The Earth? Slowing Down?

And that's just the background of the latest novel I've finished, Karen Thompson Walker's debut novel The Age of Miracles (ISBN 9780812982947). Told from the point of view of eleven-year-old Julia, the story of her growing up and dealing with all the middle-school angst in the midst of rising tides and increasing-length days and nights and your government's repeated attempts to deny the rhythms of our own bodies by making them function on a twenty-four hour time clock rather than on the increasing days and nights. I remember that a day -- in science speak, the amount of time is takes for a planet to turn once completely on its axis -- isn't twenty four hours but rather twenty-THREE hours, fifty-six minutes, and four seconds. At least, it was when I was a kid. Today according to timeanddate.com is expected to be twenty-four hours and two thousandths of a second.

Every night I pray to God. I ask him for protection. I ask him every night to protect my family, friends, and all those who deserve his light, from the devil and whatever may wish to harm them. I also pray and ask for guidance because I know I'm not perfect, and I need Him to keep me from making bad decisions.


And you thought climate change was metamorphic. The above and below italicized statements should indicate to you it's the time of  year at Bethany Lutheran where we honored ten ninth-graders and one adult -- more on her in a minute -- who had finished a four-year program of confirmation, essentially learning the teachings of the Bible and the church and doing service for others to make their faith real. I know, that is a simplified explanation, but that's ok. When the confirmands went to the altar to receive their blessings their family and friends were asked to come up as well to lay hands on them. That's me with my back to you past the font; my left hand's on the mother and grandmother of two of the confirmands and my right hand out of this shot's on my sister-in-law Margaret's arm. Martha's in the red shirt's at the end of the line for our nephew Brandon who was also confirmed Sunday.   


My faith plays a big role in my life because it is what keeps me going when I feel out of control. When I feel like there is no hope of getting everything done that I need to get done. God is always there to help me be a better person. I trust that God does have a plan for everyone including me, I may not know what is in store for me but I know God will give me guidance.


Oh, that's an excerpt from Brandon's statement of faith above. It's become a guessing game to figure out who said what based on what we know about them, and especially (for me) that came to the fore this year because one of our confirmands is what we used to call a "nontraditional student" in my university days. Dalyce who's helped me out so much in Sunday school got confirmed, and so did her mom Darla. I'm not sure if many people were even aware she was going through the program! (Though I do guess that Darla, whom I believe is my age, will not have to wait three years to get her statement of faith excerpted below back at graduation!) It was really great to see mother and daughter side by side on that ... and pardon my gastronomy, even better to go to Allan and Lesa's house after both church services for grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and cake!

To me, faith is complex. I have to trust yet at times, I fear, worry, and doubt. If these emotions are taking hold, then where is my faith? So often, I wish that I could know if the decisions I am making are the right decisions or I wonder what good or bad will come from my decisions.


And the pastors and their spouses were even able to stop by the backyard for a few minutes later on, right when Martha was shooting hoops -- yes, we're talking about basketball -- with the kids and I even got to see Pastor Gerald take a shot himself! (Hey, I promised not to take a photo of it, I didn't say I wouldn't talk!) Martha, Sarah, and I went to the final choir concert Ken Bowles, one of her music professors at Minot State, conducted and ... though I obviously don't know him as well as Martha does, nonetheless I appreciate the man's priorities. Two silkscreens the choir got him of famous quotes of his which would take up a separate post by themselves and a program that did not put me ... much ... to sleep (excuse me, I was tired, it happens; look, I'm not the music person, Martha and it looks like the kids will be) and the melodies and all the applause did not deter his focus!

It's time for cake,

David