The Thinking Christian Woman – Page 3 – Where faith and real life come to a meeting of the minds

It all started with a house

Taking Disney Captive to Christ 1 Response »

Apr 012012

Taking Disney Captive to Christ – No. 4

A famous Walt Disney quote is, “I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse.” After visiting Walt’s birthplace yesterday, I’m contemplating a new twist on that, reaching back even further – it all started with a house.

It is commonly thought that Walt Disney’s ancestors were French peasants from the cheese-making town of Isigny (ee-zee-nee). In French, “from” is designated as “d”, thus the family was known as d’Isigny (dee-zee-nee). Later family members anglicized the name to Disney. Some of the family emigrated to around Lake Huron in Canada, where Walt’s father, Elias Disney, was born. Elias later moved to Kansas, where he became an American citizen.

In 1889, Elias moved his wife Flora and son Herbert to Chicago, where Elias enrolled in night school carpentry and discovered he had a knack for making furniture.

Elias soon earned enough making furniture to buy a 25 x 125′ plot on Tripp Avenue, in the Northwest suburb known as Hermosa. Flora drew the plans and Elias built the house. He did it so well, that he bought land next door and built and sold two more houses for a nice profit. Son Ray was born in 1890, and Roy in 1893 – the year of the Chicago World’s Fair (see previous post about the introduction of the Ferris Wheel at that fair). Elias made quite a bit of money through fair-related jobs.

The family became regular worshipers at St. Paul’s Congregational Church, and friends with the pastor, Reverend Walter Parr. Elias helped build a new church for the congregation, which was finished in 1900. Both Mrs. Disney and Mrs. Parr were with child in the spring of 1901. It has been said that there was such closeness and respect between the two families, that when Mrs. Disney’s boy was born on December 5, they named him Walter Elias (when Mrs. Parr’s boy was born, they also named him Walter Elias).

Walt Disney was born in the upstairs bedroom with the two windows.

Just before Christmas, Reverend Parr christened both boys, saying of Walt, “I baptize this child Walter Elias Disney in the name of the Lord God Almighty.”

Ruth Disney was born in 1903. As the Disney family grew, so did Chicago. The population boom brought saloons and increasing crime to Hermosa, so in 1906, when two local boys killed a policeman in a robbery, concerned father Elias sold the house and moved his young family to a farm in wholesome, rural Marceline, Missouri, where Walt spent the remainder of his childhood.

For even more information and pictures, check out Werner Weise’s Yesterland article entitled “Walt Disney In Chicago.”

Since you never know what great things God might want to start in your house, no matter how humble it may appear, the thinking Christian woman can resolve daily – “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

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I ran and I RAK – Happy Birthday!

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Mar 272012

This post is not about the countries of Iran and Iraq, as interesting and important as they are, but rather about two birthday gifts I’m celebrating today.

I ran – the gift of health

First off, I want to thank a dear friend who called to share the bible radio quiz with me this morning during my 2.75 miles (.25 for every 5 yrs of life) run. That conversation stimulated the thinking in this post.

Oh how happy, blessed, to be 55 and still able to enjoy running, senior women’s basketball, a standing desk, and so many other activities, without pain and without medication.

The state of one’s health is partly the result of life choices, but ultimately in God’s hands. I’m thanking Him for the state of health He’s entrusted me with today.

I RAK – the gift of giving

Luke the physician recorded Paul the apostle quoting Jesus the Christ in Acts 20:35, “You’ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, ‘You’re far happier giving than getting.'” (that’s the Message version of “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”)

One translation of the Greek word “blessed” is “oh how happy,” so in that context, happy birthday could be thought of as blessed birthday. Once, when I worked in an office where the culture was to have cake and a celebration on one’s birthday, a friend suggested I might give something, rather than expect something, so I brought a rose for everyone in the office. It was much more fun to give than to receive.

This morning I posted a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) in the MouseWait Lounge (Mouse Wait is a great phone app that provides wait times and many other helpful resources related to the Disneyland Resort). In the Lounge, a RAK is a gift you give just because, and today I offered one in celebration of my birthday. It was another fun way to focus on giving rather than receiving.

When is your next birthday? As a Thinking Christian Woman, can you think of some fun ways to give more than you receive? If so, brace yourself for a very happy birthday!

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Bonus Deo

abundant life Comments Off

Feb 292012

What would you do with one more day?

For the first time in history, both Disneyland and Walt Disney World are open 24 hours today in celebration of Leap Day. Event promoters posed the delightful question, “What would you do with One More Disney Day?”

Have you ever felt like you’ve been given bonus time?

