Saturday, April 30, 2011

Le Morte d' le Morte


I just wanted to announce that i have completed the reading selections i had assigned myself from Le Morte Darthur. By the time i reached the last story, the overzealous escapades of the knights no longer distracted me, as with a change of tone, their fantastic adventures gave way to the erosion of a kingdom. By the final chapter, The Death of Arthur (for which the book was named), I forgot the archaic language and was carried away in the intrigue and tragedy of the fall of Logres. The weight of corruption and sin upon the court's relationships bore down at last- and tore up the fabric of the kings reign as surely as dull knives crush over ripe tomatoes. It was so sad- i actually cried three times in that chapter. So far I had came from the first chapters where i mostly laughed at the over eager knights, despite my delight at seeing the legend unfold! By the conclusion, I found I took it quite seriously and felt both the loss of innocence and the loss of Logres quite keenly.

So now that adventure is done for the time being. The reading is over...but how stories live on in our heads! But the book is quite done. And that is well.

Friday, April 22, 2011

MacGyver does lighting


Today my colleague Ben and I set out to film another video for our Reformation Generation Seminar. It was short notice- we just realized last night that this would be our last chance to get footage for him to edit before he leaves town for a couple weeks. If we waited, our production timeline would be way behind. So this morning we pulled ourselves together (you know those days- the ones that feel long when its still only 9am) and set to work.

This video was a less artistic effort than the last, but is meant as a concise and informative explanation for what we are doing here this summer. Ben had to switch to the other side of the camera and be onscreen this time- and I shot the footage. It was simple enough- basic focusing and directing composition...in short, a no brainer.

Our greatest challenge was lighting. To have good quality images and sound was priority...and not that simple to achieve under the circumstances. But we gathered all the lamps we could find, made diffusers from notecards, and used a white fitted sheet as a reflector. It was probably an hour of trial and error in set up. Then came sound- in the absence of a grip (assistant to hold the mike outside of the shot) we suspended the boom microphone using a length of pvc, a stack of chairs and some packing tape. It was a studio set up that would do MacGyver proud.

So after several hours on the project we called it good and broke down our slightly ridiculous (and totally awesome) makeshift studio set. I can only hope everything works out as Ben goes into the editing process. In the meantime, I will be working primarily on planning logistics for the seminar while he continues to take the lead in our promotional initiatives.

So another video shoot down, and another day's work done... just in time for the weekend.








Saturday, April 16, 2011

Meanwhile, back at the ranch


While my life goes on as usual here in Maui, my sister and her husband are in Ukraine- adopting their second daughter. This event -so far away geographically- is such a joy to me and my family.
The Lord has so sweetly led them to a wonderful and precious little girl - her english name is Adelise- and i am just stuck on her. The pictures i receive move my heart. My sister says that Adelise and Isabel (my three year old niece they adopted last year from Ukraine) get on famously. She seems in every way a Godsend and total gem. I rejoice that Adelise is such a precious gift from God to my beautiful sister. I can't wait to meet her.
Meanwhile, i am going to go shopping for little sundresses for my darling nieces- plural:)



Adelise and Isabel - gifts from God and a joy to us all.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

celebrating servanthood


Here at the base in Maui, we have some sweet family traditions- one of which we enacted earlier this evening. Shortly after a new batch of students arrive, we hold a special dinner for them and call it a Love Feast. This is part of how we as a family extend our love and welcome to the new class. Its a celebration of the love in Christ into which we welcome them...and a demonstration of our dedication to loving them as Our Lord loved His own. How He loved His own is clear in John 13:3-16; He served them. We as staff acknowledge this commission to servant leadership, so at Love Feast we publicly and personally commit to serve the students and God's purposes in their lives.
In addition to the new students, we also demonstrate this commitment to our new staff members. I am blessed to have the two young women from my recent outreach team back to staff with us here- and it was my privilege to pray with one of them this evening and extend this commitment to continue to serve her as she also comes alongside this ministry of servant leadership. It was a sweet time, and my heart celebrates having these girls back... I look forward to continuing to invest in their lives, serving them and the purposes of God in their lives.


My outreach team girls turned staff : Jennifer and Emmy

With Trina- a long standing friend on staff here-we've been doing this together for over a decade!



Sunday, April 10, 2011

breathing room


Since last September, I have been in a tiny little room we refer to as the closet. Its a room literally about the size of a nice walk in closet. I felt it something akin to a little ship cabin and have been glad to have my own private living space- minimal as that space may be. Being small myself, I fit snugly in the closet with my belongings all stowed in their proper nooks and cubbies.
I was blessed to have my little bunk in the closet.
I am also blessed to leave it.
I have just moved into my former room (next one over from the closet) while the occupancy of the house is down for awhile. This broader little space sits in the corner of the house- affording a cross breeze. The room has a lightness and breathability to it. Though still a small and low ceilinged place (all the rooms in our quirky downstairs are), it feels open and spacious following a cozy stint in the closet! I am so happy to be moved back in - i feel luxuriously spread out back here in what i used to call my little mouse hole. And a pleasant little mouse hole it is. Not only can i fit in a bed and my belongings; I even have room for a wee table in one corner and a wicker sitting chair in the other!
I'm blessed to have a season back in this spot with a little more breathing room.


