4/30/18

Dear Family,

            One of the greatest blessings of my job is days off!  I loved that the teachers had a grading day.  Yay!!  This brings up grades in our conversations and Seth helped his grade by baking a “Depression-era” cake.  It was made with ingredients like bacon drippings, raisins and grape juice.  We thought it would be disgusting.  I liked it!  Seth’s favorite part was that I bought bacon (for the drippings).  He said, “No matter how the cake tastes we have bacon, so it’s a win-win.”

            When I was growing up our family enjoyed teaching my friends how to water ski.  I remember we felt a great victory for each person who had their first experience walking on water.  It drew us nearer to each other and the newbie we introduced to the water.  It was my families’ version of fun.

            I am interested to find that my new family (Bobby and the kids) are enjoying showing Adriel’s boyfriend David, movies.  Bobby and Adriel like to quote so we are introducing him to the origin of all these quotes.  I enjoy this as well since I can do book work in the background.

            I also enjoyed it when I said, “I’m going to call Ripley” (the cat).  The family groaned, and David asked, “On the phone?”  Apparently, my family doesn’t like how loud I do, “Here kitty, kitty.”

            Adriel moved out this week and said she enjoyed it very much.  She may have a future in house sitting ;-).  I think it was hard for her to come home after a couple of days of freedom. 

            Adriel also came to my school this week during the last part of the day because of, “Take your child to school day.”  She wasn’t willing to wake up early and come at 6 AM but since she can drive she did want to miss a class or two.  It was nice to have her help out so I could go home a little earlier.

            When Adriel found out we had bacon, she cooked the rest and Seth was very happy to eat some.  I don’t usually buy it because I think it’s gross but boy, the rest of the family loves it.  Seth even said, “Thank you” to Adriel.

            Bobby cooked something I had been craving, and I was very excited and thankful.  He’s so sweet!  Bobby was also excited to go to the new Avengers movie with me.  I love how much fun we have just being together.  We aren’t kids anymore, but we are lifelong partners.

            May you find that where you are in life is good.  May you be OK with the hard work God has for you now.  May you know that God is in control and He will work things out for the good. 

Much Love,

Cristy

            

Happy Earth Day

Dear Family,

                Because my garden is perennial, it produces more than I need.  I enjoy selling plants and sometimes giving them away.  As we were digging, one buyer asked, “What have you learned from gardening?”  This question got me thinking.  In honor of earth day, I’ll share the lessons I have learned.  There are so many lessons we know about in our heads, but they have taken root in my heart when I experience them year after year:

                You reap what you sow.  I admit I like to get a good deal.  I bought an apple tree on clearance and was happy to get fruit I kind of like – not my favorite, but it was a good price.  Eight years later regret that decision.  I have a tree full of apples I kind of like.  I could have a peach tree or apples I love, but no, I chose the cheapest.  Now that it’s a tree we can climb I’m not going to chop it down.  This lesson makes me think of decisions made early in life.  Pivotal decisions like “What will my job be?” or “Who will I marry?”  These decisions need more thought than, “Which way is easiest or the best price?”  The pivotal decisions need prayer, deep thought, reading books about the subject, asking advice, prayer and did I mention – prayer?

                Take care of problems, don’t bury them.  I used to bury all compost in my yard at random places.  I was burying apple cores from the tree I kind of liked.  Months later up comes a stick.  I didn’t know what the plant was so I cut it down.  The tree grew again, and I cut it down again.  The third time I just left the tree to see what it was and what do you know!?  I have two apple trees.  The baby tree may be a branch since I cut it down so many times.  This 4-foot tree/branch produces so much fruit it can’t hold it’s arms up.  This reminds me of sin.  If we try to bury sin, it may grow into a tree all by its self.  I didn’t water or tend that compost pile, but I did bury a lot of seeds there.

                There are seasons of marriage and life.  One year I felt called to rest from gardening.  It was the actual year of jubilee, and after some study I figured I would stop watering, pruning and harvesting to store.  We did harvest snacks for the day.  Some I gave to neighbors or the church.  The rest went to the ground as fertilizer.  In my journal before this year, I mention how much trouble watering, weeding and pruning were.  The year I stopped watering there were fewer weeds and less to prune.  Hmmmm.  Also, because I didn’t prune back the raspberries at all, there was fruit even in December!  From this year I learned that I don’t have to be hypervigilant about the garden.  I also felt the analogy went to life and marriage as well.  I can rest in family life as well.  For a time I can let the kids get away with not weeding or let my honey ignore the honey-do list.  It’s OK, we all need to rest sometimes.

