Church History

Where I've attended church over the years....

 

1958 - St Luke Episcopal, Atlanta, GA (baptized)

1965 - St Anne's Episcopal, Atlanta, GA

1966 - Mtn Home AFB 

1967 - St James Anglican-Episcopal, Atlanta, GA (confirmed)

1978 - Chalcedon Presbyterian, Atlanta, GA

1979 - Harvester Presbyterian, Springfield, VA

1980 - McLean Presbyterian, McLean, VA

1981 - Church Creek Presbyterian, Charleston, SC

1985 - Rainbow City Presbyterian, Rainbow City, AL

1987 - First Presbyterian, Rome, GA

1988 - Chalcedon Presbyterian, GA

ABOUT ME

CREATED by the LORD God Jehovah

SAVED by the sacrifice of His precious son Jesus Christ

EMPOWERED by the Holy Spirit to live on earth and serve (Rom 6:11)

STEWARD of the manifold grace of the one and only true God

FOLLOWER of King Jesus

DAUGHTER of Christian parents

WIFE of one Godly husband

MOTHER of four daughters

GRANDMOTHER of seven 

SISTER of fellow followers of Jesus

FRIEND to some

NEIGHBOR to many

Branded:Sunday, June 8, 1958

How is our baptism to be improved by us?

The needful but much neglected duty of improving our baptism,
 is to be performed by us all our life long,
especially in the time of temptation,
 and when we are present at the administration of it to others;

by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it,
 and of the ends for which Christ instituted it,
 the privileges and benefits conferred and sealed thereby,
 and our solemn vow made therein;

by being humbled for our sinful defilement,
 our falling short of, and walking contrary to,
the grace of baptism, and our engagements;

by growing up to assurance of pardon of sin,
 and of all other blessings sealed to us in that sacrament;

 by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ,
 into whom we are baptized, for the mortifying of sin, and quickening of grace;

 and by endeavouring to live by faith,
 to have our conversation in holiness and righteousness,
 as those that have therein given up their names to Christ;
 and to walk in brotherly love,
 as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body.


Col 2:11,12
Rom 6:2, 3-5, 4, 6,11,22
I Cor 1:11-13
Rom 4, 11,12
1Pet 3:21
Gal3:26,27
Acts 2:38
1Cor 12:13, 25-27

Larger Catechism Question 167

Link to baptism posts on http://hiddenart.xanga.com/tags/baptisms/.

Links to children's baptisms.

Discretionary Time

Wondering what I've been up to, since blog posts are few and far between?

"Of all the healthy lifestyle habits one could adopt at midlife,
resistance training, or strength training,
is perhaps the most important."

Kathy Smith

Fitness Expert

Photo taken 22 March 2013

#iheartfaces: me

I will give thanks to You, LORD,

for I am fearfully

and wonderfully made.

Psalm 139

Random About Me

Reposting here from a 2009 Facebook note, I am including a summer photo. DD#4 and I were on a 12-mile hike around Callaway Gardens and she snapped this from behind. Yikes!

1. I have two blogs with the same title, HiddenArt, borrowed from Edith Schaeffer's book.
2. I am disciplined, realistic, predictable, and honest, according to a personality test. 
3. I am a pack rat, but feel better about it since I found out that Ruth Graham was too.
4. I like black coffee, diet Coke, and Beefeaters Gin - separately!
5. I am directionally-challenged, which means if a wrong turn can be taken, I'll choose it.
6. I finished high school in three years and college in three years.
7. I met Princess Grace and her family when I was fifteen.
8. I had a root canal when I was 10 yrs old. It forever changed my feelings about dentists.
9. I lived at 11A Elm Street, Mtn Home AFB, ID when I was five.
10.I am a morning person.
11.I try to use both sides of a piece of paper.
12.I prefer salty over sweet, crunchy over smooth.
13.I dont have much of a sense of humor.
14.I used to speak French fluently.
15.I like to cook and have taken lessons from Nathalie Dupree.
16.I am very near-sighted and have worn contacts since I was eleven.
17.I asked Stansfield Turner if he worked for the government.
18.I have 28 nieces and nephews.
19.I saw the movie Mary Poppins at a drive-in theater in 1967.
20.I cant draw and was kicked out of a 7th-grade art class.
21.I have lived at my current address since May 1988.
22.I prefer the color orange over red.
23.I used cloth diapers for all my children.
24.I can read while riding in the car without adverse effects.
25.I am related to two people who have Wikipedia pages.

