Halloween Revisited

I can’t believe it has been ten years since I first posted a blog about Halloween. This week, my blog statistics showed that this piece is again garnering attention. A lady who lived in a million dollar house in Westchester County, New York (I’m sure it is worth double that amount now) was forming a ladies bible study group in her home and invited me to present a study that focused on marriage, family and topics of interest to women. As I spent time getting to know a great group of women, we began to share our lives the way Christian ladies ought to.

The Bible which cuts like a double-edge sword, brought the topics that I needed to cover to the forefront immediately. Many emotions spilled out as we explored these topics and the women began to earnestly share problems that they were currently living with. Each lady was seeking God’s presence as well as guidance and direction as they navigated the real life issues that they dealt with on a daily basis.

Some of their stories were poignant such as the mighty woman of God who was in her 80’s struggling with health problems and loneliness. There was a woman who had left the Universalist Church and began to study the Bible and attend another Church. The Universalist Church, also known as the Moonies has headquarters in Westchester County, New York. Some claim that this church is a cult. If so, it is not the only cult that has found adherents in this County.

Anyway, Mo* had left the Universalist church and that created tension between her and her husband who still attended that church. Plus, it affected her children and that stress was beginning to show and to be acted out by them in ways that was drawing attention at school. The other issues in our group surrounded marriage and child-rearing practices. Everyone in this group knew their Bible pretty well yet lacked an understanding of how it applied to their daily lives.

As I began to point out what the Bible said about family, health issues and God’s presence I saw people diving deeper into their faith and trusting in God more. It was suggested to me that I should write down some of my thoughts and share them as sort of position papers of faith to our group.This would eventually be one of the factors which led me to start this blog. One of the topics that I covered and that I still get asked about every single year is the celebration of Halloween. My article ten years ago, “Thoughts on Halloween” ** explains some of the history and meaning of that day. .

The renewed interest in this topic by readers made me revisit the topic and just where I am with it today. My journey with Halloween went from being an enthusiast to finally reflecting my identity as a Christian and giving it up. However, in the past I decorated my home to look just like a haunted house. I would also vex my husband by making October my scary movies month marathon. I would search out haunted house movies, paranormal, werewolf, vampire or exorcist movies and guiltily watch them. 

What was I doing celebrating like a heathen while still professing Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior? Well, let’s just say that I was struggling just like the women in my Bible Study Group. I knew what the Bible said about such occult practices but, I was not ready to let go of those practices yet. There were a variety of reasons for this. My children’s public schools severely limited the celebration of Christmas or Easter at school but, for reasons that I think you can guess at if you have been reading me for any length of time, they were celebrating Halloween with gusto. Their library shelves were overrun with Halloween books in the fall. They had a costume parade and parties with ghoulish themes. It was so celebratory at Halloween that often the thing that our taxes are supposed to pay for, i.e.education, did not happen.

Christmas and Easter have both been replaced in the school system by Halloween. I myself, was afraid of the social cutoffs that would occur for me and my family should we opt out of the holiday. Not celebrating Halloween in Westchester County is akin to saying you are pro-life, you believe in only two genders, or that there is a God. Any of those affirmations would be social suicide. Questioning Halloweens’ appropriateness at schools in a community which believes it is never to early to de-construct Christianity is throwing down the gauntlet!

I was clearly no Abraham who left everything behind to follow God as a hero of the faith. Or, even Daniel and his friends who faced challenge after challenge to abandon their faith and faced fiery furnaces and lion’s dens rather than abandon their faith in God. I was more like Jonah who reluctantly moved in the right direction. My weakness and the struggle that I went through is being mirrored today with other Christians in my new community. I moved to a place where the school board is putting up a fight through prayer and elections to bring godly curriculum in. I got a get out the vote call yesterday where they asked if I wanted to take a moment to pray about the election. They ended the call with a wish that I would have “a blessed day.” 

Yet, there is a mother that I know who is just where I was on the Halloween issue. I guess we all have to come to terms with the effects of social pressures in our lives. Although her children attend a private Christian school and she has the support of a wonderful church, she is straddling the wall between occultism and Jesus. Before Ellison* became a believer, she was known to give the best Halloween party in town. She prepared for the party the way many people prepare for their Thanksgiving or Christmas celebrations. She leaves no stone unturned when it comes to creating the perfect event! 

This year, she is going to the next level and creating one of those huge haunted house events on her property.  There will be mazes, people jumping out of the shadows, spider webs, and Halloween decorative elements all over her home. Ellison is a fantastic cook and will have homemade chilies, salads,  a charcuterie board and Halloween decorated cakes and cookies. 

Ellison’s home church is known as a Church who encourages broad community evangelism. It encourages its’ congregants to gather together for Bible studies both at each other’s homes and in public places. It encourages individuals to be part of block parties and neighborhood outreach right where they live. In a way, Ellison is doing part of that. She invites everyone who lives within a several block radius of her home, professional acquaintances and all her children’s friends to come for an afternoon of fun and evening meal before Halloween Trick or Treating begins in our community.

The very young up to the very old are invited and mingle together in ways that we often only see in a church. Friends and family catch up on news in a convivial environment. However, there is the backdrop of the occult as the impetus here. And, just like that, I am thrown back to former battles that I already fought and won. Proverbs 26:11 always reminds me how easily one can return to foolish or ungodly ways when it gives the rather graphic admonishment that we humans are, like a dog who returns to its’ vomit.

Moving into a new community is not easy even when it is God who has lead you there. Think of the Jews entering the promised land. God had promised them and shown then where they should go, yet, it entailed battles ahead. Well, I had prayed for a new place to live and Christian fellowship. I prayed to only go to the place that God wanted me to be. Why did I not remember biblical advice and not expect spiritual battles ahead?

When I moved into my new home, almost everyone on the street took time to stop by and welcome us to our new home. The majority of those introducing themselves professed Christian beliefs. The welcome included gifts of extraordinary dahlias clearly grown by a master gardener. There were locally sourced adult beverages and homemade cupcakes offered too. Ellison was one of the first people to welcome our family to the street. Her warm, affectionate tone and practical advice helped me navigate strangely placed one-way streets and social issues that would come up. She was funny, genuine, sensitive, intelligent and immediately witnessed to her faith in Jesus Christ. She won me over instantly. I thanked God for bringing me to this place and for the blessing of good neighbors.

So, when Ellison invited me to her Annual Halloween Open House, I was both happy to be part of the social milieu but, also struggling with the Halloween theme. I gently inquired of other Christians who would be attending of their feelings concerning the theme and it seemed I had uncovered a number of believers who were similarly conflicted as I was. 

Furthermore, I learned that in general I should be expecting five hundred trick or treaters to come by my house seeking a “trick” or a “treat” with the expectation of something good coming their way. Wow, five hundred kids! I have never had that many children visit any of the places I had lived before, that’s a lot of work and expense. Of course, I could always keep my front porch light off which is the universal sign not to trick or treat someplace. 