If you’ve read the last few blog posts, you know about my dog Max. He really lived up to his name by achieving a maximum life. First thought he was near death around this time last year, so, as a temporary fix until I could get back home, put him on heart medicines. He faltered a couple times after that, and it could have been the end. Then, last fall he was bitten several times by a loose dog, but again, rebounded.

Every day with this maximum dog seemed like a bonus, and I was transformed living with this reality. I became more aware of him, spent more time with him and gave him more attention and affection. Over time, I became more habitually grateful.

Maybe you, like my sister, are a cancer survivor. Or maybe, like most of us, you’ve been involved in a near-miss on the highway.

One year ago this month, a giant eucalyptus crushed my best friend’s parked car. Just 2 minutes later and she would not have survived. In these past 365 days I have thanked God for her more than ever.

A few years ago I was visiting my mother. For various reasons, it had been very difficult to pack and say goodbye. I wanted to stay longer. At the last minute, weather cancelled hundreds of flights, and I was blessed with 3 more days in my beloved home town. I really made hay with that extra time, accomplishing many things important to me.

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

God is an abundant God – our “Bonus” Deo!

Since we never know which day may be our last, how are you, as a Thinking Christian Woman, making the most of each of your “bonus days” until you go to Him, or He comes for you…one of these days?!

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Something scary, but life is looking up

perspective, victory 1 Response »

Feb 242012

I recently used a friend’s shopping bag that was printed all over with one-liners like “live in the moment,” “dance, sing, floss and travel,” “listen, listen, listen, and then ask strategic questions.” One in particular piqued my interest.

Do one thing a day that scares you!

As a conservative adventurer, I thought about what would be quick, convenient, safe and still stretch my comfort level. It so happened I was at the property where my old dog’s grave had been dug months before. Max had defied death, and was with me that day as I contemplated the gaping hole, covered with boards, which waited patiently for the inevitable.

Scare-factors: deep hole intended as a grave (that’s creepy all by itself), there might be bugs or worse, and getting back out wasn’t a sure thing – yep, that would do! Without much deliberation (no time to talk myself out of such a strange idea), I hopped in. Ground level was about at my shoulders. Crouching highlighted the profound stillness. I could see the walking world, but no longer felt part of it. And above all, my dear dog, for whom this space was lovingly reserved, gazed down quizzically.

All of a sudden I realized that this somewhat impetuous mini-adventure had formed a sweet bridge between life and death. Looking up at Max, I realized that one day soon I would be looking down and saying goodbye, but for now, it seemed like I was making the space a little more friendly by my presence.

Didn’t Jesus go to the cross, the tomb and beyond for us? Didn’t our victorious predecessor friend take the sting out of death for us? What I did was nothing like that, but somehow it seemed to help soften the eery edge of my companion’s imminent death.

And something else – from that lowly perspective, everything that I cared about and wanted to return to was above.

I play senior women’s basketball and a team member recently mentioned that she likes to play basketball because, “you look up a lot.” I’d never thought about that before, but it’s true!

There are certainly times to bow in reverence to God, but we are also urged, at appropriate times, to look up.

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2

And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them. Matthew 14:19

…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:2

While it was fun to try something “scary,” and the exercise yielded insights, in general, I don’t recommend taking life cues from a shopping bag. The Good Book is, of course, unequaled as a rich source of life-giving stories, examples, proverbs, axioms, maxims, aphorisms and adages for the Thinking Christian Woman whose life is looking up!

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Good bye, good boy

compassion, mercy 1 Response »

Feb 012012

My dear old boxer friend Max died this afternoon. He lived a good long life and entered the big sleep gently and with dignity. Several weeks ago, a friend encouraged me to ponder the lessons God has been teaching through this great companion, which continues to be a God-glorifying exercise. Here now, for your consideration, is a sampling of:

Lessons Learned with Mr. Max

“Look to the animals, and they will teach you…” Job 12:7

Be willing to lay your life down for your friends
Communicate, even if it means tipping over your toy box
Know your job and do it. Stay focused
Choose friends wisely. Pour your life into a few select souls
Greet loved ones enthusiastically
Walk guests to the gate
Growl before you bark
Don’t beg
Learn and honor others’ boundaries
Open your heart to the love around you
If you have a choice between drinking from your bowl, or the pond, choose the pond
Some of the best communications have no words
Accept and embrace others with your eyes
Find out where the doggie door is and learn to use it
Home is where your loved one’s are
Just when you think you’ve reached the end, there might be more.
Lose yourself for awhile in something wholesome you enjoy
Don’t jump on people
Get out in the sun at least 10 minutes every day
Don’t try to force others to do what you want, even if you can
Respect authority; rest in it.
Be ready to play at a moment’s notice
Sit. Staaaayyyy. Love waits patiently
Take a nap when you need one
On a leash, you’re free from the pressure of deciding where to go
Cats are more fun to chase than to catch
Ask for what you want, then be grateful for what you get
Be content to stay in your own yard
Never give up. Defy the odds
When you’re happy, wag all over

On this occasion, as possibly less of a thinking Christian woman, and more of a grieving Christian woman, I’ve taken the liberty of modifying a poem called The Last Battle, and am dedicating it to Mr. Max, in case it might help someone else with a terminally ill pet.