Right vs Left-Brained

I am not surprised at my results.


Perhaps some of my readers will take the quiz and let me know which side of their brain *dominates*

Which Side of your Brain Do You Use? Your Result: Left Side   The left side of the brain processes information in a linear manner. It processes from part to whole. It takes pieces, lines them up, and arranges them in a logical order; then it draws conclusions. You look at the details not the big picture. You use logic not imagination. The left brained person is a list maker. You would enjoy making master schedules and and daily planning. Learning things in sequence is easy for you. You are probability a good speller. Left-brained people memorize vocabulary words or math formulas better. You also use logic. When you read and listen, you look for the pieces so that you can draw logical conclusions. The left side of the brain deals with things the way they are-with reality. When left brain students are affected by the environment, they usually adjust to it. Left brain people want to know the rules and follow them. So basically you are smart! Congratulations!
Right Side	 
Which Side of your Brain Do You Use? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Ten Things


After listening to a speech given at a recent tea party rally, I have distilled the message into ten words.  The heart of the message is a prescription for saving not just America but freedom - both political and religious.

1)   Believe
2)   Act
3)   Pray
4)   Discern
5)   Support
6)   Vote
7)   Join
8)   Subscribe
9)   Testify
10) Persevere






I plan to write a vignette about each of these action words.

In the meantime, let's examine the landscape and renew our commitment to culture.

The following quote is from one of my college professors, Russell Kirk.  The garden metaphor gives me more direction and is a huge encouragement.

A culture is perennially in need of renewal.

A culture does not survive and prosper merely by being taken for granted; active defense is always required, and imaginative growth, too.

Everyone is involved.
This is a link to an artist who supports the cause.

Whether you like it or not.

Whether you acknowledge it or not.

Be a force for Good.
This is a link to a expositional sermon on Psalm 111 where the LORD is praised for His Goodness.

Make sure it lasts.
This is a link to an essay about Steve Jobs who died this past week.

Book Club:  Imagination #3 Discussion Questions

Cindy, book club hostess, continues to deliver shocks to our synapses even while suffering with a fever.  This blogger is dedicated to discipleship, even when she declines your invitation. 

We're reading Anthony Esolen's Ten Ways to Destroy Your Child's Imagination.

Has God made the human spirit resilient enough to overcome the dangers of modernity?

Yes ;-)

Sociologically, though, we do see patterns, knowing how God does give us the ability to overcome how should we approach the schooling norms of our age?

Set your eyes on a vision, make a plan, execute maneuvers, re-evaluate annually, repeat.

Is it still possible to succeed without traditional schooling?

Yes, read the example of Mr Mission Possible.
 (google it)

Why do we worry about it so much?

Mistrust.  And worry is entertaining.

Is going to a science museum similar to going to Chuck E Cheeses?

I dont think so, espcially if you go to The Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY
http://creationmuseum.org/

Besides I hate Chuck E Cheeses.  The gorilla scared me!







What projects have your children done on their own?

In addition to the dreaded annual science project, one spear-headed an a capella singing group at her high school.  I will post others as they come to mind.

What did you do as a child along these lines?

Aside from the normal school project, I had a thriving babysitting business as teenager.  Then I worked summers as a lifeguard (in additional to a part-time retail clerk).  I taught group swimming lessons at our neighborhood pool.

Does a one-legged duck swim in circles?
 
Only if the sky is blue.





Either than or she's making fun of us  ;-)

Book Club: Imagination Method #1

In contrast to the coal mines and dump yards where author Esolen grew up and developed his imagination, I was reared on a river and battleground (where the Yankees made their way into Atlanta).

Flooding finally destroyed the family homestead but not the sights, sounds, and symbols that fed the thoughts of mine.

Yards large enough for kickball or tag football, streets quiet and steep enough for bike-riding, woods replete with an assortment of flora and fauna, the Chattahoochee River (yes, we played in it), and Confederate bunkers (Johnny Reb to the core)  comprised our idyllic neighborhood.

Keeping children indoors was an impossibility.

Yet, sometimes we had to stay inside in order to be safe or finish our homework :-)

If I'd known that Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child was a parenting manual (unlike his Ironies of Faith), I don't think I'd have signed up for discussion (link to online bookclub).  But now that I'm here, let me say that I'm adding this how-to volume to my list of Top Five, despite the overwhelming number of literary references that I havent read completely.