But, did I want to do that? Did I want to be the grinch that stole Halloween? The answer is obviously both yes and no. Yes, I know the spiritual significance behind this seemingly innocuous holiday and did not want to play footsy with the devil. Yes, I wanted to be a conduit for disseminating the truth about this pagan ritual but, how could I do that if I did not open the door to families, or have social intercourse with the neighbors?

So, I committed myself to some proper boundaries. I do not give out goody bags with monsters or occult pictures printed on them. As an alternative, I handed out bags hand-stamped with pictures of fall leaves, or pumpkins and fill the bags with various toys or healthy snacks. I re-imagine the day as a day like any other day when I am expected to share Christian hospitality with others. Ellison’s party is a dress-up party where I will choose to keep it fun and sweet. With that in mind, I got a hold of some Starbucks aprons and my husband and I will attend dressed as baristas for Starbucks. “Welcome to Starbucks, may I take your order?“

The crowd at the party is divided into the Christians and non-Christians neighbors that I have gotten to know. As I look around, I noticed a divide. The Christians attending are either not wearing a costume or have a costume that could be designated as funny or uplifting. I see Mickey and Minnie Mouse’s, airplane pilots and medieval inspired attire. As I scan the crowd further, I notice that those professing atheism are dressed in scary attire. It seems like Halloween might be a day wherein we might all just share some of our true colors. Hmm, that makes it very easy to know who I can talk about my faith with first.

The party starts with an afternoon of hayrides, games and a haunted house tour and it concludes with dinner. The party is timed to end when trick or treating officially starts in our area, which is 6 o’clock. Fortified with a nice meal, I am ready to face the hordes of chilren who will descend upon my street pretty quickly. What I find is interesting. Polite children with fun and uplifting custumes. There is also a decidedly political attire favored by the teenage crowd. Is it political satire when the first teenage brothers grace my front door? I reach out to grab some goody bags and as I look up at the boys, I say, “wait, you look familiar? Wait a minute… are you two da Silva and Bolsonaro?” The boys high-five each other and laugh. One of them said, “I told you this was a cool idea!” I let them know their costumes were both unique and thought provoking, which seemed to uplift their spirits, (no pun intended).

After some angels, dinosaurs, policemen, firefighters and Super Mario Brothers graced my front step, another costume of interest emerged. I don’t want to make a mistake but, could Kim Jung Un have just rang my doorbell? There is just no coming back when you accidentally guess the wrong costume. It seems part of the fun is feeling like you really look like the character that you are trying to portray. In this case, it looked to me like the tyrannical dictator who is behind hacking the Binance cryptocurrency company. This Halloween costume seemed to be ripped from the most recent headlines. 

There are a few traditional monsters, more adorable children and then a Prince Harry and Megan Markel. Those two were funny and asked me if they could get a pumpkin spice latte with that goody bag. Yes, I kept my Starbucks apron on after attending my neighbors Halloween party. People definitely enjoyed our innocent costume and I was gratified. Throngs of children filled my streets and I can barely catch my breath as suddenly handing out goody bags has become an Olympic sport in our neighborhood. It was game on. I set up a table and chair outside my house since I did not want to open and close my door five hundred  times. I also take off my Starbucks hat and replace it with a warmer hat. I get out a warm fall jacket as the evening cooled off when the sun went down. I ask my husband to run in and make me a coffee to keep warm while I man the goody bag station.

What’s that in the distance? I do spy a Vladimir Putin and a Tom Cruise within a large teen group coming down the street. How did Tom Cruise get in there with Vladimir Putin? As my evening comes to an end, I am reflecting on Halloween 2026. In just under two hours time, our count shows that we handed out exactly four hundred seventy six fall themed decorated bags. I am cold and tired but, I had charming, endearing conversations with polite, friendly children and teenagers. I think they blessed me, more than I blessed them. 

There was a lot of thought put into many of the costumes. One family came dressed as the family from the book series, “Little House on the Prairie.” Another family dressed as dinosaurs, and yet another group of middle school girl friends dressed as Doctor Seuss characters. Probably the best costume was worn by a prodigy of a girl, Rebecca* who dressed up as the author Jane Austen and carried the book, “Pride and Prejudice” with her. What a wonderful costume she chose. 

The holiday has been less scary and more polite since moving to my new hometown. It is less scary and more innocent than I expected. I wonder if parents are trying as I did this Halloween to re-imagine the day and try to stay closer to God. An amazing moment occurred when I was stationed outside my house giving out goody bags. My neighbor Fergie*, whom some of you may remember from reading my post entitled  You’re Wrong (October 2025)**, crossed the street to apologize and end last’s years disagreement over politics and flirting with my husband. 

She took responsibility for her misdeeds. She still smelt like alcohol but, the Christian in me is always ready to forgive as our Lord teaches us to. We ended on a good note. She gave both my husband and I big hugs. She hugged him a little tighter than she did me, but I’ll let that go. She told us that she loved us and has missed us very much. She also said that she was sorry about the disagreement that we had over politics. Will wonders never cease? She went on to posit, “what does it matter if we are Republicans or Democrats because she felt a real connection to me.” 

I forgive her, and it was one of many tiny victories that I had that day.  It seems Fergie was putting politics into some sort of perspective. With all the misgivings I had concerning Halloween 2026, it appears some moments of forgiveness, humor, and discussions of faith happened on this most pagan of holidays.This Halloween it also appeared political satire is all the rage among a number of trick or treaters, as a growing segment of the population recognizes who the real monsters are! 

* the names and a few details are changed to protect people’s privacy.

** to find the “Thoughts on Halloween” blog post go to Blog Archives on the main page and scroll down to November 2016, for the story of Fergie and I, go to “You’re Wrong” posted in October of 2025.

Rubicons, Riots & Revolution

The life of a Westchester Christian Housewife is always on the dynamic side and there is never a dull moment. Cooking, laundry, and cleaning provides the backdrop of family, church, community and world interactions. The home is our castle and church. The rest, spiritual moments and security provided therein is the cradle of all of our civilizations. When the home loses its’ basic mission statement, it is not too long before impacts in the world are felt.

This past week, I got an unexpected text message. “Sorry for the last minute notice but, are you free today after lunch for a little visit?” I like nothing better than sharing time with friends and family and I try to find ways to make the moment special. Craig* and Cassie* have been so busy lately visiting the sick, and dying. Plus, Craig teaches a bible study once a week. I was not surprised when they decided to take a drive to see the fall foliage which is just spectacular this year. They let me know that they would be in my neighborhood. 

Nobody needs a drive in the country and a break from work more than Craig and Cassie. They never give themselves credit nor try to bring glory to themselves. However, they serve constantly and humbly. Lately, they have begun to look like they need some rest. So, when they called me to see if they could arrange a get-together I decided that the changing fall weather would be a perfect opportunity to bring out my lovely tea cups. My tea cups come from all over the world and on my table, they live in perfect harmony. I wish our world could do the same. There are cups from Uzbekistan, Morocco, England, China, and the United States. I have special cups make by artisans from India and Ireland too.