This photo is taken from the bed (against a windowed wall) - a door and a bar of hanging clothes are to the left; the sitting chair is to the right. Such a nice little mouse hole for me:)



Thursday, April 7, 2011

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

REFORMATION GENERATION: the video has arrived!

The promotional video for the Reformation Generation Seminar that i wrote (literally) and directed is finally finished- after the patient editing and collaboration of my friend Ben.
This video we produced shares in brief the heart behind the Reformation Generation Seminar that we're facilitating this summer.
I am so stoked to be helping put this event together- I know God intends to use it in many young people's lives. Our passion is to see students not just survive but thrive when they plunge into the vertigo of their twenties. Please pass this video on to anyone you know that would be interested in participating with us in Maui this summer!


Le Morte Darthur


Throughout a recent reading of C.S. Lewis' fictional tale That Hideous Strength, I was struck by references to persons semi-historical of which i realized I was largely ignorant. I at least had no true literary comprehension of said persons; Lewis evidently possessed immeasurably more.
So i set out to amend this oversight.
The references to which i refer are Arthur, Merlin and the kingdom of Logres.
Happily, on a shelf in our lecture hall I came upon a copy of Le Morte Darther, or The Death of Arthur. Written in the late 15th Century, Le Morte Darthur is a compilation of stories by Sir Thomas Malory, all detailing the exploits of King Arthur and his Knights of the Roundtable.
My knowledge of this era and its dubious histories was until lately limited to the Disney animated feature The Sword in the Stone, which i recall having seen at some point in childhood.
The stuff of legend you just absorb through references in life... everyone knows that someone named Merlin is a magician as surely as a creature named Fido is a dog. You just know it from somewhere.
But in the familiarity of concept lies a complacency of knowledge.
Familiar with Arthur, i never came to learn or know anything of him.
So i have curled up these last nights, happy as a clam, with Le Morte Darthur for an hour before bed . Even the tedium of the old English style is passable for the reward of reading these tales- and from a perspective i'd not have ever approached but for Lewis. His insight and perspective on the tales of the knights make for an intriguing read.
Its good to pass at times from familiarity to knowledge- the transition is fraught with reward.
Among these is such passages as this:

[Upon being told by a mighty knight that said knight would slay him if he did not surrender- acknowledging himself as conquered and dishonorable:]
"As for that," said Arthur, "death is welcome to me when it cometh, but to yield me unto thee, I will not."

Thats my quote of the day.


Monday, April 4, 2011

the usual suspects


Just a few more pics of fun with the shady ladies of Watersdown...







The Watersdown Affair


Last night, I - along with seven others-was a dinner guest at the fictional Watersdown Manor. It was January, 1939 in Yorkshire, England. Our host, however, never appeared: Sir Roger was found floating face down in the estate pool shortly before the first course... commencing an evening of tangled inquest into who was responsible for our host's untimely death.

Some friends and i had agreed to have a Murder Mystery Dinner party- one couple hosted the dinner, and another facilitated the mystery...i, on the other hand, simply showed up- in costume, of course. We had a fantastic time- playing our assigned characters, deducing whodunnit, and relishing a grand english dinner (roast beef and yorkshire pudding) in the midst of the suspicion, laughter and accusations.

My character, Randy, was a rising american actress- and (i found as the script unfolded) a bit of a gold digger -and rather loose, besides. Randy definitely had motive- but so did everyone else. Dame Ali Bigh was a mystery novelist that suspected that Sir Roger knew about her criminal past- Dr. Mal Praktiss, Donny, Flo and E. also had too many secrets... while Pro and Rog Jr. were illegitimate sons, each vying to be the heir of Watersdown... It was a deplorable cast of characters- the guest list was infamous, at best.
I was delighted in the finale to have accused the killer correctly: as i suspected, Rog Jr. was a phony... an impostor out to steal a fortune. The notorious Watersdown Affair was concluded.

It was a really fun night- like a live action version of the board game Clue. I love mysteries so this was a really entertaining and engaging night out for me. Rocking the vintage outfits (and hair/make-up) was a blast all in itself. And if a whodunnit dinner party wasn't already amusement enough, the fact that my character was given a pink feather boa absolutely made my night. I mean, seriously- a feather boa?!


These girls look like trouble...

...and they aren't the only ones!

Accusations flew,

mischief brewed,

and a good time was had by the whole suspicious crew:)