Fortunately, my children are *grown* and it's easier for me to see the big picture.  That is, how the frustrating schools days and seemingly disorganized academic years do provide children with the ability to form the mental images, sensations, and concepts that comprise their imaginations.

It is the fundamental facility through which we make sense of the world.

It can be trained in a variety of ways.  See my homeschooling or leisure links.

So, be encouraged.

You are not drowning in the flood waters of the nasty river named *21st century American culture.*

This you will know when you read this fine article entitled, The Romance of Domesticity, by Professor Nathan Schlueter.  He pulls it all together for us ~

What is required is a truly realist imagination, one that captures and reveals the extraordinary quality of ordinary life.  Such an imagination would restore the “chest,” the locus of the imagination, to its rightful place as the mediator and integrating principle of intellect and appetite, soul and body, in the human person.

List Poetry

Dressing appropriately

Greeting patients

Answering phones

Listening to requests

Fielding questions

Making appointments

Writing messages

Typing data

Editing claims

Creating reports

Mailing letters

Observing the flow

Learning new things

Solving problems

Serving others

Working creatively

Understanding why God made me.

Here's a link to another such poem. 

It addresses the other side of my coin.

That round tuit.

Friday Five

1. How often do you get sick with a cold? The flu?

Rarely do I get sick, although this week I felt crummy on Wednesday and went to bed at 6:30 pm, skipped dinner, and slept straight through 'til morning. I took some Advil for the body aches.

2. Are you the sort of person who goes to work or school no matter how sick you are or are you willing to stay at home when it gets bad?

Yes, I usually carry on with my duties even when I dont feel well. DH noted that in the 35 years he's known me, he's never known me to stay in bed all day. Hope that doesn't jinx my streak :)

3. Will you get a flu shot?

No, not planning to get a seasonal flu shot, nor an H1N1.

4. What do you do to keep from getting sick in the winter?

In addition to making sure that the host (my body) is good at fighting off bad germs and viri by eating healthfully, sleeping adequately, and drinking plenty of water, I will wash my hands more often this winter in order to avoid getting sick.

5. What is your favorite thing to do when you stay home from work or school?

If I'm sick enough to stay home, I will be in bed. That's how I know that I'm really sick: I dont want to read a book, watch TV, or listen to music.

PS: I do like a hot toddy, if I feel something coming on....

My recipe:

In a mug, combine

2 Tbs lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2-3 Tbs local honey

2-3 Tbs whiskey

Pour in 6 oz boiling water and stir until blended.

What's your home remedy?

Feast on Saturday
Appetizer

If you learned today you were going to die tomorrow, name three things you would do?



1. Contact the preacher.

2. Wash my hair.

3. Take the pecan tassies out of the freezer.











Soup

What is your very first memory?

Earliest memories for me are located on Beachland Drive in Sandy Springs, where we lived from the time I was three until five years old.

But you asked for just one...

I remember being very sad that I'd left my Chatty Cathy doll outside overnight....and it rained :(

Salad

Name one service you are willing to pay for and one you're not.

I have always been willing to pay to have my hair cut/trimmed/permed/whatever.

I am unwilling when it comes to late fees.


Main Course

Do you make your bed every day?

Shamefully, *no*

My excuse? (stop reading now, if you dont like excuses)

For twenty years, I left the house BEFORE DH was out of the bed and I've fallen out of the habit.

Dessert

Name the most significant thing you learned this week?

That the *Sort* function on my new word processing software doesnt work the same way the old one did. So, inadvertently, I sent a jumbled list of names and addresses to the hostess of an upcoming party. Thankfully, she recognized the mistake and called me. I was embarrassed.



Read more fun answers at the home of one of my favorite muses, Quiet Life.

Snow and Personality in Georgia

This second snowfall this year was wetter and really didnt last very long on the ground despite the fact that it snowed for four hours.






At the warmest time of the day (35 @ 3p), DD#4 and I headed out for a walk in our neighborhood.





This is my default walking spot, but it is rather arduous because of the hills.



There about about twelve ups and downs.









Here I am at the top of that hill which is about 2/3 of the way through the jaunt which takes 45 minutes.












Not only did I feel accomplished for braving the elements, but also I felt elated from having the motivation to clean out my closet!

Now does that fit with my personality type?

Your Personality is the Most Common (ISTJ)

Your personality type is disciplined, realistic, predictable, and honest. About 14% of all people have your personality, including 9% of all women and 17% of all men. You are Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging.