This year’s small harvest from my garden, now dried and preserved, mixed with spices create tisane blends known to soothe, boost immunity and bring health benefits. I think we all need that right about now, don’t you? I have always favored the use of elderberry as a tea during the fall and winter cold season when my sinuses can need some adjustment. Spicy foods work well for that too. The elderberry is really quite a plant. I love to serve elderberry tea as an aide in mitigating cold and flu season. The serving of an afternoon snack along with tea is a respite in our day.

I will act as the waitress and bring out a menu of some loose leaf tea blends that I am currently serving. Will it be peppermint, chamomile lavender, or elderberry? For those who need more traditional fortification, I offer some loose leaf Alwazah Ceylon Tea with cardamom. Just passing by this box gives one a fragrant treat. I also found an organic Masala Chai at a local store to enjoy.

Throughout the year, I offer different teas to my guests. The tea usually comes from my garden, the supermarket, local shops or sometimes it was given to me as a gift. In the summer, I like to serve a classic southern sweet tea, mint or fruit teas. My husband enjoys raspberry iced tea during the summer. I have been growing a Meyer Lemon tree and it finally has some small fruits on it. The buds fell off late summer and then some green fruits grew that looked more like limes than lemons. Now, the color has changed to bright yellow. I am hoping sometime this winter that the fruit will be ready to use for tea and for cooking just when we need vitamin C in the northlands the most. I think I have to move the plant to another window though because, since I brought the plant into the house to winter, I noticed a difference in it.

Plants are one big experiment all the time. Last winter, I received this little half-dead specimen of a Meyer lemon tree and over the winter I nurtured and babied it and by spring it was thriving. All spring and summer, on a little sunny porch above my garden, it grew by leaps and bounds. Of course, I knew that bringing the plant indoors for the winter would be a shock to it. There are various things to do to softened that blow but, I was a little too busy to follow that protocol. So, I am hoping by moving it around my house I can eventually find the right conditions for it. When I see signs of plant distress, I know that I must act quickly so, after some chair rearrangement in my dining room today, I am hoping that I have found a good spot for it to thrive in.

This fall, I have been in the mood for Masala Chai, that great Indian blend of black tea, milk, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and possibly other things. The effect is warming and I wonder if it is the foundation of the current pumpkin spice craze? I admit it, I have pumpkin spice derangement disorder. When the cool weather comes, I add those spices to everything. Stews, roasted squash, oatmeal and anything else that I can think of. I have a “pumpkin spice season” pillow and even a sign in my kitchen announcing that, “Pumpkin Spice is my love language.”

I am an extrovert and that means I get excited when people come over for a visit and I get energized by social interactions. As my preparations for company continue, I realize  how much fun that I am having getting ready for some tea time. I put out a tray of snacks including: fruits, little cakes, chocolates and biscotti. I line up the tea cups, measure water for the pot and even light some candles for the table.I already know that I will pick Masala Chai as my drink and even sneak a little chocolate before my company arrives. But, how can I forget all that is going on in the world at the moment? 

Well, it looks like my last bit of housework is done. It involved hiding all the projects that I am working on in my living room, including putting away my knitting and Halloween projects. (NEXT WEEKS BLOG: My Halloween Approach) When suddenly a text from Craig interrupts me, explaining that he and his wife are stuck in traffic and will be late due to some road construction. 

That’s enough to send me searching the web for the latest news.  There is a lot of news about the upcoming elections in the United States. The atmosphere is very tense here in the United States. I have attended some political events, and given my support to causes that reflect my faith in Jesus Christ and my belief in biblical truths. In a short time, I will be voting for what I know is right. I don’t know what will happen or if others will agree with me or even get out to vote. I am hoping that people see that the democrats are now controlled by a group that seeks a revolution against Western Civilization, God and democracy. As I write this, there has been riots and revolts in major French cities and that violence and anarchy has spread to other countries in Europe as well. There are forecasts for the continuation of the madness this weekend, including ISIS directives which have been uncovered telling its’ adherents to take advantage of the street action to promote their own agenda. 

The riots are well-organized and represent groups promoting anarchy, communism, intifada and atheism. The mentally ill fill the ranks of the street warriors too. The financing comes from all the usual suspects. Some rubicons have been crossed alright. The boundaries of decency have been crossed and criminality has breached the borders of our world. The shifting sentiments seek to overturn long held beliefs and traditions. Something more sinister is behind the supposed education and affordability crisis in France and it’s not educational or affordability related. 

Education is the breeding grounds in many cases of jihad, anti-capitalist, anti-God sentiment. This is anything but a grassroots movement. It has been in the making for some time.The workers of iniquity have learned the system of democracy and are seeking to use that system to achieve their goals. That is what I think revolutionaries are trying to do in the United States during this current mid-term election cycle. Another way to defeat the West has emerged in a sort of chaos theory. The concept being that another way to bring in revolution is to convince about five percent of any population to create chaos and that will effectively begin to dismantle that current regime. That seems like what is happening in France.

The people of God must stand against murder, thievery, rape, and the overturning of law, especially God’s laws. Disorder does not represent God. Stealing and sexual misconduct is wrong before a mighty God and must be adjudicated. The biggest problem in standing by God’s laws is that most people have chosen to distort the truths that God has given us in his Holy Bible. If we distort the truth we can justify anything that we do. Serial killers do that. Rapist do that and so do anti-capitalist looters. However, that does not make them right. If we are moving away from righteousness that does not mean that God is moving away from righteousness since he does not change. He does see all that is occurring and will not allow that which we are calling okay to go unpunished. God’s system is to allow us just enough rope to hang ourselves with before he intervenes. “It is time for you to act, O Lord, for they have regarded your law as void”-Psalm 119:126.

I understand what voting is and what it does. I have seen the sanctity of the vote corrupted reminding me of its’ importance to ensure my continued freedoms. Yet, I know that whomever I have or will vote for is not perfect. Only God our Savior is perfect and all we can do is try to stand on the right side of the issues in our lifetime. The goal is to vote for what is godly and biblical. In the United States, it has never been easier to know what that is. The Republicans are the only party espousing anything remotely representing the Judeo-Christian ethic. If the Republicans win, the anarchy will be kept in check. If the democrats win expect some more hellish outcomes soon. The is not rocket science or should I say A.G.I.science vote Republican for sanity. 

* the names are changed for privacy.

Christian Housewife Reviews Daniel and the Fiery Furnace/Oct.7th.

The movie, Daniel and the Fiery Furnace hit the movie theaters a few weeks back. I had read that a movie was in the works depicting the first three chapters of the Book of Daniel but, that was years ago. I had all but forgotten about it thinking that perhaps this movie never made it to fruition. I was disappointed of course, since I think the Book of Daniel is a very important book for our times. I was singing along to some praise and worship music in my kitchen recently whilst cooking a tray of banana bread when all of a sudden a pop-up ad ensued on YouTube. 

Usually, I am so annoyed when my YouTube content is interrupted with some stupid commercial or ad. Especially, when I am unable to get to the screen to skip the ad because I am just in the middle of cracking some eggs! The advertisement usually involves some crazy diet hack, miraculous health solution or is selling some service that I don’t need and never did. It ends up to be more than annoying to listen to the baking soda digestive trick before I am able to get my hands washed, dried and make it over to my iPad to skip that infernal ad, grrrrr.