With Love and Thanks

If it should be that I grow weak, too tired to play, too pained to sleep, then you will do what must be done, I’m trusting you, you are the one.

You’ll be sad I understand, but don’t let grief restrain your hand, for on this day, more than the rest, I need your love to stand the test.

We’ve had so many happy years, I understand your aching tears, but don’t ask me to suffer so, just please, do this and help me go.

Take me where my needs they’ll tend, and stay with me until the end. Your scent, your sound, your eyes, your touch will comfort me so very much.

Please hold me firm and speak to me, until my eyes no longer see. I know in time that you’ll agree, it’s one more kindness that you’ve done for me.

Although my tail has waved its last, all pain and suffering now is past. Great Master, I pray her soul You’ll lift – good life, good death such precious gifts.

Don’t grieve too much it fell to you, this sad and painful thing to do; we’ve been so close these many years, my love and thanks flow with your tears.

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Surprised by righteousness

compassion, Proverbs, righteousness, Witness 1 Response »

Jan 232012

There’s a pet store in my neighborhood whose proprietors appear to have chosen a lifestyle I don’t agree with. I never felt comfortable there, so for many years did business elsewhere.

After my dog was attacked (see Bitten by the postal carrier’s dog) and refused food (and therefore heart meds), I found myself stopping in for something to spark his interest.

One clerk in particular went out of his way to suggest treats and food like canned turkey and canned pumpkin, opening packages and giving me free samples of dehydrated food and tasty bits to offer. As a direct result of this extravagant kindness, my dog started eating.

In recognition of such exemplary service, I dropped off a coffee house gift card with a note:

Dear Ray,

Thanks so much for your kind compassion when I came in looking for things that my sick old dog Max (who, on top of everything, had been bitten by a loose dog) would eat.

He’s doing much better now, by the way.

It’s so rare to find merchants who are so genuinely concerned and motivated to help.

The Good Book says, “A righteous man regards the life of his animal…” (Proverb 12:10) thanks for helping me do that for Max!

God bless!

I wasn’t sure about including scripture, not wanting to offend, but in the end felt led to do it. Imagine my surprise returning to the store a week or so later, and seeing the note displayed on a pillar right by the register for all to see!

In that moment, as a thinking Christian woman, I realized I had vastly underestimated the spiritual sensibilities of these shopkeepers. They had embodied the spirit of Proverb 12:10 so much that they were willing to display it in their store! What a treat to be surprised by such a display of righteousness. Glory to God!

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Unlock that mighty power

abundant life, freedom, power of God, spiritual journey, spiritual warfare 2 Responses »

Dec 252011

Yesterday morning after stretching class, my combination lock somehow reset itself (I could feel tumbler resistance when it happened) and I couldn’t open it.

Since lockers (what a fitting name!) at this all-women gym are day use only, bolt cutters are kept handy, but none of the all-women staff had the strength to vanquish my resolute padlock. At one point, me and two staffers ganged up on it, but to no avail. What a pitiful sight – all the grimacing and grunting – as we put no more than a small dent in the shackle.

The Master Lock website aptly describes its shackle: “Made from hardened steel for maximum resistance to cutting and sawing.”

Women-only gym; absolutely no men around; car keys securely in the locker; – a desperate need for some muscle! I could picture one of my brothers, or just about any guy for that matter, grabbing those cutters and, snap, the lock would be off.

My best friend and I were just about to give up and call for a ride, when we decided to try the cutters ourselves, with quiet faith in the power of two believers united in heart and purpose.

“Two are better than one,

because they have a good reward for their labor.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9

Our daily reading recently brought us to Judges 6 and the Gideon story. God’s people had fallen under Midianite oppression after turning away from the Lord and worshiping other, so-called, gods. Things got so bad, the Israelites were hiding in caves and dens.

