A New Song: Discovering the Holy Spirit, Part 1

setup "Learning How to Wait"  
background music "A New Song"
error of stoicism "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them" 2 kings 6:16

This is a story about getting to know the Holy Spirit.  Everybody's story is different, because God interacts with His us in ways perfectly suited to our individualities.  But this is mine, and I hope it encourages you.  

Soon after getting married, my husband and I took the new members' class offered at our church.  Ours is a non-denominational, whole-Bible believing, charismatic church.  It is the least "traditional" church either Andy or I have ever been a part of, but in the emphasis on Spirit-filled, whole-life worship, we recognized the opportunity to be stretched in new ways that have been very good for our spiritual growth over the past seven years.  

It was in that class that I first heard of the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" as something more than what I had yet experienced.  To make a distinction: when we say 'yes' to Jesus, immediately the Spirit lives in us, our Promise to remind us that yes, we now belong to Christ.  The baptism, on the other hand, may or may not happen at the start of our walk with Jesus, and is His pouring out of supernatural power on us to minister to other people or to testify of the work of Christ in and around us.  It is always given so that we may bring glory to God and build up the body of Christ--NEVER to seek glory for ourselves.  

Anyway, my initial reaction to this concept, after recognizing it throughout scripture, was essentially to feel gipped: how was it possible to have been a Christian for TWENTY YEARS and to never have HEARD of this thing?  I was raised to understand the Holy Spirit as a member of the trinity, but essentially irrelevant to the present-day Church.  And there are plenty of churches who treat the Spirit this way still--and even condemn the charismatic movement as being completely fabricated--but I need to tell you that those believers are missing out on Someone VITAL.  

And though we can't fully comprehend Him, He's actually not as weird as most of us have believed.  

Trust me.  I'm a skeptic.  

For many years after my conversion I never used any ready-made forms [of prayer] except the Lord's Prayer.  In fact I tried to pray without words at all--not to verbalise the mental acts.  Even in praying for others I believe I tended to avoid their names and substituted mental images of them.  I still think the prayer without words is the best--if one can really achieve it.  But I now see that in trying to make it my daily bread I was counting on a greater mental and spiritual strength than I really have.  To pray successfully without words one needs to be "at the top of one's form."  Otherwise the mental acts become merely imaginative or emotional acts--and a fabricated emotion is a miserable affair.  When the golden moments come, when God enables one really to pray without words, who but a fool would reject the gift?  But He does not give it--anyway not to me--day in, day out.  My mistake was what Pascal, if I remember rightly, calls "Error of Stoicism": thinking we can do always what we can do sometimes. 

-C. S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer 

Trees of Knowledge

I'm seeing all these "Back to School" posts on the Facebook feed, realizing things like...

My generation?  Our kids are starting school now.  Wow.  The next generation is really here, fully realized and moving away from the precious innocence of infancy and bridging the gap toward being full partakers of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  There's no way to go back, no way to shield our beautiful babies from knowing, for better or worse, the bad and the beautiful that this world holds for them. 
 

Oh, my heart.  

And in my home, the start of school has an added dimension, because Daddy is a teacher.  I had a little epiphany last night about why school makes me sad: in a short-term way, because inevitably, school starts and suddenly we don't see Daddy for two weeks (not only are there 12-hour days to work around, but the first two weekends are always full of conferences, so we don't see him on in-between days, either).  But the bigger, longer reason that school makes me sad is that, especially in the past two years, school begins and Daddy is perpetually exhausted.  For the next 10 months.  I mean, except for a short business call and saying prayers with the boys at bedtime, Daddy went to bed at 7:45 last night.  

And so it begins.  Yes, of course there are lots of wonderful things that come along with the school year, and I LOVE learning and so far have two boys who also LOVE learning.  And I have a hard-working, wildly gifted husband who LOVES learning and also loves to teach.  We're fans of knowledge, don't get me wrong.  

But school makes me sad in a lot of ways, and that's just that.  

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.  And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.'"  Genesis 2:15-17 

"I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil--this is God's gift to man."  Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

Do You Want the Good News First or the Bad News?

In our family, this is a frequent question.  And we just about always start with the bad news, so we can finish (and dwell on) the good news.  :0)

The bad news: While Andy drove from Old Forge to Boonville, the alternator belt (or something) broke, fell off, and everything electrical and vital for driving quit.  And his phone was dead. 

The good news: he was in the Pitts' driveway, and Brandon was home.  So he could plug in his phone to call me, and do Kingdom Creations work all afternoon as he intended.  And a mechanic friend from church should be able to make repairs tomorrow morning.   

The bad news: Half the (carpeted) floor in our downstairs bathroom is wet, and it turns out the leak is coming from that pipe that travels from the tank to the floor.  And there's no shut-off valve I've yet found.  The good news: I found the leak.  And our plumber friend from church should be able to come tomorrow morning to try to get it all fixed up. 

The bad news: The specialty smart-TV remote, which Lewis tossed into the dish water a few days ago, seems to have decided to give up the ghost for good.  So the TV is half-way to Netflix, and I'm unable to change the channel, the volume, or even turn it off.  The good news: It's stuck on PBS.  Of course, that currently means BBC World News America...pretty sure the boys won't be fans of this. 