However, this time, I was thrilled when I glanced over at the screen and I was seeing a trailer for this long awaited film. I started thinking of the significance of Daniel’s life. The part of life that we don’t like to think of. It was war that brought Daniel from his home in Jerusalem to the far away land of Babylon. Slavery and sexual mutilation as in castration probably ensued. He could have given up, he could have committed suicide but he did not. His faith lead him to follow God even in this dark chapter of his life and in history. 

There is a lot of darkness going on right now all over the world. We might be going about our business, we might be far from a war front if we are lucky enough but, life may not spare us. I am writing this blog post on the third anniversary of the October 7th massacre in Israel. It is not lost on me that as I contemplate Chapter 3 of the Book of Daniel how many Jewish people faced fire that day just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego did. And, just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego they were tied and thrown into a fire. Oh, the evil of this! I saw images of those Jewish souls whose post-mortem pictures tell the story. They were men, women and children burnt alive during violence on October 7th. 

As Chapter 1 opens in the Book of Daniel the Jewish people faced attack, murder, sexual violence and captivity as the Babylonia Empire laid siege. Unfortunately, what Hamas did on October 7th gave an understanding to what befell Daniel and his people in the Bible. It mirrored the murder, torture, cruelty and death that continue in our world today. When the movie opens it gives us a glimpse into how it must feel when your whole world comes crashing down around you. I imaged myself there. 

The movie was filmed to excellent effect in Rajasthan, India. The light, the beauty of the desert scenery, and the Rajasthani architecture are the setting of this story which mirrors the Judaean and Babylonian natural environment and sensibilities of antiquity. The movie gives a glimpse into the creative community of that Indian State since many film professionals and actors from that region were highlighted. 

As the Book of Daniel depicts, we learn of the many horrendous evils that he was forced to face. Yet, God gave Daniel strength and used him to teach and to prophecize future events. Daniel may have been robbed of a marriage and having a family but he had God. Through Daniel, God chose to show his almighty power to those who did not believe and he still does that today. He often uses the small and maligned to confound and confront the strong of this world. Perhaps, the miraculous piloting of a jet being hijacked recently is an example of that. Yes, Daniel’s story foretells the age that we live in.

I was touched as the movies depicted scenes of the faith community coming together to pray even when all the odds seemed stacked against them. I was strengthened to see how Daniel and the other men chose to not bend in their faith but had the wisdom to compromise in other areas as they were confronted with a type of worldly culture that tempts us all. They knew what was foundational to their faith and what was not. Well that we should all run our daily lives with that wisdom today. They were as angels heralding God with us and showing the way for people then and now. The power of that message of the right path comes out in the first three chapters of the Book of Daniel and the movie does not depart from that message.

This movie comes down right in leaning into the biblical account and not going too far afield while still humanizing the story for us to connect with. The acting was wonderful starting with the Egyptian actor, Mena Massoud who portrays Daniel with poignancy and a mix of strength and vulnerability. His fellow captives played by Sunjay Midda, Adam Lahraoul,and Zaki Ali seemed like naturals and drew me into the fears, and the decisions that they were forced to face. Since seeing the movie, I am continuing to read and contemplate the many layers of meaning encompassed in the Book of Daniel and I hope that you will too. I recommend this movie. You won’t find the splashy large budget films that you and I may be used to. Instead, you will find a story told as storytellers of the past may have. It connects with you and it draws a picture that you carry with you. You will see wonderful acting performances and cinematography that stand out.

Since Daniel and the Fiery Furnace is a Christian movie, it will have limited release in the movie theater systems of the world. I suggest you see if it is available in your area or find out what streaming services  in your area it will be available on. At a time when films exploring dystopian possibilities abound, here is a film which depicts the future turmoil but will ultimately lead you towards the right spiritual path. God is in this story and our story too. Discover that anew.

Am Yisrael Chai

Mish-Mash!

Mish-Mash is a Yiddish word which means mixture, a medley or even a jumble. It is related by the German roots of the Yiddish language to the German word misch of similar meaning. As a woman born and raised in New York with its’ patchwork of languages that big linguistic melting pot had to offer, I often heard that word growing up among others. You would hear Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Italians, Irish and obviously Jewish people use this word whenever something was unclear or confusing. Could there ever be enough words to adequately express the notion of life’s jumble?

That’s what this blog post is about today. It is a mish-mash of so many things. Why? I guess it is a work-through of writers block that I have had lately. Not because I have nothing to say but, because I have too much to say and it is all in a sort of Mish-Mash in my mind. There is so much going on at every level: personally, locally, nationally, internationally and then there’s the spiritual realm which permeates it all.

Let’s start with Nepal. The glacier collapse and ensuing avalanche, mudslide and flood touched so many all over the world and I have a few points of connection to this story. My husband met an Indian man named Caleb* at his summer church convention that I spoke of in previous posts. He bonded with him both professionally and spiritually. The bond began because of a shared career background in tech, and continued with the sharing of their foundational belief in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and the witness they shared. My husband and I love reading. We read in our individual areas of interest and we read aloud books to one another. We have just completed an old read, Black Narcissus by Rumer Godden. Thoughts of Nepal, past and present wafted through our minds. 

Then, Caleb told my husband the story of his life including his call from God to leave the tech field and to serve at a church in Nepal. There are no accidents in God’s world. My husband knew that he met Caleb for a reason and he wanted to be supportive of him in any way that he could. The two of them decided to exchange information and keep in touch. As Caleb’s dream seemed close to fruition the terrible mudslides occurred in the region that he should be traveling to. My husband reached out to talk about what had happened and what Caleb’s plans might be now. Our church has been praying for the people of Nepal and immediately took up a collection to try in a small way to show our love. There are church members there who can assist in the immediacy of the event. This natural disaster has changed everything for so many including Caleb. We continue to pray for Caleb, the relief workers, the survivors and the nation of Nepal.

In the Mish-Mash of events in my mind, I have spent a lot of time, way too much time, thinking and reading about Iran, Israel, the United States and the paradigm shift in the Middle East. It seems something is about to be born over there, but what is it? New regimes, new alliances, new business deals, war or peace? Something’s gotta give doesn’t it? I am half-way through a book about Iran. It was published from Princeton University Press but, the editor missed a few grammar and spelling errors in the English translation. Oh well, with A.I. people even at the so-called Ivy Leagues are becoming illiterate and innumerate.

The book is entitled, Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History by Vali Nasr. The scholarly paperback came to my attention at a BOGO sale. BOGO means, Buy One Get One free. I thought this book would be a good opportunity to refresh my knowledge concerning the historical context of the present circumstances in the Middle East. Any study of history reminds one to take heed because history has a way of catching up with us and disrupting the ordinary lives that we are trying to live. Ordinary people like a Westchester Christian Housewife maybe?

It is for this reason that I have always studied history in tandem with current events so as to not be taken unawares. Also, it is the reason that I recently took time this summer to listen to and to attend events where politicians currently running for political office were speaking. My husband and I, also decided that it is a key time to contribute to some campaigns that a Christian ought to contribute to. 