                Pruning is a good thing even if it feels like you are losing an arm.  When I prune, I am pretty vicious.  I’ll pull up entire plants if they are too close to each other.  I’ll cut off many branches, and it’s OK.  Pruning forces the plant to grow differently.  This fact of life helped me when someone else pruned me in ministry.  I was asked to move out of working in AWANA.  I could have gotten frustrated and hurt, but instead, I decided to take this as God pruning me.  It was time to help with the youth group instead.  God knows exactly what is needed when.  Also, I can work more on the Library.  Having more time to do library work is truly enjoyable.  I am glad to be working in the ministries God has for me. 

            Sin is natural and just happens.  Every time I weed I think of sin.  I can ignore weeds, but they may take over.  Sin is the same way.  I may want to let things go for a while, but all sin leads to death just like letting weeds go, leads to the death of a garden.  Overeating leads to obesity which can kill.  Free sex leads to disease or murder if you look it that way.  Laziness can lead to poverty etc.  Weeding reminds me that I need to ask God daily,

“23Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.” Ps 139:23-24.

Every day I need to confess, contemplate and realign with God.

            Even though I hate some parts of gardening, I do enjoy the fruits and selling.  God blesses me with plants, wisdom and the laws of the harvest.  My family also blesses me.

           Bobby has been home enough this week to cook several times, and I enjoy the whole family being together.  Seth even went back for seconds.  Bobby was so pleased that Seth thought the food was good.  Seth’s response was, “Dad, your food is always good.  I just don’t always like it.”  I like that response – it reminds me of God and his gifts.  They are always good, BUT we don’t always like them.

            Bobby was very kind to take my suggestion about cooking a certain dish to get rid of lettuce.  I love that we can work together that way.

            Bobby was glad to be able to get workers to cover his Wednesday night Youth Group so he could attend Adriel’s concert.  I am glad he likes going to see her.

            Seth mowed the lawn this week, and I am so glad he’s so big and strong.  He is taller than Bobby and I and still growing. 

            Adriel cleaned out her room this week and drew another drawing.  I love that she can make beautiful drawings without too much effort.

            I am blessed because, in our home, there is peace most of the time.  There is health for the most part, and we are making an effort to put God at the center of all we do.  May you find peace in all you also do.  Much Love,

Cristy

4/16/18

Dear Family,

                Yesterday Seth sat with the teens at church.  It was neat to see and I liked that he has grown up in his own way.  It threw Bobby for a little loop but Seth was only sitting one aisle back so it wasn’t that hard to find him. 

                I love how the kids react when I learn a new word.  They groan because I am so tickled with myself.  This week Adriel showed me a video and the new words were; Woke and mansplaining.  I get over excited and tell them I will use these in sentences whenever I can.  I forgot about woke but mansplaining was fun to use a couple of times.

                Seth and Bobby mowed the lawn this week.  Oh, to cement the whole yard like I said I would when I was a teen.  I always hated doing yard work and I said, “When I am an adult I’ll cement my whole yard.”  You should have seen my neighbor’s reaction when I thought out loud about making our water retention basin into a skate bowl.  Sigh, but the price.  The price of cement is too high.

                Bobby was very helpful this week.  He brought home keys I had forgotten at the church.  Bobby put the keys on the dining room table and left them there for me to find them.  I did not notice them.  Later they were gone, just like that!  So we wondered if Ripley batted the keys off the table like cats do.  OR, what if Ripley’s collar attached to the keys with its powerful magnet and Ripley was walking around with keys attached to her.  Oh dear!  So I brought out all furniture and swept behind it; desk, microwave and holder, games cabinet, oven and fridge.  All items were moved, swept, cleaned and moved back.  Bobby helped with about an hour’s worth of work and we found nothing.  Ugh!  I went upstairs to get ready for bed and, what do you know, there they were.  I may not have noticed them but I did pick them up and put them where my work keys belong.  Goodness!  Well, it’s nice to have a cleaner house.

                Bobby also cooked dinner a couple of times and we had a nice date this week.  It’s very nice to have wonderful food and great company.

