Kazakh Paintings, Nazi Hunters, and the Power of Memory

This past Saturday I got the surprise of my life when, following a lunch with a longtime friend from Kazakhstan, I was presented with a painting we had once owned in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In fact, this item was one of the first things we "accessorized" our apartment with upon arrival there in 1994. Boy, did it bring memories back for Sabrina, me, and the kids!

Dave and Theresa Knauss really pulled a fast one on us! We had given them this painting as a gift when we moved back to the U.S. in 1997 and never imagined we would ever see it again. As Sabrina and I spent much of last Saturday gazing at the painting, we were reminded of the power of an object to bring your mind back to the past and relive old memories. I was translated back to all of our Russian language lessons with Gulya, our language teacher, sitting on the couch under this painting, not to mention all the Bible studies, birthdays, times of worship, and, yes, even a few "cultural stress breakdowns." Oh, if only this painting could talk!

I was thinking about the powerful connection we can have with people, places, or things in our lives all this past week, especially after my lunch with Dave Knauss. For much of the 1990's, the "Knauss House" (now expanded to number six and seen here in the pic to the right) was a big part of our lives, particularly as we prepared to move to Central Asia and work together there. We had spent a couple of holiday seasons together in their little village of Vanovka (as it was once called) and benefited from their encouragement, gracious hospitality, and shared vision in Christ.

As I was recently watching a documentary on the life of famed Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal (The Life and Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal), I was reminded once again of the enormous power a thing like a painting or a place like a hotel can have on your memories. Mr. Wiesenthal had lost 89 family members in the Nazi death camps and had subsequently spent six decades tracking down over 1,100 Nazi war criminals around the world. On the occasion of his 90th birthday, he requested that he celebrate it at the Imperial Hotel in Vienna, Austria. Ironically, the same hotel was one of Hitler's favorite places to hang out and conduct WWII. Himmler had a suite there and there was even a bunker underneath for Hitler and the rest of his henchmen. I was so struck with something Simon Wiesenthal said as he contemplated the irony and utter joy of celebrating one of his lasts birthdays there: "I want the history of this hotel to read that Simon Wiesenthal held his 90th birthday here with a kosher dinner. Hitler is gone, the Nazis are no more, but we are still here singing and dancing."

Whether it's encouraging us with something like a graciously returned painting or bringing to light the irony of having a Holocaust survivor celebrate his 90th birthday inside one of Hitler's old hangouts, I'm reminded of how faithful God really is. In Wiesenthal's case, it speaks to the living, breathing, and historic reality that God keeps His promises through time. From the calling of Abraham to the last pages of Revelation, He has promised to preserve a remnant of Jewish people unto Himself. As a Gentile believer in Christ, I've been grafted into "Abraham's tree" (Romans 11:17-18), and now have the blessing of being connected to my Father and all that the Kingdom promises entail as a member of the Bride of Christ. What an amazing salvation!

"Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!"

Did You Know; Shift Happens - Globalization; Information Age

Very interesting statistics regarding globalization and the exponential impact of technology on our nation and world.

Big Headlines at Villa Noir

The big news continues at the Black household in Sherwood. Today's big headline is Chris and Amanda's engagement. Chris had a creative proposal, Amanda acquiesced, and they plan on getting married this coming summer. We joyously congratulate them and wish them the very best as they continue to seek the Lord together and forge ahead with their plans.

A few other headlines...

"Young Lad Crashes and Totals Granny's Only Car"

Just last week, while Grandma June was up in the Seattle area visiting Debbie, Chris borrowed his grandmother's car, rounded a slippery corner on a country road as he was picking up his girlfriend for church, and ran into two trees. Long story short...he came out safe (praise God!), but dear ol' June's Honda Accord was totaled. Fortunately, her collision coverage with Allstate has only a $100 deductible. We are still awaiting Allstate's final assessment on what they'll settle on as sale value of the car.