Then, as if my mind wasn’t going in a thousand directions already, I somehow got a little obsessed with the Lindsey Clancy case. For those of you not familiar with this case, it is the murder trial which just concluded in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It concerned a mother who brutally killed her three children, 8 month old Callan, 3 year old Dawson, and 5 year old Cora. The prosecution claims that she’s a stone-cold killer and the defense says she was over-medicated with psychiatric drugs and suffering from post-partum psychosis. 

Alright, alright, I should be decorating my house for fall, and putting up a few preserves for winter. The weather geek in me wonders if conditions might be right for a Super El-Niño this year.  Look out folks the meteorological and spiritual conditions portend bad weather ahead! Anyway, did I mention laundry, shopping, cleaning, and gardening has to be done? There was just something about this case that made me want to tackle my household chores whilst carrying around and trying not to drop that ever handy phone tuned in to CourtTV.

My husband, wonders why I am not paying enough attention to him and why all that I want to talk about is the Lindsay Clancy trial. I do feel bad about that and I try to point out the spiritual implications of the case to him. He has discussed it with me, but, I am not sure what he really thinks of this Lindseymania that is currently sweeping the ladies.

 I think all of us have known women who had struggles after giving birth. I have. The first case that I remember was when I was five year old. My family took in baby Dylan* for a while. Dylan was a newborn baby. He was the fifth child in his family. I knew Julio*and Elba* were going to have a baby. Back then, I didn’t know or care about how that all happened. I was happy with the notion of a stork bringing us babies. What I did not expect is that the stork would bring the baby to our living room one day when I arrived home from first grade. 

I didn’t expect it but, I loved it. I wanted baby Dylan to be my little brother. I couldn’t wait to come home from school every day. I had no idea and I would not for some time to come why the stork brought baby Dylan to us instead of Julio and Elba. I would never know the full story but, over the years I have been able to piece together most of the story. It was because his mother Elba was struggling with postpartum depression. My guess is she could have gone full out Lindsey. All five of Julio and Elba’s children would be separated and placed into the foster care system as a result. 

Throughout the decades, there have been instances which I observed of mothers not well-adjusted after giving birth. I always thought of this as part of the spectrum of birth outcomes. Something that we must all cope with from time to time amongst our friends, family and neighbors. Also, that we should be ready to step in where necessary. That just seems like normal to me. It is no different than when a mother comes home severely anemic or with post-birth physical complications. Centuries of human culture has taught us all how to manage after giving birth and how to be a help to others after their babies are born. Could it be that in our post-modern culture that we are losing these vital standards?

Lindsey Clancy was on maternity leave from her nursing job (so a health care professional). She had a husband who was working from home, a social worker sister, a helpful mother, a registered nurse as a mother-in-law, and a nanny there to assist her. This woman had access to some of the best advanced medical care that is available and so many loving family members available to take over for her. Her health care providers suggested that she did not comply with their directives and various court testimony seemed to uncover her as untruthful concerning her true motivations. What a terrible tragedy for those three precious little ones. But, what gives? Didn’t any of these adults realize the situation had become dangerous or were they too busy positive thinking, facebooking pictures or manifesting greatness? Things are not, “all good” folks. Sometimes things are bad and we must face those circumstances with wisdom and with courage. 

Lindsey Clancy’s husband testified that he was confused because Lindsey said, that she was suicidal but, then she would be cooking and playing with the children like normal. He apparently thought that she was okay. Honestly, I find this hard to believe even Jibero Julio knew that he and his wife needed help with the children and Patrick Clancy could not see what was happening? Who thinks someone who is suicidal should be taking care of children? 

Lindsey was very, very ill. Seriously ill like Elba was ill. Ill enough that any available family member should have taken the helm until Lindsey was demonstrably healthy enough to care for those children again. Unfortunately, as in the case of Julio and Elba, there comes a time when even foster care might be necessary. Lindsey was ill to the point where even foster care would have been better. It was a bad experience for Elba’s children to be in foster care but I can say now, that at least nobody killed them. They grew up and lived their life and intergrated those experiences sort of like Job in the Bible integrated his bad experiences.

Finally, no Mish-Mash of ideas would be complete without me grappling with the meaning of the latest artificial intelligence breach. There are three stories currently making the rounds. The first reveal is that China has been possibly messing around with artificial intelligence in order to create biological pathogens. What could be worse? Are they at it again? Gee, I hope not.

The other revelation came about when a top artificial intelligence researcher resigned and wrote a missive on the dangers of A.I. technology and superintelligence. His solution: take a step back on the technology front in order to work towards finding a way of harnessing the technologies’ power better. Furthermore, he would like to see more international cooperation. I find this so laughable. Did we cooperate internationally on nuclear power? What about world hunger? Can we say that there is international consensus there? We let China work and learn in the United States and what did they do? They stole our technology and used it against us and our interests. How would Russia and Ukraine be expected to cooperate on artificial intelligence?

Even the book that I am currently reading about Iran concerns itself with the divide between the Sunni and Shiite Muslim. I could go on and use other countries and other examples of how difference makes people’s cooperation limited at best and at worse it could be a Trojan Horse for a nation. This researcher is naive or worse yet politically motivated to help effect an outcome for the upcoming United States Mid-term election. China has been caught financing opposition in the United States to A.I. technological advancement for obvious reasons, and democratic socialists like former President Obama couldn’t agree more.

Further, so many of the big names in artificial intelligence who have been making money hand over fist with it and have presented this technology as the best thing since sliced bread are suddenly opposed to it and have feigned fear of the A.I. They all are using this issue to try and make Donald Trump a lame duck president. Something vaguely stinks about this whole thing.The biggest scandal concerning A.I. may concern how the Houthis and Iran may have tried to hack into United States A.I. for the military purposes of creating more Middle Eastern Mish-Mash. Maybe, balagan, fauda or apocalypse might describe the possibilities better but at this point there is no going back as the clock ticks closer to midnight. But, fear not and choose God and next, hold on tight. Then, practice your faith and the lifestyle of being a believer and let God take care of the rest. 

Is there any uniting principles in the things that go through our mind and worry us? The things that rate second thoughts and are counted as transitional? Yes, there are spiritual threads running through all the things we see in this world and the things that we and others do. Could it explain the Mish-Mash of my mind at the moment? Yes, I think so.

Bible verses to guide:

1. Why natural disasters occur- It is always sad to me when an event occurs such as the disaster in Nepal and people do as Job’s wife suggested and curse God. God desires us to come to him and he even says, he will bring beauty for ashes to our lives. It is only natural to question but, as one’s faith develops we begin to see how faithful God is in so many daily situations. We also have so many, many wonderful experiences in the beautiful world that God has created. However, as a result of the devil’s successful temptations sin has entered the world. That changed everything. The natural laws no longer ensure perfect peace as they did in the Garden of Eden but, faith in God and the acceptance of Jesus as our Savior does. (And we know that for those who love God all things work together for Good, for those who are called according to his purpose- Romans 8:28.)