                Adriel did an initial look for my lost keys before I started moving furniture.  It’s nice to have her help and be concerned.  Adriel also made a drawing and chose her Birthday present.  Thanks all for the funds.  She decided to go negative some and buy a Nintendo switch.  Seth is very interested and glad that she said he could use it when she is out of the house.  It is very nice of Adriel to share this way since she is gone often and since Seth shared his computer with her (then gave it to her).  How wonderful that the kids are kind to each other.

                Adriel posted an Instagram photo of herself with her new switch and said, “Happy Late birthday @myself! Got a new phone!!!  So excited!!” with a picture of her and the switch. I thought this was the weirdest cry for attention ever because I had no clue it was the switch.  Goodness.  Apparently, it was a joke and, ugh, kids these days.

                Adriel drew another picture.  I love it that her artistic ability shines.  She does a great job, and I’m excited to put it all together into a book in a couple of months.

                Adriel was willing to take care of Sam Duvall while we did home group Thursday night.  It was fun having just adults at the Fenn House while Sam and our kids were at our house.  Adriel and Seth were fine with not going.  The adults were able to be more open and share more freely.

                Adriel has been very sweet with lots of hugs.  She broke up with her boyfriend, and I don’t know any of the stories.  Sigh.  She never did seem very excited about him, but it was sweet that she wanted to hold his hand in Hawaii.  I don’t even know when they started seeing each other.  Oh well, at least she has been hugging me often.

                Adriel was having fun talking to a friend about what was going on at home.  She mentioned that I am a church librarian.  Her friend said, “Isn’t there only one book?”  This makes me laugh.  We educated him about Christian life and how many books, VHS, music, Games there really are.

                Rain does make life seem dull, but the flowers are happy.  Our babies are growing!  I am excited to see what the Babies are!  How fun!! 

                May you enjoy what you have sown even if you forgot what it was.  May you find joy in knowing that the dull things in life (like rain) are useful.  May the pain you experience bring joy in the end (just like having a baby).  May you find peace knowing that “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31.  We are truly loved.

Hugs,

Cristy

                

My wise mothers response to I am against Violent Video Games

Dear Cristy:  Ok:  Here goes:

Great comment on the video games. I just read it.

Before I did though, I have been thinking about kids and video games. I remember when I was in Bible School, between years of study in the summer, and I was working at a restaurant in Ocean Shores, Washington. Along with the restaurant there was also a Dune Buggy shop where the sons of the owner rented out dune buggies. They put governors on the dune buggies so that they couldn’t go any faster than 30 or 35 miles an hour. I asked them why. They said that people are used to driving fast in their cars, and so they think they can drive over the dunes fast. But you can’t. If you try to do that you end up turning the dune buggies over when you skirt the dunes on the side, and then they have to rebuild them. So it’s just easier to put governors on them so people can’t kill themselves. We don’t put governors on cars because, although sometimes the speed limit is 25, 35 or even 60 or 70, have police to enforce the laws so people don’t go too fast. They could put governors on cars at 70, but they don’t!  Why?  Well, if someone is caught in the forest and they realize there is a fire behind them then they need to go faster than 70 to get out of the way of the fire. Or if there is a tsunami coming at you, the driver may need to drive faster to get out of the way. Or who knows, maybe someone’s wife is having a baby and you need to get to the hospital before the baby comes. There are times it’s not wise, but ok to go faster.  

This is kind of the way it is with violence and our brains. I grew up where there was lots of yelling but no physical hitting. So my governor was that if you get really angry it’s okay to yell and say all sorts of hurtful things, but you don’t hit people even when you are so angry that you want to. My mom was threateningly physically violent, but that freaked me out so much that that was a governor as well: you don’t chase people around the house with assault weapons. When we train our soldiers to go off to war it isn’t in the nature of the young trainee to shoot people. So what they do is they get them playing video games to desensitize them so that shooting people is no longer a governor. Now days though, we have video games for fun. And some of those games are very violent. When we go through our normal day and aren’t angry at any one and the world is all good and fine it’s not really a problem. But what if all of a sudden you run into someone who makes you really, really angry and you are thinking that you’d really, really like to hurt them. Or maybe just stop them from doing the hurtful things they are doing. Where is your brain’s governor? If you have time to think about it you may stop yourself from doing something you would be sorry about later. But, if it happens really quickly and you are just reacting, your governor has been set so far out there by the video games you watch, that you could easily do something you wouldn’t do otherwise. The same with if you happen to find a gun somewhere. We teach kids at our preschool if they see a gun they are to not touch it. They are to call an adult or the police and they will take care of it. That’s the governor we are teaching the little kids. But if a person has been playing violent video games and they happen across a real gun their governor says, “check it out.” I wonder if it does what the video games do. Well guess what!! It actually does, and someone just got hurt!!!  

