A year and a half ago when I purchased Phillips, Craig & Dean's "Let the Worshippers Arise" CD, the title track seemed to be the family favorite, particularly Kathryn's. She would ask for it by name on every trip we took in the van for what seemed like months, and would sing along in typical two-year old fashion, muttering almost unintelligibly and then chiming in confidently on approximately the last word of every stanza. "Blah blah blah blah...RISE...blah blah SING...blah blah blah ALLLL...blah blah KING!"
Recently said CD has been resurrected from our collection and she has found a new favorite, Track 8, Awake My Soul. It has been about three weeks that we have been listening to it almost continuously in the van. If I happen to turn it down so that my calm voice of instruction might be heard ever so briefly (how dare I?), she will shout "No, all the way up!" and as soon as the accompaniment begins to fade even slightly near the end or the singing ceases for a moment between verses, she will shout "Again, again!"
She calls it "I'm Closin' My Eyes" and she knows quite a few of the real lyrics, though there are a number of interesting lyrics according to Kathryn peppered throughout. I will share the real lyrics because they really are quite powerful and the song is a favorite of mine as well:
When I close my eyes
I can see your glory
When I raise my hands
I can touch your face
When I bow my knees
I stand before you
Then Christ is formed me
Awake my soul
Prepare an entrance for your glory
And let my heart become a throne for you to dwell
And when I need your Holy Spirit more than life itself
Then Christ is formed in me
When I lose myself
I reflect your image
When I break my will
Then I am whole
When I give my all
I find life everlasting
Then Christ is formed in me
Awake my soul!
Awake my soul
Prepare an entrance for your glory
And let my heart become a throne for you to dwell
And when I need your Holy Spirit more than life itself
Then Christ is formed in me
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I share this not to boast of the righteousness of my three year old, nor of her righteous upbringing. If anything I am boasting of her tenderness DESPITE her upbringing. =) It blesses my soul to see her (and my other children) loving and learning the words to songs that will stay with her for life. Words that convey truth, not lies...words of hope, not despair, not jealousy, not lack of contentment...NOT CRAP!
Due to my early obsession with not truthful music, I have the lyrics of Top 40 hits from 1981 to present clanging around in my head on an almost daily basis. I don't consciously meditate on them, but when I hear the music of a song I haven't heard in 20+ years I can sing nearly every word without missing a beat. Not to over-spiritualize, I am not trying to argue for or against anything, just bearing witness to the power of music and the mind's ability to process and store words set to music. Not that I have been irreparably damaged by these words, but I recognize and at times am grieved that at the very least this useless information is taking up valuable space on my mental hard drive which could certainly be utilized for some better purpose.
Plus also, lest anyone think I am trying to paint too rosy a picture of my offspring, here is a story to keep a balanced view...A couple weeks ago, Julia and Kathryn were quarrelling fiercely upon Julia's arrival home from school. In the midst of the conflict, she piously asked Kathryn what she thought Jesus would do to resolve the matter at hand. Kathryn snappily replied, "I think Jesus would punch YOU right in the HEAD!"
To God be the glory!
Friday, October 27, 2006
Friday, October 13, 2006
Bumper Sticker Intelligence
Living near what was once the thriving automobile capital of the world, it is not surprising to see the American pride in buying American automobiles. Our life and livelihood have depended on that loyalty for generations. It is has been the basis of both our economy and our identity as a state. When the "Big Three" suffer, we all suffer...when they flourish (and when was that??), we all would flourish.
Anyway.
Least where I come from, you just don't see too many foreign makes on the road. We're all on the same team when it comes to buying American CARS or even vans, but NOT trucks. Oh no! Owners of trucks want the world to know why their brand of choice is superior to all others, especially other American made trucks, and it seems that the only effective medium for communicating this heartfelt conviction is either on the back window or back bumper of....oh let's just say 3 out 5 trucks you see on the road on a given day. You can't drive from here to town without encountering at least one little-boy-peeing-on-perceived- underdog-truck-brand-logo sticker, or one of the close runners up: "FORD-Fixed Or Repaired Daily" or "I'd rather push a Ford than drive a Chevy" or "Dodge: Mayor of Truckville".
But the peeing boy seems to say it best. From anti-gunners to the NRA, from Nixon to Bush to Clinton, from "mean people" to people who don't buy American, he pees on anything the driver doesn't like while the rest of the world is forced to watch or avert their collective eyes. Today I saw the same boy going at it again on the back of a Chevy. But he wasn't going ON anything...
It simply read "D - - n Wind". =)
Now there's one I'd like to own, I thought. So I snapped one up right quick on my way home and mounted it on the back of my American made minivan right smack betwixt my "My kid beat up your honor student at Podunk Elementary" and "Charlton Heston is MY president" stickers.
No, really I didn't. I didn't buy it and I have no stickers on my van. It is a Pontiac, but it was assembled in Canada.
Anyway.
