – Since my body and mind disagree – sometimes vehemently – on how to handle things, I wasn’t invited to last night’s discussion, preoccupied as I was with a handful of more or less forgettable dreams. But I’m assuming there must’ve been some coordination going on, so I’m gonna take my best guessContinue reading “Conspiracy Meeting”
Cheating With Side Dishes
Dearest Rachel – Considering our interpersonal vocabulary, I’ll bet you saw this title and thought the topic might be a little salacious, no? And maybe I’ll touch on that in more detail later on, now that I think about it (or not). But for the moment, bear in mind that today is Thanksgiving, with allContinue reading “Cheating With Side Dishes”
Singing Promises I Can’t Make
Dearest Rachel – Another day, another song pops up in my algorithm that gets under my skin. This time, it was a group that you and I had heard of, at least (albeit not until we were long since together, so it was never a part of our mix tape collection), but a song fromContinue reading “Singing Promises I Can’t Make”
The VCR in the Rafters
Dearest Rachel – It was just the sort of dream that you would have considered to be a nightmare; the kind of story that would have justified all the hoarding you ever did. I don’t know where I was when I found it – after all, it’s not like our house even has exposed raftersContinue reading “The VCR in the Rafters”
The Hundred Kilo Coup
Dearest Rachel – Another weekend, another day and a half of fasting, with all the attendant effects. Some of them are good – even intended, which I’ll get to eventually – but some of them can be a real test of willpower. I actually felt slightly bad on Saturday night when one of the guysContinue reading “The Hundred Kilo Coup”
from Rachel: Upside Down
Describe the relationship between God’s Word and freedom (James 1:22-25). “God’s Word gives freedom and brings blessing.” In Isaiah 29:16 God displayed their problem like a marred piece of pottery on a wheel. What was God’s point? “He was/is in charge, not the people He created.” Liberty and authority will always go hand in hand.Continue reading “from Rachel: Upside Down”
Paired Spares
Dearest Rachel – I don’t know if you’re familiar with the trope of the married woman who has a dream about her husband cheating on her, and proceeds to hold it against him once she wakes up. In some versions of the story, she takes it out on him physically, immediately upon waking up, muchContinue reading “Paired Spares”
The Way Things Used to Be
Dearest Rachel – What with Logan out of town for the weekend, I don’t find myself needing to sequester myself in the bedroom; the boys aren’t hanging out together in the family room in the evening. It almost feels like the way things used to be, with me and him hanging out in the familyContinue reading “The Way Things Used to Be”
Bye, Bye, Brony
Dearest Rachel – The weirdest part of this isn’t so much that Daniel has decided not to go this weekend, as much the fact that I’ve been asked to drive Logan to a pickup point where he can meet a friend of his, from whence they’ll drive up to the convention in Milwaukee together. It’sContinue reading “Bye, Bye, Brony”
Fear of Being Trusted
Dearest Rachel – You’re probably looking at that title with some bemusement at this point; it would be so much more in character for me to look up the Greek equivalent to this phrase, and express the concept as a ‘phobia.’ For the record, there is a term for fear of trust – pistanthrophobia –Continue reading “Fear of Being Trusted”
Dealing With the Division
Dearest Rachel – As much as there were mixed emotions involved with our church’s expansion to multiple locations, it didn’t faze us as much as it could have. Sure, we wouldn’t see certain people at the original location on the same weekly basis as we used to, since we were moving over to attend theContinue reading “Dealing With the Division”
The Daruma’s Eye
Dearest Rachel – I’m sure you remember how, whenever we would travel, we would bring home certain souvenirs that were meant to be used or consumed – usually food products, but occasionally something else. We were fully aware of their purpose, and in many cases, that we only had a limited time in which theyContinue reading “The Daruma’s Eye”
from Rachel: To Live Happily Ever After