God warns humanity to repent and his way is to give plenty of time to do that. In the days of old, he sent prophets to teach, warn and re-direct.  If people insisted on sinning without repentance from time to time God’s perfect justice had to include punishment. Sometimes that punishment  would come in the form of  natural disasters. However, not every natural disaster is a result of disobedience to God. There is the natural realm with its’ physical laws. (But, if the Lord creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallow them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord-Numbers 16:30. Ultimately in eternity the complete understanding of these things and complete protection will occur.

2. Where is God during a natural disaster? - 

For by him all things are created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together-Colossians 1;16-17. So, God is in control and he is present in our lives. 

3. On the Middle Eastern paradigm shift- 

Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet-Ezekiel 38:5.

You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your hordes and the peoples who are with you. I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. You shall fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Lord God- Ezekiel 39:4-5.

And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel-Ezekiel 39:7. The Bible describes many conflicts in the Middle East. There is also a time of peace that ensues before the final biblical Battle of Armageddon. At the end of days, God will be honored and he will show himself to be team Israel in that final battle.

4. Uptick of violence against children- 

Many people predicted that once abortion was legalized that a slow desensitization to the value of human life would occur. We could argue that the Lindsey Clancy case was a case in point. That would be confirmed perhaps by the copycat cases that already seem to have occurred. Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil. Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! -Isaiah 5:20

5.AI-superimtelligence- 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the leaven’s are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts-Isaiah 55:8-9. God is omnipresent. He already knows what the future holds and that includes the A.I. He is not only smarter than us but the A.I. has nothing on God Almighty. 

The Book of Job in the Bible- The life of Job bears witness to the meaning of a life in its’ entirety. The joy of family, and the loss of family that we all must endure. Financial success and financial failure. Natural disasters are also shown as part of life. Friends can help or hurt as we work through issues. This is aptly portrayed in the Book of Job. Sudden illness, pain, suffering and humiliation.The poignancy of starting over when one has lost everything is depicted in the story. That role model uplifts throughout the human story as much now as it ever has.

Job is faced with cursing God for his troubles and so are we. Will we say that we reject God because our life has reached a roadblock, a disaster or a tragedy? Will we change, act out our anger, frustration or pain? The world is full of people seeking revenge, recompense and choosing to hurt rather than to help. We see people steal rather than give, and hate rather than love. Job ultimately helps to show us the way to work through our emotions, our troubles and choose God. He acknowledges that there is one greater than he. He admits his human frailty and realizes that God, and not he, has the full picture. 

It seems to me upon reading the Book of Job that Job ultimately accepts that God defines truth. And, even with the worse befalling him he sees that God is fully right and that he in his humanity is not. That subtly speaks to the notion that we are sinners in the way we perceive and live our lives and that God is holy and righteous. 

For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth: so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations-Isaiah 61:11.

* the names have been changed to protect privacy.

The Chemo Hats

This summer I began to donate hand-sewn chemotherapy hats to a local hospital. It all started because of something that happened in my church craft class. I run a small craft group in my church once a month from September until May. We all bring bagged lunches, pray, have godly interactions and explore the world of crafts. A few of the projects that we have worked on include macrame, weaving, candle making, jewelry making, and painting with water colors. The theme is godly fellowship and simple projects.

In May, one of the ladies in my group Carly,* announced that she was about to begin treatment for a very aggressive form of cancer. She had no symptoms and doctors only discovered her cancer when she received treatment for a small fall that she recently had. It was then that the doctors discovered that she had late stage multiple myeloma. What do you do biblically speaking when life hands you this? Carly is a hard-working, dynamic woman and then this. For Carly and her husband the answer is they have shown nothing but acceptance of this situation, support for one annother and faith in God. The prognosis at this point is similar to that for pancreatic cancer.

However, the hospital gave Carly the option of trying some new and aggressive treatments which might offer better outcomes and give her a chance at a higher survival rate. The doctor told her that she might experience the loss of her hair as a medical side effect of chemotherapy and explained that the hospital had chemotherapy hats and wigs available for patients. However, when she went to the donation cart, they only had wigs and hats more appropriate for colder weather. Carly did not want to wear a wig and the hats were not weather appropriate at this time. 

In the middle of our May Craft Class, she asked the question “does anyone know where to get a chemotherapy hat?” I can’t make this stuff up. I said, “Carly, you are at a Church Craft Fellowship Meeting so, we will make you some.” That is how my benevolence began. It started with the goal of helping Carly by using the sewing skills that some of the ladies possessed. However, during that May class the idea blossomed of helping others at her treatment facility. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching-Hebrews-10:24-25.

I immediately asked anyone who had sewing skills in my class if they wished to volunteer over the summer to sew some Chemo Hats. There were three of us who volunteered to sew. In thinking out what I wanted the project to be, I know that we would need a sewing pattern and packaging for the hats. We are Christians so we also had to decide on a scripture verse to be included on that packaging. As the budget for our church craft class is zero, the ladies and I went to our craft closets and began to identify cottons and other soft fabrics that would be applicable for the two patterns that I had. 

Since I am a prolific baker of bread, I always have a big pile of plastic bags. I decided that was the right size and could double as packaging for our hats. I chose three simple sewing patterns that I printed out. One is a classic beanie style hat, one is more like a scarf wrap with elastic in the back to hold it in place and with some fabric draping behind it. The third hat has a bow on top. Next, I asked around for printable stickers. Luckily, my husband had some in his home office supply cabinet and he volunteered to print some out to my specifications. One sticker he created says, “handmade with love,” and the verse that we decided on was “Psalm 46:1- God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.” The label my husband created has the name of our church group printed on it along with the style and the size of the hat.

I had already asked the Pastor of our church for approval of the project and he assented. I also asked Carly’s husband, who is an elder of our Church, if he could speak with the hospital staff to see if they were interested in our donation. Furthermore, I wanted to check to see if the inclusion of a Bible verse would be acceptable to this hospital. When I was in New York, I doubt a hospital would allow a Bible verse on our donation unless it was a Christian hospital. I somehow knew that in the new community that my husband and I have chosen to live it would be okay and I was right. After all, I have already visited hospital settings, doctor’s offices, and even pizza parlors where bibles or bible verses were prominently featured. 

Once we worked all the kinks out of our sewing machines and sewing patterns, a small group of ladies at my church have been able to produce weekly contributions to donate to a local hospital. As the summer has progressed, I asked myself and God in prayer just how long this project would last and what it all means. I think about ways this project has blessed me. Is there meaning in trying to reach out amid the turmoil of disease or other catastrophic events? Is creating some comfort through a simple gift and showing hope in God’s promises through scripture reflection glorifying to God? Is this pleasing to you Father? 

People always ask themselves the question, “how can I help?” In our best nature, we empathize and we sympathize. We hear news of earthquakes in Venezuela, Ebola in Congo, Los Angeles wildfires and flooding in Missouri and we instantly feel a desire to pitch in and help ameliorate the damage. Should I go on? China and Taiwan, Legionnaires outbreak in NYC, increased earthquake activity in the “Ring of Fire” zone, and Super El Niňos. Yet, there is a deep inner longing within us to intervene in such cases, whether it be standing side by side with a person, carrying sandbags, fighting fires or bringing medical assistance. 