^“Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Gideon said to Him, “O my lord,if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” So he said to Him, “O my Lord,how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”

Faced with an unyielding obstacle, I, like Gideon, initially doubted the power available to me. God reminds us in Zechariah 4:6, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit…” God also encourages us at the beginning of that great spiritual armor passage in Ephesians 6, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

So it is never my might, and yet, sometimes, God “might” ask me to exercise His power within me, as He did Gideon.

Well, I’ve kept you waiting long enough, yes, you guessed it; the two of us, with focused intent and a unity of spirit forged over years of mutual submission and focus on God’s truths, were able to pool our might (and perhaps our ministering spirit angels pitched in too!) and snap! the stubborn shackle yielded; it was glorious!

I cleared my locker and walked away with a fresh sense of victory and power.

Who might you partner with, as a Thinking Christian Woman, to unlock the mighty power of God and break some shackles for His kingdom?

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The Most Worshipful Place on Earth?

Taking Disney Captive to Christ Comments Off

Dec 052011

Taking Disney Captive to Christ – No. 3

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UNCLE WALT!

Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois, making today Uncle Walt’s 110th birthday!

Walt did a lot of great things during his life, and over the weekend I discovered another amazing legacy of the life of Walt Disney in the form of the Disneyland Candlelight Procession and Ceremony. Two nights each year in December, the park that Walt built transforms into a cathedral of praise to Jesus the Christ, born to be our Savior!

Here’s a quote from the “Disneyland Park Stage Shows & Live Entertainment” schedule handed out at the gate for the first week in December 2011: “As part of our long standing tradition at the Disneyland Resort, the ‘Candlelight Procession and Ceremony’ will be performed under the stars in Town Square on Main Street, U.S.A. Join us for our holiday spectacular featuring a mass choir that will retell the story of “The First Christmas’ through song and scripture.”

When I first saw the schedule, I wiped my eyes, blinked, then read and re-read that last word…scripture! Scripture was going to be read aloud as part of the Disneyland schedule of events…I was beside myself!

At the appointment time, Sleeping Beauty’s castle flared with holiday splendor, then went dark, along with most of the other park lights, as hundreds upon hundreds of choir-robed singers, each carrying a candle, sang loud and strong, from Small World to Town Square, the traditional worship songs of the season – The First Noel, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, and on and on in a stream of humanity and praise!

The pure power of the sights and sounds brought me to tears. I’d never seen Sleeping Beauty’s castle go dark, other than for fireworks. It reminded me a little of when Queen Elizabeth bowed as Princess Diana’s casket passed Buckingham Palace. I thought Disney, like the Queen, bows to no one, but here I saw humble acknowledgment of the King of kings and Lord of lords, and the voices of hundreds proclaiming His praise…in Disneyland! It was heavenly!

The seemingly endless sea of singers flowed down Main Street like an indomitable torrent – the Orange County Register reported the choir at 600 members strong this year – finally assembling into a spectacular living Christmas tree at the Main Street train depot for the telling of the biblical Christmas story in song with the help of a celebrity narrator.

This year’s celebrity scripture reader was Gary Sinise (CSI:NY, Forrest Gump, Apollo 13). Here is a video of the event, and one guest’s account of the evening, with more pictures.

According to LaughingPlace.com: “The first Candlelight Procession was held in 1955. It was actually a Choir Festival with individual choirs performing under a gazebo near the Jungle Cruise. For the next few years the ceremony consisted of participating choirs who performed around the hub facing the choir director. In 1960, Candlelight grew to 800 singers who followed the Christmas parades. Finally, in 1961 a narrator was added to the Ceremony. Past Disneyland narrators include Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, John Wayne, James Earl Jones, Mary Hart and, last year, Edward James Olmos.”

For the Thinking Christian Woman, on her quest to discover authentic links between Disney and the life of faith, this was a night of high praise with no need to translate or interpret – God’s message, sounded clear and true, transformed Disneyland, for me for that night, into the Most Worshipful Place on Earth.

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Century faith sentry

spiritual heritage, spiritual journey 1 Response »

Nov 212011

Yesterday, my church celebrated its 100th anniversary.

A hundred years ago, in 1911, Ronald Reagan and Roy Rogers were born, Madame Curie won the Nobel prize for chemistry, the first photograph was taken from an airplane (in San Diego), Titanic launched, Ray Harroun won the first Indy 500, Crisco shortening was introduced, and an audience threw vegetables at actors for the first time in recorded US history.

And here’s an interesting webpage – a woman, springing from entries in her grandmother’s journal, talks about what was going on 100 years ago today.

Well back to our church centennial service, I was anticipating a large dose of nostalgia, but instead was inspired by a resounding message of purpose for right now, and the future.