>>>> 

>>>> All of this is so far from what Jesus taught. Jesus taught, “if someone strikes you on one cheek, turn so they can hit you on the other.” the Bible teaches, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay says the Lord.” Jesus said, “Forgive and you will be forgiven. If you don’t forgive neither will your Father in Heaven forgive you.” That’s a whole opposite reaction from what video games reactions need to be to win. Video games teach us to shoot before we are shot. Kill before you are killed. Splatter blood everywhere. That’s actually not our Godly goal. Splattering blood all over the place is actually going to be God’s job and it’s not that far away if Christ is coming soon. 

>>>> When Jesus was told by the Samaritans that they didn’t want Him coming thru their town on His way to Jerusalem one of his disciples asked Jesus, “Do you want us to call down fire from heaven and consume them?” Now where did they get that idea? They got it from the Old Testament. When God was ready to judge Sodom and Gomorra God reigned fire down from heaven on the two cities and killed everyone. So, why not reign fire down on Samaria? Jesus said, “no way!” And they went around Samaria and Christ laid down His life and died on the cross for our sins. That’s why it’s God that does the spattering of blood and reigning down of fire on people. It’s because He only does it after He has exerted an awful lot of patience and forgiveness. Why doesn’t God reign fire down on the people who are persecuting Christians? Same reason! God is not willing that any should perish. God knows the Pauls he wants to call out from among the vicious persecutors of Christians. Christians are going to heaven when they die. Their persecutors are going to hell unless God’s patience waits to give them every chance to repent of their sins. We want to train ourselves, and our brains, to have Godly reactions. Not natural human reactions. 

That’s just my thinking.

Love ya, love ya,

Mum - Patti Leng

4/9/2018

Dear Family,

                How does it happen that my daughter has turned 17 so fast?  How is it that we have lived in Salem 11 years and seems like we just got here?  How does the time fly so fast?  I am so glad it does.  I may have some angst over the late night's teens keep, but if they make a mess, they clean it.  In the nursery this Sunday I changed my first diaper in years.  It wasn’t that bad, but I would much rather have teens.  They may stay up late, but I don’t have to at all.  They prefer I go to bed early.

                Adriel had a great Birthday week.  Her friends gave her presents, and so did we.  Grandma and Grandpa Leng came over to take her out for lunch and then ice cream.  Bobby cooked her favorite meal and gave her flowers.  Bobby, Adriel and her special friend went out to a movie together, and everyone lived to tell about it.  Who could ask for more?

                This week I was blessed because the kids did weeds without me asking.  I know Bobby told them to and that was very nice.

                Bobby also cooked another meal, this time my favorite.  Yum!  It’s nice when he is glad I’m awake at night.  Sometimes my naps help me stay awake even after youth group.  I like feeling welcome and loved.

                Seth is adorable because of how much he loves Ripley.  He holds her and pets her while she purrs.  He even broke open a box because he said her head was hanging out wrong.  To me, it’s very sweet how he does caring things for our kitty.

                I love it that the kids pray with me at night.  The best is the daily hug that comes after.  Seth and Adriel are sweet, and I love them. 

I also love seeing Seth in the sound booth at church.  He is the one who gets the e-mails, so I never know when he will be there, but Seth knows.  I feel a heartwarming surprise every time he’s serving God.

As you face decisions, plans and life may you find God’s guiding hand to be a wonderful reminder of how good it is to let go of control.  May you rejoice in the new flowers and may you enjoy all the beauty God is bringing forth.

Much Love J Cristy

4/2/18

Dear Family,

Right now I am simply reflecting on how wonderful it is that Jesus cared enough to die for us and had enough power to rise from the dead.  That is a “Wow” thing.  Other than the amazing fact that a being far superior to me cares and interacts with me, this week has many other blessings as well, also some funny things.

We have babies!  I don’t know if they are Sunflowers or watermelon, but either one I’m excited to see them popping up and I planted more.  I know I spread sunflower seeds in the fall before I toss out the heads.  I barely remember putting some watermelon out there just to get rid of the packet maybe a month ago.  How fun, maybe we will reap what I did sow even though I don’t water anymore.

