Brick by Brick: Rebuilding the Broken

  The beloved cartoon series "Peanuts" has an endearing Christmas special, that many have loved to watch and re-watch as a yearly tradition. When I was young, I simply enjoyed seeing a favorite comic strip come to life. As years passed, it became a a new tradition to share with our wee children. Looking back as a finely aged adult now, (no laughing) I appreciate the beautiful speech given by Linus as he puts the craziness of his friends' party/theatrical rendition into better perspective. His intro, "Lights, Please..." sets the stage for listeners to sit still and pay close attention. I have never been one to enjoy "all eyes on me". Known to most people as the shy one, I have changed considerably since youth. Some might even be amazed at the progress, but you can never truly change a leopard's spots. To reach clear outside of my comfort zone and be writing to you today is proof of that.  My voice may be small, my answers might not look like much, b

If you have glasses, you know how hard it is to wear sunglasses. Nathanael loved wearing sunglasses all the time. It became his trademark. My son, Nathanael had perfect vision. He was proud of the fact that he could see things far ahead, that those of us with glasses struggled to make out on the horizon. He could even drive at night (much to my disapproval) wearing sunglasses. He also had the uncanny insight to see things in people that most of us never take the time to notice. Part of what made him such a kindhearted soul.

  One of my favorite authors has a way of telling stories that make you think. His skill is crafted in such a way that you may not even realize that you are gaining perspective.   But then again, a close friend of C. S. Lewis thought he made his stories   too transparent. J. R. R. Tolkien was a craftsman of his own entire Middle Earth, and took an elaborate approach to the art of telling stories. His intentions were not the same as Lewis', yet in their separate styles, they endure as great ways to make the reader beg for more!   My story today is from the lovely land of Narnia. A place that many children, long to see for themselves. If you are honest, a place that calls to you as an adult.  As Lewis himself said, "But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it."   The land of Narnia calls to me frequently, as I was v

  “I love the part in fairy tales That's very near the end When all the kingdom cheers for this new queen; And all is well and all is good And everyone belongs, And happily they're ever-aftering. But when I enter the kingdom of dreams And face the promise of all I can be Will they see me as a heroine?  Tell me, will they let me in?” From the Artist: Kurt Bestor Album: Rigoletto   from the 1993 movie, an adaptation of the opera You must admit, most of us have believed in fairytales at one point in our childhood.   Some of the stories may have been terrifying, and others full of nonsense, and yet we loved to hear them over and over. The storybook bedtime ritual has been a staple for generations. Whether it was from a book or an oral recitation, a make-believe land or historic re-telling, the familiarity of traveling to places unknown before falling asleep was cathartic, relaxing the mind as it swept away the cares of our busy day. Fast forward to a