Back to War

Just got off the phone with my son, and his orders are confirmed: he's definitely going back to war. This is the son with the baby who was premature a few months ago. It's a good career opportunity: he's going to be deploying with the Special Forces. But it's in a seriously hot zone, and he's got a new family, so it kinda sucks too. He hasn't got travel orders yet, so doesn't know whether he's leaving before Christmas.

I wish I could go instead of him. We were just talking about how there should be a volunteer corps of worthless old men with no point to their lives, whom nobody loves. We could do high-risk missions--get killed, nobody cares, and it'd be doing us a favor.

Fiona Apple - Every Single Night

Tiny Addison opened her eyes today, and her mother got to hold her for the first time. Thank you for your prayers. And thanks to the Lord, for answering.

The Tree of Life - the Way of Nature and the Way of Grace

"It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him."

-- J.R.R. Tolkien

"As far as I am concerned, the greatest suffering is to feel alone, unwanted, unloved."

-- Mother Theresa

Mother Theresa on Love

"Love, to be real, must hurt."

"Jesus, in order to give us the proof of His love, died on the cross.
  A mother, in order to give birth to her baby, has to suffer.
  If you really love one another, you will not be able to avoid making sacrifices."

-- Mother Theresa

The Feast of St. Nicholas

Today is St. Nicholas Day. And, incidentally, the anniversary of my birth, making him one of my patrons. (The other being St. Michael. Obviously.)

I feel a close affinity to the good bishop, beyond just having been born on his feast day. He was a defender of women: when a poor father near his home was considering selling his three virgin daughters into prostitution, Nicholas provided dowries for each of them so they could marry honorably. Also, a fierce defender of the truth: at the council of Nicea, he punched Arius, author of the Arian heresy which split the church for centuries, in the head.

St. Nicholas clocking Arius the heretic. Yeah!

When he wasn't beating heretics, he was known as a very kind, devout, humble, and generous man, who always remembered the poor and those in need. I like to think of him as a reminder that one can be a Christian and still be a man.

Another Sick Baby

This is Addison. Will you pray for her?

She is my granddaughters' father's sister's daughter. :P  So, my daughter's niece, I guess. She is 8 weeks premature, and it's been touch and go, but she is not doing well today. Also, her mother is suffering complications from a botched delivery.

Mystery Sonata No. 1 - Biber

<sigh>

Another visit with the Lord

I had another visitation. This time, it was when I was asleep--not like the other time when it was...I don't know what to call it: a vision? theophany? epiphany? Anyway, this time I guess it would technically be classified as a dream. But it was still him. "The Lord appeared to him in a dream" is found throughout the Bible. Christ appeared to me in bodily form, very much as we expect him to look: white robe and all that. He put his arms around me, hugged me, and said, "With repentance, even your wrong answers become right." By which, I think he meant something along the lines of, "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose," but specific to me. I've been worrying a lot about what I've written here: did I say too much, or not say enough, or say the wrong thing, or say it at the wrong time?

This is the second time in my life he's appeared to me like that. A long time ago, during a very difficult time in my life, he appeared to me and we walked for some time  through the streets of a beautiful city made of white stone. We talked, but I was not permitted to remember what we talked about when I woke. I think he was putting things into my spirit to help me get through the times ahead, but that my mind wasn't prepared to understand.

Chesterton and Handel

Here's an experiment in finding the Presence of God that you should try: Read G.K. Chesterton's The Everlasting Man. Then, while the images of cruel pagan civilizations and demon-gods, and the general darkness of the world before Christ are still fresh in your mind, sit down and listen to the complete Messiah. Do nothing else: just close your eyes and listen, and meditate on what you're hearing and what you've been reading.

A Glimpse of Aslan's Country

Further up and further in....

Bach: Violin Concerto No.2 in E Adagio - Anne-Sophie Mutter

Another of my favorite pieces, performed by my second-favorite violinist. The weather today made me think of it.

Giovanni Paolo Cima: Sonata for Violin and Cello

I found it! Here's the version I was talking about--see what you think of the difference. Maybe it's just that it's in a lower key, or the quality of the recording production.

*****

I heard a beautiful recording of this by Apollo's Fire on my pandora this morning, but couldn't find that one to share with you. This is pretty darn good, although there was something I liked better in the violin in the Apollo's Fire version. I don't know if it would be accurate to say it was "more baroque", but it was more--I don't have a word for the quality I'm looking for. Wrenching? Visceral?

My least favorite thing in the world is kissing fat baby cheeks on the warm side after they wake up from a nap. Blech.

They've got lambies on their jammies.

More from the Mountain

I'm happiest when I'm outside; just wish I could take my library with me. I suppose I'm going to have to resign myself to getting a kindle and learning to read books that way.

Tried to get a shot of what looks like caves, but you can't see them that well. I didn't take the time to explore them. Maybe another time.

I never noticed before, you can see in these pictures where my nose was broken. Maybe it's visible now because of the weight loss.

Guess where I am