Hello all.
Jeepers! Has it really been a month since my last letter? I was doing so well. I guess since I've started my nanny gigs, I've had a slightly opposite schedule than my husband, so I don't make it to the library with him as often.
Well, if you know me or my sister well at all, you know that we like to have movies on in the background of basically whatever we're doing- something that drives Jered crazy. So, one morning last week, I popped in
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, intending to have some background noise while I read my book.
Turns out, it had been so long since I've watched
Narnia, that I couldn't stop watching it that time. It also turns out that I am truly becoming my mother: I can't tell you how many times I got blurry eyed during it.
Now, I am not really a battle scene guru, but in my unprofessional opinion, that movie has the best battle scene ever, unparalleled, except maybe by Gandalf's eastern entrance over the mountain in the
Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, that was just an entrance, not an entire scene.
The build up of inspiring music followed by the silence as the two sides collide is enchanting to me. It's also emotion filled instead of mostly blood and guts. I mean, the NERVE of that witch, riding in wearing Aslan's mane! But I suppose that fits in with the symbolism of the whole story. How convincing would Satan be if he just showed up as his bared self all the time?
Dr. Graddy once taught us, while we were reading Nathaniel Hawthorne, that the devil is the perfect liar because he knows the most believable lie is mixed with truth.
Coincidentally, I am reading a book right now that is all about warfare as well: spiritual warfare. I'm reading Frank Peretti's
Piercing the Darkness.
I can't remember if I told you about reading
This Present Darkness a couple years ago, but this one is very similar. It's all about a small town that is under attack by demons.
The book goes into scenes of the demons' ranks, the Heavenly Host's meetings, and the poor humans who are being deceived, fighting for the Lord, or caught in the middle and being tortured by demons. Most of the demons have names too, such as Greed, Guilt, Lust, Gossip, Strife, Despair, Fear, Insanity, and so forth.
Usually, I wait until I'm finished with a book before I tell you about it, but this one is already so good that I've copied down entire paragraphs to share, so I might as well do that along the way.
This particular story deals with a monstrous lie being spread about the town's Christian school and one of its teachers. The whole community, believers and otherwise, are thrown into a tumultuous legal and spiritual battle, and lucky readers that we are, get to see all of the behind the scenes action.
Without ruining the book for you, I feel that I can share these two excerpts. The first is a thought from Destroyer, one of the head demons.
"...I suggest there is one force stronger than their zeal for God: their own self-righteousness! We will make them proud, pure in their own eyes, vindictive, unjust judges over each other, and stir up such a noise among them that the simplest prayers will not be uttered."
This second one is from the perspective of one of the angelic leaders during a church meeting, where the members gathered to discuss and pray over the troubles they were facing.
"Tal could feel a good concert of prayer here- but he was also distracted by a bad presence in the group. Somewhere, somehow, Destroyer had planted an invisible, insidious infection, and Tal could feel it growing. Destroyer had done well; on the surface, the infection was almost impossible to notice; it was going to be hard to expose, and even if the Heavenly Host could reveal it, the hearts of the people themselves would have to change before the germ could be rooted out."
Wow-ee!
First of all- brav-o Mr. Peretti on that awesome alliteration. I wasn't entirely sure what insidious meant, although I had an idea, so I looked it up: intended to entrap or beguile, stealthily treacherous or deceitful, or operating or proceeding in an inconspicuous or seemingly harmless way, but actually with grave effect. Ok, so yeah- perfect word choice for what's going on.
Anyway, I know we've all heard "get the plank out of your eye before worrying about the speck in your neighbor's," but this gives me such a different picture of what is really going on in that kind of situation. I never gave much thought to demons being around before I read Perretti's books. I'm not saying they should be taken literally and as gospel truth, but what if it's true, that sometimes I have an ugly, little demon sitting on my shoulder, digging its nasty talons into my skin and distracting me from the truth of what really matters?
How many times have I been concerned over someone else's life when I should have just gone straight to prayer? How many times has that demon bolstered my self-righteousness to distract me from praying?
If there's one thing Frank Peretti has taught me in his books, it's that I don't go to prayer often enough. I suppose it's more likely that God is teaching me that through his books. How sad that it takes a fictional novel to remind me of that fact.
On a happier note, Jered and I spent a lovely week on vacation, visiting our families. First we spent a few days with the Flinkmans, having a delicious Thanksgiving meal, watching silly TV shows with Jessica, and going on a quick girls' date to Dairy Queen the day it closed for the season. Jered also went hunting, and I did some experimental baking with Jessica.
Then we just made it to the Farm on time to have Thanksgiving with Dad's side of the family. After going back to our house, we spent the remainder of the weekend putting together a puzzle, watching Christmas movies, seeing
Breaking Dawn, helping Katie study, working on a project, snacking on salami, and Jered even got to do some more hunting with Dad.
All in all, it was a wonderful vacation. It's so great to be able to spend time with our family, and we were so thankful to have the whole week to do so. And although we're back to the "real world," it's a little more pleasant with our Christmas decorated apartment. From home, we brought Christmas candles, the ceramic Christmas tree I received as a bridal shower gift, and my first nativity set that my Grandpa Bill and Grandma Robbie gave me for Christmas a few years back. It's the first time I've gotten to use it!
Even with those things, our apartment just wasn't living up to the Christmas setting we had wanted. We didn't have a branchy tree, and I was really upset that I couldn't find the ornaments Grandma Lynn made for me. I think Jered could tell I was a little bummed, and I came home from work one night last week to a HUGE surprise.
First, there was a fresh wreath on our door. When I walked inside, I found Jered had lined the tops of our windows with icicle lights, bought a little Christmas tree and put lights on it and decorated it with candy canes, and crafted a huge star out of wires and Christmas lights for the wall behind our bed. He's wonderful. For real guys- I was in tears.
So, feeling that I should contribute, I decorated our kitchen window with an Pinterest-inspired idea, and put up the two ornaments that we received in a Christmas basket wedding gift.
Whew! That was a bit longer than I intended! I guess that's what happens when I mean to write more often than I do! Well, just a week and a half left before Jered and I go back on vacation- this time for three weeks! Can't wait! Talk to you later folks!
Aim