What has God done in your life that has exceeded anything you had seen, heard or imagined? “He has blessed me with a wonderful husband with a great extended family, a wonderful son, a nice house, parents who are both healthy, and many good friends.” Read Isaiah 61:1-3, and fill in the blanks: “The SpiritContinue reading “from Rachel: To Live Happily Ever After”
Unsatisfying Answers
Dearest Rachel – Let me start off, honey, with an expression of appreciation, regardless. It’s always wonderful to see you again, even if it’s only in a dream – particularly since these dreams are so much rarer than I’d like them to be. Your kisses, deep and insistent as they were – gaw, how I’veContinue reading “Unsatisfying Answers”
More Than Just Money
Dearest Rachel – As with laughing at one’s own jokes, I realize full well that talking about the gifts one gives is, to put it mildly, bad form. Even Jesus himself condemned those who announced loudly when they presented their gifts to the temple (and essentially originating the expression “to blow one’s own horn,” asContinue reading “More Than Just Money”
His Plans for His People
How odd of God to choose the Jews. William Norman Ewer, British journalist Not odd of God; goyim annoy Him. Leo Rosten, Jewish-American author Not so oddas those who choosea Jewish Godbut spurn the Jews. Cecil Browne, British journalist Dearest Rachel – I sometimes wonder if the Hebrew nation became God’s “peculiar people” because ofContinue reading “His Plans for His People”
Sturdy Grains of Sand
Dearest Rachel – For all I know, this may have escaped your notice back in the day; I certainly couldn’t keep track of your library until I was forced to go through it and determine what could be given away and what I couldn’t part with just yet. But among the many books I broughtContinue reading “Sturdy Grains of Sand”
Ordinary Moments
Dearest Rachel – Good morning, honey, and welcome to a day that seems to have a fair amount going on, but nothing in particular that we haven’t talked about before (or the occasional thing that I can’t go into details about, for… reasons). I guess a lot of days in life are like this, whenContinue reading “Ordinary Moments”
Not Doing It For Me
Dearest Rachel – Fall is certainly making itself felt, with cooler temperatures and shorter days; indeed, that was just brought home yesterday when we had to set our clocks back. But at the same time, it’s not gotten so cold yet that I find myself having to wear the really bulky clothes that conceal theContinue reading “Not Doing It For Me”
from Rachel: To Be Fruitful
What did God say to Peter to correct his prejudicial thinking? “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” What is the third dream most little girls have? “to be fruitful” How does Luke 1:5-7 offer biblical proof (that barrenness does not imply sinfulness)? “It states that Zachariah and Elizabeth were both uprightContinue reading “from Rachel: To Be Fruitful”
Trying to Reel Me Back
Dearest Rachel – I’m not sure when I’m going to have time to put this together for you. I actually got a full night’s sleep – until past seven, in fact – but that means I’m running rather a bit late for the men’s Bible study this morning. To add to that, Kerstin and IContinue reading “Trying to Reel Me Back”
Giving Up… For Now
Dearest Rachel – It’s official; my subscription to eHarmony ran out at the end of October, and I’ve decided not to renew it. Not for lack of trying on their part, to be sure; I was getting emails from them throughout the last month – and in the last week, they were arriving almost everyContinue reading “Giving Up… For Now”
In Awe of Scheherazade
Dearest Rachel – The framing device behind the Middle Eastern folk compendium One Thousand and One Nights is the story of the sultan Shahryar who, upon discovering he was being cuckolded by his consort (which he only found out because of his brother being similarly betrayed by his wife, leading Shahryar to investigate whether suchContinue reading “In Awe of Scheherazade”
“Hello, Caller Number Fifty…?”
Dearest Rachel – It generally begins just as I’m about to leave the house these days, sometimes while I’m eating breakfast (which alarms me more because the phone is liable to wake Daniel), sometimes while I’m showering, sometimes while I’m getting dressed. But since it’s the only way to get rid of the interruption withoutContinue reading ““Hello, Caller Number Fifty…?””
Letters to Rachel 