tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39063647700967674422024-03-08T05:11:55.586-08:00Around One TableSue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-42860110450546629372008-06-11T22:33:00.000-07:002008-06-11T22:35:21.213-07:00A whole year?Wow, I see it has been a whole year since I have posted something here. Not cool.But I'm in fairly decent company as Todd Hunter hasn't blogged for three years.I hope I can get back to this more regularly soon, but I'm not making any promises!Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-58552529710568263722007-06-04T21:30:00.000-07:002007-06-04T21:41:42.958-07:00The Children of HurinToday I finished reading The Children of Húrin by J. R. R. Tolkien. I think the next time I read it (and there will be a next time) I will make an enlarged copy of the map and then try to trace the route of Túrin on it, so I can follow the story better. What also might be helpful is to take a huge piece of paper and try to map out just who all the characters are and how they are interrelated! Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-46924977043791007772007-06-01T15:34:00.000-07:002007-06-12T20:31:22.508-07:00Awaiting Book 7If you are not a fan of the Harry Potter series, you don’t have July 21 circled on your calendar and you haven’t pre-ordered your copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final novel in the series about a young wizard’s coming-of-age and his fight against the evil Voldemort. You don’t plan on mobbing Barnes and Noble at midnight and you haven’t cleared out your calendar so you can read Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-56683288666495540162007-05-22T21:30:00.000-07:002007-05-22T21:53:11.724-07:00Ginger PyeThe first book for my summer reading list was Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes, the Newberry Medal winner for the year 1952. It's an entirely innocent novel, and would be perfect for a precocious younger reader to pick up.This novel won't become one of my favorites, but reading this book made me think of the freedom to roam I had as a kid that many kids today just don't have .I discovered that EleanorSue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-57804845279653695182007-05-22T21:11:00.000-07:002007-05-22T21:28:20.210-07:00Back from non-bloggingFirst it was school deadlines, then a month of being tired, but I'm hoping to be more consistent about writing. I like being in school, but transitioning from in-school to out-of-school mode has always taken a few weeks for me. Today I did therapeutic weeding, so the writing synapses are beginning to fire once again.I hope to blog through or about a few books this summer, both adult and kid's Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-65467603705623869232007-02-27T11:29:00.000-08:002007-02-27T11:41:27.892-08:00Avoiding Worship ConsumptionIn my online Theology of Worship class with Dan Kimball at George Fox Evangelical Seminary, one of the questions Dan raised this week is how the church can prevent "worship consumption. Here are some of my thoughts on that: This past Thursday I attended an area-wide youth worker’s luncheon, hosted by the Portland Youth Foundation. I was mostly impressed by what I heard, as well as with the call Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-6538930282886772152007-02-14T08:16:00.000-08:002007-02-14T08:22:38.672-08:00Love is still politically correctToday my kids were up and dressed before I was. The occasion? Valentine's Day.Back in October, I called my kids' schools to find out what happened for Halloween, because I had gotten no communication saying "no scary costumes" or anything such as that.Turns out, the schools don't do anything with Halloween. Because of the controversy, they don't have Christmas parties either. The secretary atSue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-65909093717487489912007-01-27T21:18:00.000-08:002007-01-27T21:33:43.053-08:00Following who?At this moment a "Christian" version of American Idol is on TV. In my worship class at George Fox we have been lamenting the fact that so much of contemporary worship music is driven by pop culture, and here is yet another example of Christianity being shaped by culture.Doesn't it seem that a Christian American Idol is an oxymoron? Is following Jesus supposed to be about attaining fame? About Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-91051274039396862682007-01-27T21:09:00.000-08:002007-01-27T21:15:13.581-08:00Mystery birdToday we saw a bird we couldn't identify. It was feeding from our upside-down suet feeder and had a yellow head with a black cap and black bar across the eye. I couldn't find anything that looked like it in our Audubon book or in a search engine I found online.We also have a hummingbird that likes to hang around.Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-9831190328561715322007-01-25T08:19:00.000-08:002007-01-25T08:32:11.738-08:00Walking With AngelsLast weekend I went to our church's women's retreat at Cannon Beach. Our topic was "angels."I believe that there are spiritual beings called "angels," but being a highly pragmatic person, and not recalling ever interacting with such a being, I wasn't sure how much I would get out of the retreat. I thought, "Oh, well, I'll just hang out with the beach angels."Of course, when you get a group of Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-26255245278821291872007-01-15T20:28:00.000-08:002007-01-15T20:45:55.058-08:00Growing up Christian ReformedToday a topic at Scot McKnight’s blog is “Trumanist” Christianity. The term comes from the movie The Truman Show, in which Jim Carey portrays a man who is unaware that he exists in a completely contrived world.I, too, grew up as a Trumanist Christian, and like in the Southwestern Baptist Seminary article that McKnight references, in a denomination convinced it had the monopoly on the truly true Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-60243595394605097692007-01-13T20:49:00.000-08:002007-01-13T20:59:38.473-08:00Discovering Portland FoodWhen Paul's mom was out over New Year's weekend, we paid a visit to Bob's Red Mill Store. We had lunch there and made a few purchases. We have especially enjoyed their Spice Apple Cake Mix. Yum!Recently we were also introduced to New Season's Market. Lot's of organic foods and things you won't find just anywhere. We were happy to be there for curry sampling day. I'm sure we will be making Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-70295479358546427772007-01-08T22:11:00.000-08:002007-01-08T23:12:32.198-08:00Scavenging for IdentityA couple of weeks ago we did a mall scavenger hunt with our youth group. I, a