We aren’t the oldest congregation in San Diego – that distinction goes to the Roman Catholic Mission San Diego de Alcala, founded in 1769. Many local protestant congregations predate ours also, like the First Presbyterian Church downtown, founded in 1869.

And we certainly aren’t the biggest church. I jokingly tell people its the kind of church you might find as a prize in a cereal box. To me, sometimes it feels like a little country church in some small farming community. As our pastor said at the celebration, “This church never became big, but the hearts of its people have grown large.”

But in our little community niche of North Park, we currently are the singular century church. In the book, North Park: A San Diego Urban Village, we are listed first in the chapter on Pioneer Schools & Churches.

From humble beginnings in a tent on a dirt lot (you can get away with that sort of thing in San Diego’s climate), this congregation has trusted God and banded together to withstand the pressures of depressions, recessions, World Wars and other conflicts, and many other turmoils without and within – only by the grace and faithfulness of God.

We have stood as a beacon of hope in our community, consistently announcing for well over 5,000 Sundays, and other days in between, that

Jesus the Christ is coming again,

and through Him, it is possible to live life at a higher level!

History and context are important; they should be studied, understood and remembered. And yet, what a thrill for the Thinking Christian Woman to contemplate that God trusts her to represent Him in her moment in history. With Esther, we can confidently and faithfully ponder how God is using us in our spheres of influence, “for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14)

God has promised in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Hallelujah! Press on!

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The little brown church in Disneyland

Taking Disney Captive to Christ 2 Responses »

Nov 052011

Taking Disney Captive to Christ – No. 2

Previously, the Thinking Christian Woman focused on why there is no church on Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A. In this post, we reveal where you can find an actual church building in Disneyland.

But first, a backstage look at the-church-that-might-have-been. According to the snopes.com forum, “Here is some Haunted Mansion trivia that came in my Disney catalog: an early Disneyland park concept featured a church on Main Street USA surrounded by a graveyard leading up to a haunted house.” Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion eventually found a home in New Orlean’s Square, without the church.

And now, here’s the story of the-church-that-actually-is

According to the Disney resort webpage, Walt was so captivated by the colorful river barges of Europe, that he designed an attraction called Canal Boats of the World. On Opening Day, so much of the landscaping was not yet in place, it was nicknamed, “The Mud Bank Ride.”

Two months later, Canal Boats closed while Storybook Land was constructed and the muddy banks were landscaped with miniature plants, including a bonsai tree planted by Walt Disney himself that remains to this day. The revisioned attraction re-opened on June 16, 1956.

Back in July of 1951 Walt Disney Productions had released its 13th animated feature, Alice in Wonderland – the story of a little girl who gets lost in a nonsensical world. Though a box office flop, Alice influenced Fantasyland more than any other, maybe because Uncle Walt had a soft spot for her from as far back as the 1920’s when he produced a series of shorts featuring a live-action Alice interacting with cartoons. The “Alice Comedies” became a cornerstone of Walt’s early career success. It’s no wonder then that Alice has her own dark ride, teacups ride, and her village appears in Storybook Land.

As you float under the first bridge, you immediately see Alice’s cottage on the left along the river, with a church up the hill. Neither of these structures is featured in the movie, however, Alice’s voice can be clearly heard coming from the church, singing “All in the Golden Afternoon”, a selection from the movie.

Though not featured, I believe the church might appear in the movie. Check out this clip of Walt introducing the Alice in Wonderland feature on Christmas Eve 1954, and notice the river, with a clock tower that might be a church in the background – clear influences on Alice’s Village in Storybook Land.

If you have the time and would like to see where Alice’s church appears in the context of the entire ride, start looking around time marker 1:50, on the left, after the homes of the 3 Little Pigs in this home movie.

Attendance tip: The Storybook Land Canal Boats entrance is located along the parade route, so the attraction closes about an hour before any parade. On busy days, the best time to catch this ride is right after the parade passes.

So far, this is the only church we’ve found in Disneyland. If you find one, please let us know!

The churchyard gets special treatment around Christmas with a beautifully lit tree.

Alice dreamed she fell down a dark rabbit hole and found herself lost in a world of nonsense. The Thinking Christian Woman knows that, up above, in the light of the Son – in Jesus the Christ (symbolized by the village church) – God has hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3), and He is eager to reveal His secrets to those who walk uprightly! (Proverb 3:32)

Note: This post title is an homage to the Little Brown Church in the Wildwood in Nashua, Iowa, made famous by the old country song by the same name (link takes you to a vintage Carter Family recording). I have been to this sweet country church with my parents, Dad being a native Iowan, and I think it even looks a tiny little bit like Alice’s church!

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