“I’m only a sinner saved by Grace”*

In the past week I have had my annual follow-up appointments with my oncologist, surgeon and radiologist, along with an extra bonus dentist appointment. Add to that various tests and lab visits and you have a fun month. Ah, February. Needless to say, I will be happy to move on to March!

I watched the movie Something of Value (1957) on TCM the other night, which I had not seen in many years. I had read the book by Robert C. Ruark many years ago as well. The subject still resonates.

The poster misses the point as usual

The movie takes place in British colonial Kenya during the Mau Mau uprising (1952-1960) and centers on two friends, Peter (Rock Hudson) and Kimani (Sidney Poitier), who end up on opposite sides of the conflict. Written and directed by Richard Brooks, it tells a balanced story and does not take sides. For 1957, it is pretty stark and violent. My favorite character was Rock Hudson’s father, Henry MacKenzie, who says, when asked if he is afraid, “I fear nothing but the wrath of God.” To feel that in your heart and know it to be true is a great thing, whether you are facing marauding Mau Mau rebels or oncologists.

In other news, it is time for the annual Mardi Gras parade this weekend and once again, I could care less. But it is a Big Deal in our flyover city.

Literally my idea of Hell

I wish all those small businesses down in Soulard well, but oh mylanta.

This is an interesting article: “The information superhighway is a dead end, almost always leading us to rely more on itself than making us independent thinkers. It does not lead to wisdom.”

Sam Bush has some good ideas in this article: “There’s one catch to this furious attempt to be unique: trying not to be like everyone else has paradoxically become the definition of conformity. We may each be individual snowflakes, but, once we start to accumulate, we begin to look the same.”

I always thought that in order to survive childhood we need to think we’re special. That’s what good parents make us feel. But it is a sign of growing up when we figure out that we are not special. (Some people never figure that out.) Indeed, life is one long lesson in humility, right? And to be a Christian, one must be humble. “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

Well, we are experiencing yet another “wintery mix” event. Time perhaps to listen to some Del McCoury, age 83, who has a new album! Here’s a link to listen to a couple of his new songs.

I guess Tuesday was Twins Day–I missed that–but our twins were twins-ing per usual…Aren’t they grown up?

*James M. Gray (1851-1935)

“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”*

We were thrown for a loop when daughter #3 was checked into the hospital last Wednesday and then again when she was moved to a bigger hospital with a super-duper micro-preemie unit the next day. We thought she would just be on “bed-rest” for the duration of her high-risk pregnancy, but she delivered the twins on Sunday.

They are tiny, tiny, but breathing on their own. Please pray hard for our little boy and little girl.

Many years ago my spiritual director taught me a prayer for those times words escape you:

Jesus, [insert name], Jesus.

I have used it a lot.

*Genesis 28:15

Photo from Pinterest

“Out of the everywhere into the here.”*

There were three baptisms in church on Sunday, including our favorite baby Avery Rose.

There was nary a peep out of either infant and the third-grader practically plunged his head into the font. I am always amazed by the composure of the kids at our church.

Speaking of babies, I know you are wondering about our twins. Well, it’s a boy

and a girl!

We are so happy!

In other news, I watched a very good movie this weekend–Free State of Jones (2016) starring Matthew McConaughey as a Confederate army deserter who returns to Mississippi and leads an armed rebellion against the Confederacy. Like the majority of southern soldiers, Newt Knight is not a slave owner and he becomes disillusioned with fighting for a government he does not support.

I liked it a lot.

Now we are on the verge of November. Zut alors! Where did October go? (I seem to say that a lot.)

*George MacDonald

“There is a great disturbance in the Force.”*

Halloween is upon us and we have not posted once about it. I guess that reveals my true enthusiasm for the “holiday” and also the level of my being too busy to notice. If it weren’t for the piles of Halloween candy I have been trying to ignore at work all week, I probably wouldn’t even know that it is around the corner!

That being said, the weekend is upon us and I have a few things scheduled, chief among them the “gender reveal” get-together daughter #3 has planned. Did I mention that the boy and daughter #3 are expecting twins? Well, yes, they are.  We have been focused on the boy going through chemo/recovering from cancer all year, but in the background daughter #3 has been working on her own project. Ain’t life amazing?

So in view of these exciting developments, here are three movie suggestions for you.

Anything starring those famous real-life twins, Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen:

Certainly this one would be appropriate this weekend!

Any of those movies about these fictional twins:

And how about Double Impact (1991) starring not one, but two (!) Jean-Claude Van Damme(s)…

Note how I cleverly chose films which feature two girls, two boys and a boy/girl set. We are all wondering whether our twins will be two girls, two boys or a girl and a boy. I am voting for a little Luke and Leia, but que sera, sera! Anyway, I’ll let you know what we find out–stay tuned!

And, oh hey, this is interesting, although not as surprising as they make it out to be.

*The Empire Strikes Back (1980)