couple of youth volunteers and a couple of others all donned disguises and went wandering through the Clackamas Town Center while three teams of youth (who had pictures of how we looked "normally") tried to find us.Although I have dressed up for Halloween and have gone to costume parties, I don't know that I have ever Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-18949398025031585712007-01-03T23:33:00.000-08:002007-01-08T23:17:09.588-08:00You saw it here firstTonight, just for giggles, I googled the term “missional teen.” I couldn't find those two words next to each other on a Google, Yahoo, Windows, nor on a Blogger search.You will find the term “missional youth” on a Google & Blogger search, and I found a few vision statements and a list of what missional youth was not, but I found nothing on “how to get there from here.” (Maybe I didn't look hard Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-7976055290505971002006-12-24T15:30:00.000-08:002006-12-24T16:21:46.649-08:00Christmas EveYou can find the "Following the Star" Advent devotionals here.The Kingdom of God is a party where everyone is invited. That's worth breaking into song.Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-78806473436775156832006-12-24T14:51:00.000-08:002006-12-24T15:30:18.951-08:00Third Saturday in AdventYou can find the "Following the Star" Advent devotionals here.O Lord, you have mercy on all; take away from me my sins, and mercifully set me ablaze with the fire of your Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a human heart, a heart to love and adore you, a heart to delight you, to follow and enjoy you, for Christ's sake. Amen. (St. Ambrose)I don't think I can say anythingSue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-75484146422589617432006-12-22T07:59:00.000-08:002006-12-22T09:05:35.194-08:00Third Friday in AdventYou can find the "Following the Star" Advent devotionals here.Like the author of today's devotional, I also had the thought, "How can burning with unquenchable fire be good news?" Today's author sees it as being warned that a hurricane is approaching, so that we can be prepared for it, but I disagree.Knowing that a hurricane is approaching isn't good news. Yes, knowing ahead of time allows you Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-77811756741010953942006-12-22T07:41:00.000-08:002006-12-22T07:55:39.331-08:00Third Thursday in AdventYou can find the "Following the Star" Advent devotionals here.I wonder how Christmas got to be so much about fighting in line to get stuff instead of focusing our vision on those in need.I wonder if in our culture Jesus has become so much of a "celebrity" that no one has to pay any attention to him. I mean, everybody "knows" a celebrity, and everyone "pays attention" to what a celebrity says, Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-74466941004066792922006-12-20T11:32:00.000-08:002006-12-20T11:49:20.489-08:00Third Wednesday in AdventYou can find the "Following the Star" Advent devotionals here.Eternal God, the light of minds that know you, the joy of hearts that love you, the strength of wills that serve you, grant us so to know you that we may truly love you, so to love you that we may fully serve you, whom to serve is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. (St. Augustine)Knowing the love of God through JesusSue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-26639521361730696252006-12-19T23:00:00.000-08:002006-12-19T23:18:17.977-08:00Third Tuesday in AdventHooray! I can get back to the "Following the Star" from my home computer now since downloading the Firefox web browser. It's good to have home access again! Kudos to Firefox; it's what we use at church, too.Yesterday I noticed in these Advent readings a theme of God making a way through huge obstacles for the salvation of his people. Today's scripture mentions a path again, and this time, Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-64102254313459838752006-12-18T21:59:00.000-08:002006-12-18T22:19:21.839-08:00Third Monday in AdventI am still having problems linking to "Following the Star," so I'm going to use the revised common lectionary for today. "Following the Star" is using it too, I think, so I should be somewhat on track.Isaiah 11:10-16 is the passage for today. It speaks of nations "inquir[ing]" of the root of Jesse and speaks of God creating a way for the remnant of Israel and Judah to return home. It seems Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-61819579281960264282006-12-17T18:54:00.000-08:002007-01-08T23:17:42.890-08:00Third Sunday in AdventYou can find the "Following the Star" Advent devotionals here.Tonight our youth group (and friends) went Christmas caroling through a new neighborhood. We had a few welcome receptions, had the door shut on us once, and had a Korean teen (who knew one of the youth) describe us as "a little creepy." I guess Christmas caroling through a neighborhood isn't as common as it used to be, and perhaps thisSue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-32991746514026696932006-12-17T08:53:00.000-08:002007-01-08T23:18:05.224-08:00Second Saturday in AdventSaturday's scripture is from Micah 5, and the devotional writer talks about how we must battle for our very identities.That is so true. There are so many voices commanding us who to be. Be successful, be wealthy, be famous, be beautiful... or else be a loser.And yet when we are secure in God's love, when our full identity is shaped by God's desire for our best, we become deaf to all those voices.Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-85695222570077434222006-12-17T08:48:00.000-08:002007-01-08T23:18:35.099-08:00Second Friday in AdventI've been experiencing computer problems the last few days, so I'm trying to catch up.Friday's scripture reminds us that Jesus promised the gift of the Holy Spirit, who would bring us peace. I agree with today's writer that it's easy to let our worries and cares get to us, but when we seek God's Spirit, we have peace.Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906364770096767442.post-74853928469524437612006-12-14T09:10:00.000-08:002006-12-14T09:34:25.366-08:00Second Thursday in AdventYou can find the "Following the Star" Advent devotionals here.What I see in today's devotional is that Luke lists all these important people, a whole list of people in power. People who have power in government, people who have power in religion--but the "word of God" comes to John, a guy hanging out in the wilderness. The wilderness is about as far away as you can get from power. In the Sue Van Stellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775702832174583904noreply@blogger.com0