Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Hanging On

The schedule right now is brutal.

posted by Stahlkes @ 8:28 AM 0 comments

Friday, May 25, 2012

Happy Mother's Day!

It's time for the offering, which I've chosen to play on piano. The ushers have started the collection, so I hurry down the side aisle to reach the grand piano in the front of the sanctuary. As I approach the instrument, a sea of red roses awaits me on the music stand. Besides several in a vase, more are taped to cards that stretch across the piano.

Later, friends told me that Paul shopped for a red rose at the farmer's market near church. The only single flowers were yellow, however, which weren't possible because he wanted the rose to be red. So he bought an entire dozen with his own money, and distributed seven of them to the Stahlke kids and to Jonathan. He handed out the remaining five flowers to friends, who gave them to their own mothers. Then our kids made cards, and at a teacher's suggestion, arranged everything on the piano.

What a wonderful, wonderful gift!

posted by Stahlkes @ 2:01 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Old English

Remnants of antiquated terminology still exist in our language today. The word "Lord" appears often in the Bible, even though few ladies and even fewer lords are mentioned in secular society today. But one place they appear in common language is when we speak of our "landlady" or "landlord."

posted by Stahlkes @ 7:15 PM 0 comments

Saturday, May 05, 2012

It's a Date!

No reservations needed. Set in the vaulted cellars of a thirteenth-century house, this restaurant is brilliantly atmospheric and evocative, lit with candles only, with mead served in flagons and food in rough ceramic bowls and on wooden platters. The full medieval banquet includes nuts, rose petals, honey-fried cabbage and pear toffee. From 6pm.

"Jonathan, will you go with me?"

"Sure!"

Our date is set. In a decade or two, we'll dine together in Visby, Sweden.

posted by Stahlkes @ 11:43 AM 0 comments

Friday, May 04, 2012

Serendipity

An overhead banner stretches across Ardmore Ave. near Trinity:
"Men's Garden Club of Villa Park--Plant Sale."

One block later is our church's sign with the sermon title for Sunday:
"Pruning is Painful."

posted by Stahlkes @ 10:03 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

God's Grace, All-Sufficient

How firm a foundation, O saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He has said
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

"Fear not! I am with you, O be not dismayed,
For I am your God and will still give you aid;
I'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

"The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never, forsake!

"When through fiery trials your pathway will lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, will be your supply.
The flames will not hurt you; I only design
Your dross to consume and your gold to refine.

"Thoughout all their lifetime My people will prove
My sov'reign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when gray hairs will their temples adorn,
Like lambs they will still in My bosom be borne."

Lutheran Service Book, Hymn No. 728

posted by Stahlkes @ 1:50 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

May Day

From Wikipedia:

"International Workers' Day (also known as May Day) is a celebration of the international labour movement and left-wing movements. It commonly sees organized street demonstrations and marches by working people and their labour unions throughout most of the world. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries. It is also celebrated unofficially in many other countries."
____________________________________

BUT, the United States celebrates Labor Day in September. Our landlady in eastern Germany wouldn't mind that, though. As a young person, she resented the required attendance at the May Day parades, and the school reps who made sure no students skipped. The militarism of the day bothered her greatly. She comes from a pacifist family, and her father and grandfather, both pastors, had resisted the Nazis during World War II.

In the early 1980s, she awaited the birth of her son, who was due in early May. Her labor began on May 1, and she told us she held off the birth until after midnight. No child of hers would have a birthday on May Day!

posted by Stahlkes @ 8:48 PM 0 comments