"The emperor does not share your optimistic appraisal of the situation" (Darth Vader)

"An Offer on Mom's House in Eugene"
We are pleased to tell you that there has been an offer on 1283 Brookside, my mom's house in Eugene. She made a counter-offer, and it has been subsequently accepted by the other party. We are still waiting on a structural engineer to assess a small crack in the foundation, but we should know if everything is good to go by the middle of this month. Please lift up prayers as we
wait to seal the deal.

"Residents of Villa Noir Continue to Learn Important Spiritual Lessons"
With everything from breast cancer to "strep arm" infections, to crashed cars and wedding plans, we continue to learn that we puny humans are not in control. I'm always amazed at our Heavenly Father's loving (yet seemingly harsh) methods for conforming us into the image of His Son (His ultimate plan for his adopted kids). In times like these, I'm reminded of this quote from one of Alistair Begg's recent sermons I listen to on my iPod via podcasting:

"If dependency is the objective, then weakness is an advantage."

This clearly runs counter to most Americans' materialistic, autonomous, "self-made-man" mentality, but it is undoubtedly right where God wants us as He takes His "trial lumps of clay" and transforms us for a life in the Eternal Kingdom.

God Knows What He's About

When God wants to drill a man

And thrill a man, and skill a man

When God wants to mold a man

To play the noblest part,

When he yearns with all His heart

To build so great and bold a man

That all the world shall be amazed

Then watch His methods, watch His ways!

How He ruthlessly perfects

Whom He royally elects;

How He hammers him and hurts him

And with mighty blows converts him

Into shapes and forms of clay

Which only God can understand

While man's tortured heart is crying

And he lifts beseeching hands...

Yet God bends but never breaks

When man's good He undertakes

How He uses whom He chooses

And with mighty power infuses him

With every act induces him to try His splendor out

God knows what He's about!

Four Hands Guitar

Okay, I'll admit it has been a rough week...I need a little light humor in my life right now!

William Tell Overture

Here's a humorous take on motherhood (sung to the tune of "The William Tell Overture"

Popeye and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Well, just when we thought things were quieting down in the ol' Black household here in Sherwood, lo and behold, I found myself out of school for nearly a week and in the hospital for a few days. While I was at school last Monday, my elbow starting tightening up and by early evening, I had a high fever and couldn't get warm. After seeing my primary care physician in Sherwood, she started treating me for an infection, but my arm continued to swell from my elbow to my fingers. If I had drawn an anchor on my right arm with a black Sharpie, it would have been a dead ringer for Popeye's.


By Thursday morning, we decided I was going from bad to worse, so we headed for the emergency room at the Providence Hospital in Newberg, where I was treated for some form of "cellulitus" (infection of the skin). After a couple of I-V's of vancomyacin (a heavy-duty antibiotic used to treat resilient staph infections and such), we finally got the blood test results back and discovered that I actually had a "Group C Strep" form of cellulitis. So, once my temperature stabilized, I was sent home on Saturday with oral penicillin, vicadin, and ibuprofen.

These last couple of months, with all the family health issues, have seemed filled with pestilence and other challenges. When I was laying around in the hospital, I was encouraged by several verses from the Psalms, notably this from Psalm 41:3:

"The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health."

Tim

Mom's House on the Market!

Sabrina and I spent last weekend in Eugene putting the finishing touches on the house. Despite a toilet that consumed about half a day's energy (a VERY long story!), we were able to get everything reinstalled after the carpet and vinyl flooring had been laid.

You can check out the MLS listing at this link: http://ellengroen.mywindermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Listing.ListingDetail&ListingID=18591613

We'd appreciate your prayers for a quick sale and a sense of calm in the midst of everything.

On the medical front, Mom has established her connections with a primary care physician in Sherwood and a new oncologist, Dr. Keith Lanier (http://www.oregonhematology.com/)
Today, I'm battling what I think is tendinitis, so I'll be spending time with a doctor today--oh, joy!