However, even in such circumstances evil does exist. The evil of looting others belongings while they are not in their homes or shops. Taking advantage of the sick and dying. People also use the fear associated with natural disasters to drum up support for their political goals no matter how stupid those goals may be.There is a philosophy that exists which says that we only ever do good  because it makes us feel good as we rail against the death machine. We are so depraved and narcisssistic that that is all that is possible. That is the jaded views of modern philosophy that brings dystopian fantasies. For me, it suggests what man is without God. We are indeed sinners and our deeds are bad at times but as we know our creator he creates a new spirit within us.Yes, where there is light, there is always darkness too. That is except in the person of God, where there is only light. That’s a good reason to stick with him.

I think about my busy summer. I wonder if my small cottage industry of producing Chemo Hats is wanted or needed since I did not receive any feedback from Carly’s husband or even the Pastor’s wife who has been helping the family meet its’ needs during this difficult time. Is my benevolence mired by my sin nature? The news has been so bad lately. Death amid family and friends, in the killing fields of the war between Russia and Ukraine. The Middle East caught it seems forever in a cycle of war that claims so many lives but at its’ core is a spiritual battle for what the truth is. My own countries struggles with freedom versus Marxism. Happy 250th birthday I guess. Am I doing this benevolence to make myself feel better? 

It does make me feel uplifted to think that my homemade hats can help bring a smile to women struggling with a horrible disease. It makes me feel more powerful and less depressed about everything happening in the world too. The things that happen in our lives can feel overwhelming at times but then, there is God. The refreshment that he brings, the truth that he brings and the ability of him to direct our hearts, minds and body to godly living. We bless others, we do that in God’s name and try to direct people to the God that we know. I think that is part of the reason we are here.

As my church friends are all caught in the vortex of Carly’s cancer treatment and don’t have much time for dealing with anything else, I still wonder if my little pebble on the lake of life is still rippling. So, I lift up my voice to God and express these thoughts and feelings. I believe the Holy Spirit inspired me to start to bless Carly and those being treated at her hospital. I wonder if we will continue to have sewists for much longer. I also wonder how long the blessing is on this project. Should this end when Carly’s treatment ends? I ask God if anyone has taken our hats to wear and if it has been a blessing or not? 

The Holy Spirit began this ministry and I realize that it doesn’t matter how many makers are involved because ultimately, if God is in this project it will touch minds and hearts with his love and message. It will continue as long as he blesses it. We are all in the midst of life’s story and it starts with God. I pray for each and every person receiving my Craft Fellowship’s homemade Chemo Hats. I ask God to help me manage this project wisely and to be a blessing to Carly and others in need. I thank you God for all the blessings that you have given me amid the hard work. I thank you for feeling like I am a part of you and all the good that this project might bring. And let us not be weary in well doing:for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not-Galatians 6:9.

God heals either in this world or the next. Choose to follow him today and begin your journey with God beside you. 

*The names are changed to ensure privacy.

Christian Housewife Reviews Disclosure Day

Spoiler Alert: this contains a summary of the movie.

So much drama surrounding this new movie. It’s all rather unsettling. What kind of experience will it be? Will it be a fun summer fantasme? Is it predictive programming to condition the public to accept a future alien invasion? Or, is Steven Spielberg possessed and inspired of the devil? Another exorcist, this time from Tennessee, suggested not seeing this movie because it could be cursed. Okay, that’s a little scary but, he’s got a point.  

Father Reehil went on to question why Steven Spielberg would make a movie that he is claiming could challenge the Christian faith. I watched interviews with Mr. Spielberg. He seemed kind of happy about the prospect of creating such doubt. He was almost euphoric. To be clear, just as I feel my little blog is my way of looking at life and trying to make sense of it, Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster movies are his way of trying to make sense of life too. Everything you hear, see on screen or read has a point of view expressed. It is up to you to reflect upon that and agree or disagree with the premises and thoughts expressed. You know where I stand. I believe in God and the Bible.

I really wanted to see this movie the first weekend that it hit the big screen but, my husband was at a week long church conference at that point. Since my husband was away, I wondered if I should wait for him to come home or instead try to see the movie with a friend?  Some of my friends are not at all interested in encouraging me to talk about aliens. The whole United States alien reveal party has made some of them a little bit uncomfortable. Instead of trying to get friends past their comfort levels, I’ll just wait for my husband to return home instead.

My husband took an eighteen hour long solo drive (one-way) towards a remote meeting place designated for the church conference. After he arrived, his first day included a seven hour long field trip highlighting elements of our church history. Wow, what a lot of traveling he has done in the past two weeks! In the week following that, he was engaged in prayer meetings, two church services a day, and hearing the presentation of church position papers on topics of morality and doctrine. There was inspiring and thought-provoking sermons by leaders in the church and a church election process to attend to. 

During this time, my husband was questioned, prayed over and annointed. He took a vow of godly living and he was eventually voted into a church office. He is not a minister but, in our church there are a certain number of people from the congregation who serve alongside the clergy for purposes of representation and perspective. This is nothing that he sought but, he felt the Holy Spirit’s movement throughout the process and the sense of purpose for him and the Church. 

Even after his long drive home, I found him energized and eager to resume his usual schedule at home. Actually, it seemed like I was more exhausted than he was. Maybe, it’s because without him in the home, I had more chores to do. I had to put out the garbage, bring recycling to the garbage dump and deal with scary sounds in the night without him. Kinda made me appreciate him.

Anyway, knowing that I was going to do a review of the movie Disclosure Day got him interested in seeing the movie too. He wanted to go the day after his return and every day thereafter. I was the one who was too tired and kept on putting off seeing the movie. Finally, four days after his return home, the time had come. I was wearing a proper cleaning frock too when my husband told me to put down the vacuum cleaner and go out to dinner and a movie with him. No cooking, that sounds appealing. However, I was in the midst of a cleaning jag. You see, next week, my husband and I will be hosting two visitors from Taiwan who will come to our church to give us updates on their life and work in that country.

I am not one of those housewives who purports to do everything. When I am busy getting ready for company, it is then that it is time to defrost, reheat leftovers or throw together a simple meal. I tell my husband to wait a minute while I change my clothes. He always makes me smile when he tells me how cute my cleaning frock is and he wonders why I need to change or put on any makeup because I look great just the way I am. Ah!

The movie seemed disjointed from the beginning. It opens with a group of quasi-governmental contractors (Wardex) with top-tier security clearance detaining and interrogating two of the main characters, Daniel and Jane. The character, Daniel Kellner apparently stole classified United States documents pertaining to aliens and is intent on releasing them to the public. Right there it was anti-climatic because the United States has recently released a huge amount of formerly classified documents on the topic and a billion of us worldwide have already dived in.

The Wardex villains somehow fumble and the couple escapes their clutches and is on the run. That, or the Gen Z fantasy of outwitting their elders with alien technology has done it. It is then that you learn that Daniel is working with another group who are exploring the alien files too. It is all a bit comedic.