ISTJ

Do you pay attention to this stuff?

Added later: coincidentally Elisabeth Elliot's devotional talks about personality testing. Here's the link.

Reading Level

<

What's yours?

Friday Five

Appetizer

What was your first “real” job?

After a very successful babysitting career beginning at age 10, I *quit* at age 16 and signed up as a clerk at a retail department store (Rich’s). Working there taught me a lot about customer service and uncomfortable shoes. I stuck with that career route through highschool and college. The best part was the extra 10% discount on purchases.


Soup

Where do you go to spark your creativity.

The refrigerator. Here's what happens when I do.

Salad

Complete this sentence: I am embarrassed when…

I say the wrong thing. I have done this so many times, you would think I could learn. It's embarassing!

Main Course

What values did your parents instill in you?

I cant think of a value they didnt instill in me. They are excellent parents. They even tried to teach me to *think before you speak!* Read here my list of parenting pet peeves all of which I learned from them.

Dessert

Name 3 fads from your teenage years.

That would have been 1971 - 1977..........hmmm.

Seeing that I’m not very fad-conscious (that means, I’m always behind in figuring out what the fad is - note the previous post as support for my claim), I find this question difficult to answer.

In addition, I am still trying to chose one book that changed my life, a question Donna's Friday Five has asked before and I skipped answering even then.

Plus I cant remember.

It's embarassing :)

Fashion Find Friday

Ha! Ha!

Are you

tickled at

this

fashion

model?








Focus on the paisley skirt.

I've worn it off and on since 1993, with various blouses, sweaters, vests, or turtlenecks. sometime green tights, even red!

Today I challenge my readers to look deeply into your closets for an article of clothing that you can dress up/down/update/alter to create a new outfit. Call it thrift shopping at home.

Then post a picture. I suppose that it's ok, if you're not in the photo as most of my Fashion posts do not include me :)

Leave me link.

If we can post pictures of our desks, showing a bit our personal sides, surely we can smile for a fashion foto!

I must be crazy to post this picture of myself, especially since I forgot to remove my cheaters.

Ok, so you've read this far and refuse to participate?

Then your job is to re-read Mrs. Schaeffer's chapter 12 on clothing in The Hidden Art of Homemaking.

Senior Photo















Posting this highschool picture of myself as requested by my friend, Donna at QuietLife. She's expanding her photographic skills by taking *Senior Photos* and challenged us to post our own.

Alas, I dont have one :(

I left high school a year early and headed off to college.

No velvet drapes and pearls on me......just this sporty one taken in the Fall of 1974 when I was a junior.

Random Facts

About me :) Hmmmmm...

Earlier this week, Donna at Quiet Life tagged me with the task of posting eight random facts about me. In my haste, I linked to two *About Me* posts in her comment box, but realized later that I ignored the adjective *random* which qualified the challenge. So, here I correct myself.

1) I have attended 36 Parents Nights at my children's schools over the past 20 years. Last night was the last one! Hip Hip Hooray!

2) I had a root canal on a lower incisor when I was ten years old. It hurt.

3) I lived at 111 Elm Street, Mtn Home AFB, ID when I was five.

4) I met Princess Grace and her family when I was fifteen.

5) It is easier for me to remember birthdays and addresses than the words to songs or the names of actors/actresses.

6) I try to use both sides of a piece of paper.

7) I am a *morning* person.

8) I prefer salty over sweet :)

Bonus Fact: I have two blogs.


If you stumble across this game, consider yourself tagged!

Leave me a link to your list of 8 random facts.

Why I Blog

This entry is more a self-reminder to organize my thoughts in this area.

And so, in my *research* to justify the time I spend writing/blogging/reading/surfing,
I am creating a link to a wonderful blurb from Melissa at Mentalmultivitamin, so I won't loose the article. I did print out a copy for myself and will *file* it appropriately.

Filing? Hah!

Have you see my desk?

Now that's what I call *full disclosure!*

Back to Melissa though. She is a good writer: a little outrageous from time to time (she likes Jackson Pollock), but also very down to earth (she likes birdwatching). She recommends a couple of books which I will look into. Actually she recommends lots of books.

I will see if I can come up with an *Artist's Statement*...more so, than my quote from Mrs. Schaeffer.

I have tried to explain myself before. Read this xanga entry.

Have you?