The bad news: The chili in the crock pot didn't get plugged in for the first 3 hours it was "cooking."  And "high" for 3 plugged-in hours isn't enough to soften those beans at all. The good news: There's warm crusty bread, anyway!  

When it rains, it pours.  Except it's currently sunshiny.  Here's to a good evening, friends!

Camping Accounts

From July 18 to 22,  our family traveled to the Meacham Lake DEC Campground for our "first annual campout."  Each morning I spent time by the fire writing in my journal; here are the adventures I recorded.

July 19, 2014 

And we are camping.  The birds wake up in full force a little before 5am--but even by 6:00 now they have calmed down (except the crows), and the noises are mostly from chipmunks and other little ground creatures. 

I tried to get firewood this morning, but they keep the woodbox locked overnight, and I can't find any indication of what time it will be opened.  
Lincoln just said, "Mommy, I'm so aware that there's a spider who likes the hot, hot charcoal."  (There's a daddy-long-legs huddled up against a still-black brick of charcoal.)  And, "I love seeing Chippy so up close."  (We have a very fearless resident chipmunk who likes to come right up close for a better view of us--and his potential meals, I'm sure!) 

A charcoal fire isn't too bad; not quite as charming, or warm from a distance, but it certainly will cook our breakfast well. 

And speaking of good cooking: last night we ate like camping kings!  We marinated a London broil steak--just lager beer and montreal seasoning--and for once we didn't overcook it.  My word, that was the most delicious meat I've had in quite a time!  And jet-boil instant mashed potatoes, salad, s'mores.  Setting up camp yesterday went with only a few hiccups that needed time outs.  But our site has a wonderful little trail out the back of it, and the boys LOVED spending their time exploring it.  In one spot you can scoot down the bank pretty easily to a little mud "beach" of the creek, and there are clam shells all over it, and even a few clams still closed.  I found one footprint in the mud that looked like a raccoon or something similar, and one from probably a crow.   

And Lewis LOVED helping with the tent poles, both putting them together and then through the sleeves.  He was so delighted by it!   

The boys' "chore" while we camp will be dishes.  Andy supervised supper cleanup, so I don't know exactly how thoroughly the boys were.  But Andy said they did pretty well for this first time.  

July 20, 2014 

It's Sunday morning.  I slept so much better last night than the past few, even getting up a couple of times for a crying Lewis.  Thank you for that gift, Father!   

And this morning I get to sit here next to a roaring fire, and will have coffee soon thanks to my wonderful hubby.   

Yesterday we simply spent at the campground. They get kudos for showers and a sandy swim area.  Opposite for lifeguards.  And who should I meet in the bathhouse but Lauren Premo, Mike's wife, and to find that they camp here every year and are right across from that bathhouse this weekend! 

The squirrels or chipmunks gnawed several places around the edge of our Pantry rubbermaid tote while we were away at the showers, and so we know they don't waste any time around here and we must put all food and garbage in the van when we've finished eating.   

During nap time I first had a lovely read and a little nap in the hammock.  THANK YOU, Will, for sending that hammock!  And then, while everyone else slept, I left to go exploring.  And I followed to the end of the main campground road, and there found a little secret-feeling footpath that follows the edge of the lake.  It was full of magic: the tallest cedar trees I've ever seen; huge shore-line boulders wrapped around with intricate tree root-works; the sound of little waves; a mother wood duck? loon? swimming with her 6 chicks all lined up behind her.  That was a good explore.  

July 21, 2014 

We made it to church yesterday, Father!  Without remembering (from 8 years ago) what time [Lake Placid Baptist] church starts, we feared we were pretty late; turns out we arrived about 10 minutes early, with a perfect amount of time to settle in before the service.  I got to see Morgan and Charlie, Jeff, Cameron, Tree, Tom and his family--and meet Mark, Vivian and Bob, Dave, and Pastor Jim.  They didn't have any Sunday School [this week] for the boys to go to, which was rough...but they do have these great entertainment bags: canvas totes with crayons, coloring books, Bible story books, old copies of Clubhouse magazine.  I want to do that through the library for our church. 

Lunch at Tail O' The Pup, with their playground; riding the Adirondack Carousel, with their playground; ice cream stop at Donnelly's, with good conversation with the people in line while I waited.  All of this would have been more fun without the boys' temper tantrums, but anyway... 

While Andy and the boys napped I read and then napped in the hammock again.  I like this pattern.  I also like the part of the pattern where I leave to go exploring after the birds wake me up.  Yesterday I explored several of our neighbor campsites (because it's true: by Sunday afternoon the campground is substantially emptier, and by afternoon only one other site at the far end of our little back road was still occupied; late last evening, we gained just one more resident a few sites down.)  And so I compared other sites along our creek, and then followed the footpath in the other direction from the "narrow bridge."  That's another wonderful little trail, and as I explored I felt like Gene Stratton Porter, whose biography about her writing and nature-study life I read in the long introduction to her books on my Kindle.  She was wonderful, to the extent I'd like to be rather like her! 