Least where I come from, you just don't see too many foreign makes on the road. We're all on the same team when it comes to buying American CARS or even vans, but NOT trucks. Oh no! Owners of trucks want the world to know why their brand of choice is superior to all others, especially other American made trucks, and it seems that the only effective medium for communicating this heartfelt conviction is either on the back window or back bumper of....oh let's just say 3 out 5 trucks you see on the road on a given day. You can't drive from here to town without encountering at least one little-boy-peeing-on-perceived- underdog-truck-brand-logo sticker, or one of the close runners up: "FORD-Fixed Or Repaired Daily" or "I'd rather push a Ford than drive a Chevy" or "Dodge: Mayor of Truckville".
But the peeing boy seems to say it best. From anti-gunners to the NRA, from Nixon to Bush to Clinton, from "mean people" to people who don't buy American, he pees on anything the driver doesn't like while the rest of the world is forced to watch or avert their collective eyes. Today I saw the same boy going at it again on the back of a Chevy. But he wasn't going ON anything...
It simply read "D - - n Wind". =)
Now there's one I'd like to own, I thought. So I snapped one up right quick on my way home and mounted it on the back of my American made minivan right smack betwixt my "My kid beat up your honor student at Podunk Elementary" and "Charlton Heston is MY president" stickers.
No, really I didn't. I didn't buy it and I have no stickers on my van. It is a Pontiac, but it was assembled in Canada.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Thursday's Epiphanies
- Discovering that Andrew now likes pineapple.
- Discovereing that Julia now likes raisins.
- Discovering that I had slept 7 1/2 consecutive hours the night before with no visits to the water closet.
- Discovering that cleaning the interior of the minivan more than 2 times a year really IS a good thing.
- Discovering that upgrading from the 3 dates per year plan really IS good for the marriage.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Kathrynisms
We, as mothers, are always going to write these things down. But where would we write them, IF we actually were able to remember them long enough to record them in a readable format?! On our blogs, of course...
Yesterday after we got home from church as I was making lunch, I asked Kathryn what she learned in Sunday School. Her reply: "About how the tiger will lie with the lamb".
Today in the van driving home from town, she asked if she could have fruit snacks when we got home. She asked repeatedly about what kind we had and then had me repeat each answer AGAIN. I can't tell if she is truly having difficulty hearing or if she is just exercising her ability to exasperate me frequently, but it seems like I need to plan on saying whatever I need to say no fewer than three times. For emphasis, for clarity, or simply for the sake of vain repetition
...I dunno. Anyway, I said we had Cinderella fruit snacks at home. "What?" she asked. Realizing that I had pronounced "snacks" with an extra harsh midwestern "a" sound, and knowing I would surely have the opportunity to say it again in the foreseeable future, I tried my best to tone it down when I repeated the answer one more time. A few moments of silence from the backseat passed before she said, "No, Mama, we don't say 'snocks', we say 'snaaaaacks'!"
Finally, an interesting word has been created in our household and is becoming very popular in use. Kathryn is the coiner, "sharaboosa" is the word. I can't say for certain when it came into existence, but it is a most versatile piece of vocabulary. It can be used interchangeably as an expletive or a term of endearment, depending on inflection and context, of course. Snarled through clenched teeth as a prelude to an utter meltdown, it conveys the meaning of something similar to "leave me alone, you big poo poo head". But whispered through petal soft little lips with arms wrapped tightly around my neck, "Mama, you are my little sharaboosa!" well it just melts my heart...whatever it means!
Yesterday after we got home from church as I was making lunch, I asked Kathryn what she learned in Sunday School. Her reply: "About how the tiger will lie with the lamb".
Today in the van driving home from town, she asked if she could have fruit snacks when we got home. She asked repeatedly about what kind we had and then had me repeat each answer AGAIN. I can't tell if she is truly having difficulty hearing or if she is just exercising her ability to exasperate me frequently, but it seems like I need to plan on saying whatever I need to say no fewer than three times. For emphasis, for clarity, or simply for the sake of vain repetition
...I dunno. Anyway, I said we had Cinderella fruit snacks at home. "What?" she asked. Realizing that I had pronounced "snacks" with an extra harsh midwestern "a" sound, and knowing I would surely have the opportunity to say it again in the foreseeable future, I tried my best to tone it down when I repeated the answer one more time. A few moments of silence from the backseat passed before she said, "No, Mama, we don't say 'snocks', we say 'snaaaaacks'!"
Finally, an interesting word has been created in our household and is becoming very popular in use. Kathryn is the coiner, "sharaboosa" is the word. I can't say for certain when it came into existence, but it is a most versatile piece of vocabulary. It can be used interchangeably as an expletive or a term of endearment, depending on inflection and context, of course. Snarled through clenched teeth as a prelude to an utter meltdown, it conveys the meaning of something similar to "leave me alone, you big poo poo head". But whispered through petal soft little lips with arms wrapped tightly around my neck, "Mama, you are my little sharaboosa!" well it just melts my heart...whatever it means!
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