The Charming Brothers

My sister once told me that Prince Charming had died and gone to hell. I guess that’s true, although it seems that his brother Prince Mediocre is still alive and kicking. In responce to my sister's statement I've heard it said that he isn't in hell, he is in fact in purgatory. Too bad there isn't a Prince Mostly Charming, or a Prince Sort-Of Charming; heck there's even a Prince Not-Charming-But-Can-Fake-It-Pretty-Good. Sadly enough it seems that their youngest brother Prince Average died a few days after his birth. I'm just glad there isn't a Prince Red-Neck.

flights of angels

She seemed to nod, then she seemed to shrug. It was too dark to really tell. "Wish them luck for me" she said.
So she had meant it last night. Of course, she had meant it. She always did what she said she would. "You're leaving now?" he said as calmly as he could.
She gave him one quick look. Again, he could not read her expression. "In the morning. Early."
"Do you need anything?"
She shook her head. "No."
"Rachel-" he said softly.
She took a step backward. "We made a bargain," she said. The beautiful voice was edged with panic. "I'll be here for the next Gloria."
He had to clench his hands in the silky folds of his black trousers to keep himself from reaching out to her. "Don't make me wait a whole year," he said, his voice very gentle. "Not that long."
"This is too hard," she breathed. "Everything between us is too difficult. We are like noon and midnight, chasing each other from one side of the world to the next. Let it go- let the world spin on between us."
"If you want me, call for me," he whispered. "I will hear you, though you call from the other side of the world. Yours is the only voice I hear. If you leave now, you leave me in silence."
"Listen to the silence," she said. "Ask yourself is this is not peace."
"I don't have to listen," he said. "That silence is empty."
"No silence is empty," she said. "Goodbye, Gabriel. Yovah guard you."
"Jovah keep you in his heart," he replied.
And he watched her walk away.
Within seconds, she was lost in the crowd. Even her gold gown, her bright hair, turned to shadows in the darkness. His hands, unknotted now, half-rose of their own volition. 'Don't leave me,' he wanted to say. 'Stay with me. You love me. You left your heart behind; stay with me as well.'
But he knew better; he had learned. She could not be coerced, persuaded, convinced or changed, and to set his will against hers was to turn her more stubborn than stone. Still, it was all he could do to keep from running after her.

'Stay with me. Don't leave. I love you.'



excerpt from Sharon Shinn's "Archangel" published 1996 copyright Sharon Shinn

...demands my soul, my life, my all...

Come thy fount of every blessing tune my heart to sing thy grace
streams of mercy never ceasing calls for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet sung by flaming tongues above
praise the mount I'm fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love

Here I raise mine Ebenezer, hither by thy help I come
and I hope by thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God
he to rescue me from danger interposed his precious blood

O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be
let thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to thee
prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love
here's my heart O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above



When I survey the wondrous cross,
on which the Prince of Glory died
my riches gain I count but lost,
and pour contempt on all my pride

Forbid it Lord that I should boast
save in the death of Christ my God
all the vain things that charm me most
I sacrifice them to his blood

See, from his head, his hands, his feet
sorrow and love flow mingled down
did e'er such love and sorrow meet
or thorns compose so rich a crown

Were the whole realm of nature mine
that were an offering far too small
love so amazing so divine
demands my soul, my life, my all

To the Ends of the Earth

I just got back from spending a weekend up in Canada (no, not partying/drinking) at a DRIME retreat learning a bunch of new dramas, one of which I have mixed feelings about, but I'll get to that later. This past month has been a little hectic. I found out that I'm going to have to take 19 credits a quarter if I want to graduate by the end of summer. Blah. But I think I can do it - I have to be able to do it. Stupid math labs. Grrrrrr.... I'm not real happy about it, but I just want to be done at this point. I really like it here at SPU, don't get me wrong. But every time I go home, every time I enter into Whatcom County I feel this overwhelming desire to stay, to never leave. It is so much more beautiful than anywhere else I've been. I honestly would be content to live the rest of my life in somewhere within Whatcom County. Seattle is beautiful, yes, but I love the peace, tranquility, serenity, and life that surrounds and emanates from that area. It is home.

So this weekend I went to Canada. Yepp. Canada. DRIME (Disciples Ready In Mobil Evangelism) trained - and retrained - us in three dramas. Please (Already knew), Stone (new to me, not to others) and Eve (new to everyone). Eve is the one drama I really have a dislike for. The drama centers around a girl, Eve, and the temptations that surround her. These temptations are portrayed through apples held by various characters playing different mechanical parts. The reason I dislike it so much is that it has no redemption story, and thus it fails as a street drama. Not only is there no redemption but it is extremely abstract and busy. It confuses the audience with too many movements, and not enough explanation. Oh yes, it looks very cool, but it has no practical street application. It is more of a dance than a message and for that reason alone I dislike it. The fact that there is no redemption aspect portrayed makes it a worthless dance in the context of street ministry. The group is divided when it comes to Eve. About half of the group feels much like I feel, a few feel strongly that it is a good drama, and I think the rest are somewhere in the middle. Honestly, as I looked around the group I saw more people there for the funness of the group than there because they believed in the message they were putting forth to the world. It makes me so sad to see a ministy die because people are more consumed with themselves and having fun than with the salvation and renewing of people's souls.