Chili out of a can for supper, finally something Lincoln enjoyed all the way around.  A bike ride down to the beach playground at dusk.  Flow sticks (a delight and a curse).  Bedtime stories, kisses, and a toad hopping along the tarp at the base of the tent (yes, sounding much bigger in the dark than his little inch-long frame.  

July 22, 2014 

It's our last morning here, and I feel like soaking everything in: an extra hot fire to burn my legs, all the birdsong and creature sounds, the opportunity later for pancakes, canoeing, packing up camp, hopefully bathing these boys, hitting the road.   

I stirred at 5:06, and when I looked at my watch I thought, "The crows should start anytime now."  And literally a moment after that thought the crow chorus began.  I've wished many times that I had a better view of these birds and a pair of binoculars, because it's about the best opportunity I could ask for to study crows in their own rookery.  

The chipmunks and squirrels are all around on their reconnaissance missions, our boys have been groaning and are now beginning to talk sleepily to each other, Andy and I are reading scripture and he pauses to said things like, "I have a trivia question for you: what was Eve's maiden name?" 

And Amos is saying things like "Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said.  Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph."  (Amos 5:14-15)

July 23, 2014

We're home!  We took our time traveling, stopping to pick up lunch, then to play a long time at Arrowhead Park in Inlet.  We got ice cream, and stopped to clean Lewis up and then to get gas.  But even so we got home at 4:00 and had a leisurely (hot) evening after unloading the van.  

I slept great.  Andy slept horribly because of his sunburn.  Fred slept great--I let her stay up with us instead of going to the basement, and I don't think she ever left the foot of the bed.  

Thank you, Father, for such a great camping trip.  It did set us up well to want to camp next year, to be lovers of camping.  

And now, as we tackle the second half of summer, I really desire, Father, to have a fresh wind of motivation and diligence in running my home, caring for my family, being an excellent co-manager of Huntress Hollow :0) Help me to be mentally organized and on top of things, ready to take on challenges, ready to prepare for life!

Every Little Thing

I am excited by the littlest things as I prepare for our first family camping trip.  

Teeny beading baggies filled with 1 fry pan-worth of bacon grease.  Awesome flapjacks and eggs, here we come!

Nature "I Spy" cards, and a Hide-A-Bee!  The boys are already playing Hide A Bee at home...how much cuter in a campsite?!

First of all, I've been mentally preparing now for weeks: just thinking about tents and s'mores and hikes and bikes; exploring Saranac Lake's awesome website of area attractions and hikes to make a Huntress-friendly list; Pinning all sorts of camping-with-preschoolers tips, games and camp crafts.   

Then, as we delved into our pre-kid camping supplies, we have made too many trips to WalMart and Amazon Prime--but of course, we're preparing not only for this camping trip, but for many camping adventures to come, right?!

Last summer, we did a couple of nights of "practice camping" in our back woods (because I realized that I wasn't up for a 24-hour gear overhaul between a separate family trip and heading to the Tent).  We made a campsite and fire circle out there, and had a delightful couple of days, which were also low-stress because it didn't matter that most things we "forgot" and just went inside for.  

So this year, instead of 24 hours, I've stretched this process out over 3 or 4 weeks.  And along with my extreme mental excitement, I've experienced this oxymoronic mental sluggishness.  The symptoms mostly consist of procrastination, which drives me either to my latest good book or, more often, to the internet for some more mindless Facebooking (or kid-craft inspiration).  

Pretty sure it will be good for me to have a four-day Facebook Fast. 

And now, it really is TIME to pack up some food or something!  Tomorrow's the big day!  Happy trails to you and yours!

Listening

In my living room, right now, there's a wonderful sound: the voice of a boy becoming a good read-alouder, entertaining my son with a story before naptime.  

First, they chose stories, then built a blanket fort.  Add flashlights to the mix and Fred the Cat figuring out what this creation might be, and you have a recipe for delight.  

A recipe for friendship.  

Well-Earned Siestas

I googled "at home bike tune up," discovered how dreadfully I care for my bicycle (I add air to the tires about once a year...), and decided to at least wash it a little with the "gentle dish soap suds" described.  I swept and washed all the super-webby spiders off the bike trailer and hooked it up behind my bike.  I adjusted helmets for the past year's growth and fitting over ball caps.

And we were off :0)

It's Farmers' Market season again in Lyons Falls, and we made the most of it with playground, firemen's lunch, running around with sticks, making a new friend, choosing our purchases, and tucking it all into the back of the trailer for the ride home.

Lincoln was given the task of holding the sunbrella, with a reminder to hold on tightly so last year's episode of "it flew away when we were on the bridge" wasn't repeated.  He did a great job :0)

Lewis fell asleep about 4 minutes into the ride home, and Lincoln put up with his brother's wayward bobbing head like a champ.

And now they'll siesta the afternoon away.  What a day!

Oh, and my boy is going to be 4 years old tomorrow.  What the hey?! <3