Seth had many fillings done this week.  It’s a blessing we have dental care.  Seth declared that Naproxen Sodium is great stuff after the novocaine wore off.  He didn’t like the feeling of numbness and worried a tooth or two might fall out.  I thought that was pretty cute.

I must mention how fun Seth was on the way home from Best Buy with his new computer.  He would have hugged it on his lap the whole time if it was small enough but it wasn’t.  He put it in the back seat because “It could break” in the trunk.  Then he told me to drive with “No sudden stops.”  There is tempered glass on one entire side, so he was concerned about the glass breaking.  It was adorable.

Another fun incident this week was when Seth was feeling frustrated that Ripley doesn’t come to him when he calls her.  I gave him the treat bag and told him to jiggle it while he called her.  He jiggled the bag and Ripley came running – to me.  We had to laugh; then he called her while jiggling the bag and she came to him.  (If he wants to train her he has to have treats.)

Seth mowed the lawn and helped with dishes while Adriel and Bobby were gone.  Seth also thanked me for making Lasagna.  Our rule is you have to thank the person for cooking (making an effort).  If you thank them for making the specific food that’s a bonus.

It is a blessing to have Bobby and Adriel home.  Adriel was able to draw two drawings this weekend, and that is a real blessing to me. 

I enjoyed watching a movie with Bobby on Saturday.  It was nice to spend some time with him.  Also, no murders on the trip.  Adriel and her special friend even held hands, and everyone survived.

May you grasp how deep and how wide God’s love is.  May you know His power and might.  May you seek His wisdom and find it.  Hugs,  Cristy

I am Against Violent Vidoe Games

4/1/18 Dear Family,  When the Bible talks about violence, it says,  “The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence Psalm 11:5 ESV.”  I believe saying you love to play violent video games is saying you love violence.  I also believe it is wrong to love violence even the way I do – even if it’s ridiculous and impossible.  I am wrong to like watching a woman beat up on a man – this is what I will confess is wrong about me.

I believe that giving hours to gaming – especially so many hours that it’s hard to wake up Sunday morning is wrong.  This means the focus is wrong.  The Bible says “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things Philippians 4:8 ESV.” 

If we choose to spend our time asking God what he wants us to do, then we would be doing things better.  The Bible says to “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV.”  Colossians 3:1-3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

If we let ourselves sit before the TV and play violent games for hours, I believe we are going against Gods will.  It’s about focus; it’s about time, it’s about little choices that turn into habits.  Psalm 119:37 ESV says “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things, and give me life in your ways.”  Can we say, “I checked off my God time today now I can do what I want to do?”  Isn’t all time God’s?  I know it feels like we have accomplished much if we did devotions but we can take those thoughts and continue them throughout the day.    

            I wouldn’t have to bring this up if it was only occasionally that people played games.  I wouldn’t have to bring this up if it wasn’t hours at a time but sometimes it is hours, and sometimes a person says they will do one thing but gets sidetracked by video games.  Or sometimes a person doesn’t say they will do anything – that person gets any task done quickly because the entire focus is getting things done so they can play games.  I have heard we could tell what an idol is if someone takes it away.  The Bible says 1 John 5:21 ESV “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”  If video games weren’t an idol then telling the family to refrain for one day a week wouldn’t lead to a fight.

            Even that a person is willing to fight for video games shows to me that they need to refocus.  1 John 2:15-17 ESV “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”  It is not right to have to fight for time to focus more on God? 

            Do you think one could ever say (in good conscience), “Playing violent video games brings me closer to God?”  That’s ridiculous.  So think about it – shouldn’t we, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 “ test all things. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.”  Proverbs 6:27 “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?”  Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.

I don’t believe playing any video game is a sin.  I do believe that there are way better things that a Christian should be doing in their spare time. Things such as getting to know God better through prayer and in His Word.  I know we can’t do that every minute of every day and I know we do need some downtime.  So, yes, having an hour or two a day to wind down is fine but if a person’s entire focus is, “How fast can I get this done so I can go back to gaming?”  Or, maybe, “I don’t need a job – I have gaming.”  For those who are younger kids, then yes, educational games can be wonderful!  But for people who need to be productive in society – then gaming should be limited.  And I truly believe Sunday is a good day to take one day off – maybe not for your family, but this is what I wish for mine.