Steven Spielberg seems to not be sure where he is going in this flick. It seems like he wanted it to be the conclusion in a sort of alien trilogy. The movie connects in many ways to his previous movies E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Perhaps, he wanted this movie to be an Indiana Jones-like action fantasy piece? What if anything was he thinking about 2026 special effects? I think the movie was trying but missing all of the above targets. 

However, one mark it did hit was qualifying as being a religious commentary. Just what spiritual points it tries to make is the majority of what my review covers. There was the ubiquitous tech bro Daniel who is present in all films these days and represents some sort of anti-hero. There is Jane, the former catholic noviate who is now fornicating with the tech bro. Blah, blah, blah, anti-establishment female anti-hero. In one spiritual telling scene the ex-noviate Jane is in a spiritual battle with Noah. She remembers enough of her Catholicism to bring out a crucifix, which she digs into her hand, stigmata style to combat Noah. This is supposed to be a battle between Catholicism and some evil force. The suggestion is that Catholicism represents the Christian faith, and it is not strong enough to defeat alien technology. First, Catholicism does not represent the Christian faith and it might very well be defeated by evil. Secondly, the powers of hell will not prevail against God and the true faith path. 

Both Daniel and Jane play malcontents. They never seem happy for one moment. There is no chemistry between this couple that would hint at this actually being a love match. In fact, they appear depressed most of the time.Then there is  villain, Noah Stanton. He is played by a way-over-the-top Colin Firth. Mr. Darcy, this is not like you nor like George VI in “The King’s Speech” either. Did you lose a bet with Steven Spielberg? 

Colin Firth’s character spars with a former coworker Hugo played by Colman Domingo. Hugo presents as a wise and all-knowing character, sort of the good cop versus Noah’s bad cop. Hugo is trying to help Daniel to attain his goals of releasing the alien truth to the world versus Noah who wants to kill Daniel and everyone who is in league with him and to suppress the truth of alien contact. Some of this biblically rings a bell for me. In the Bible, the devil hints that God is holding back something and you really should know about it. Then, you will be like God.

There is an alien supernatural tool which allows you to be in two places at once. Using it comes with a physical price though. Then, there was the newscaster Margaret played very well by Emily Blunt. Part comedic, part alien possessed, she was demonically and hysterically believable. The news stories depict a current world on the brink of World War III. Then there is the aliens themselves who are presented as victims who are harshly interrogated. To Steven Spielberg and his ilk they are just misunderstood. This is hinted at when we see the alien presence in Margaret calm tensions pertaining to North Korea. Their message to us in this movie is presented as : “don’t be afraid of what you don’t know” and “listen.” Butter wouldn’t melt in their alien mouths!

We learn that Daniel and Margaret were both chosen as children to bring this message to the world. There are scenes which depict aliens presenting themselves to Daniel and Margaret as animals, such as deer, cardinals and foxes. The movie states that the aliens present themselves in forms that will be palatable to us so as not to frighten us. 

How is this for frightening: the night after my husband and I saw the movie we were relaxing on our back porch at twilight when suddenly, two small fawns run towards us. They stop and look us straight in the eyes. In the movie, you don’t want to look at the alien in any form in their eyes lest they have power over you. My husband, thinking it funny, teases “don’t look them in the eyes.” 

These cute animals, like the one in my yard, usher the children towards a house/alien vessel. Once in the alien realm, the children are given gifts of math, languages and empathy which will emerge at a pre-set time. They are prophets of aliens and not of God. The aliens are presented as an alternative to God in this movie (if you look closely enough). Who needs a relationship with God when you have this fascinating new relationship with aliens? 

The characteristics of the aliens and their influence in this story read like an occult checklist. Disguise yourself as an animal-check✔️. Possession-check✔️, be enlightened and equal to God-check✔️. It was all there except the devilish malevolence-lie❌. The devil presents himself as an angel of light. He’s here to help….he’s here to help himself to your soul. Alien messages are straight up what the anti-Christ will be telling you.

Alien fascination is palpable right now. People are looking for something to save them and they wonder if  superior alien culture could finally bring in a golden age. It is tempting just like new revelations always are, but is it the truth? No. When mankind gets stuck in a civilizational rut which we are now in, there seems to be a need to grab onto anything that promises answers. But, beware of philosophies that chisel away at your faith. There is no salvation without Jesus. There is no salvation without taking responsibilities for your sin. Follow the Ten Commandments and work the program that God has set before you. Go to God in prayer and ask for guidance and direction in your life. 

I did not find this light summertime entertainment nor the summer blockbuster that I was looking for. I wish for such moments but, I know that times of true refreshment come from God. 

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh”-Luke 21:28

Disclosure- Part 2

A Monsignor, who was once an intelligence officer in the U.S.Military, has a Ph.D in psychology and is an exorcist for the Diocese of Washington D.C. has been chastised by the Catholic Church for doing a podcast where he posited that an explanation for alien sightings has its’ origins in demonic culture. I am glad that I’m just a housewife and so far my husband isn’t firing me for thinking exactly the same thing! Imagine that, a priest thinking demons are real. Let’s stop him from preforming exorcisms just when it seems demonic activity is increasing. Wait, didn’t Jesus perform exorcisms on numerous occasions? He also entreated his apostles to do the same in Matthew 10:8-“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”

Many people of the modern era have a discomfiture with the notion of a realm beyond the one we inhabit that is not quantifiable through the scientific method. The emergence of science sought to replace belief in the divine with belief in better living through science. Problem? Humanity has and will always search for answers regarding the world, its’ creation, the problem of sickness and death, our place in this world and the purpose of our lives. Technology has certainly created improvement in people’s lives throughout history.It’s not that science does not have its’ place in the discussion, it’s just not on the throne in worship. 

Here are the facts. Even with all the technological advancement people have at their disposal they seem to be failing epically in this quest to conquer and better things. Many are struggling with depression, and anxiety. There are unhappy marriages and broken families. Science has failed to vanquish many of the miseries that exist in the world such as disease, hunger and war. Not only that but technology is adding to the world’s troubles in many ways.

As if that is not enough, in the midst of our current worldwide state the possibility of alien encounters comes to the forefront. Could there be a superior alien culture that would lead humanity to a place of wisdom, peace and prosperity? Alien theorists have suggested that possibility. However, the opposite could be true. The aliens could be a false step, like many humanity has followed. 

People have followed cult leaders to their death or to immorality. People have followed political leaders who were evil in the hopes of solving their countries problems, only to make things worse. Face it, our track record as human beings is not very good. It makes the Bible come alive to me when I have wondered why people would be so stupid as to follow the anti-Christ instead of God. Now that I think of it, it seems quite plausible. Especially with our queasiness in examining the biblical account of the spiritual realm. It is with all this in mind that I decided to examine the Biblical account of metaphysical activity a little more closely in my Disclosure Series. 

In Disclosure-Part 1, I describe the nature of God, Satan, and the physical and metaphysical world. To recap, we talked about God being good and responsible for the entirety of creation. We first encounter a talking serpent getting in the mix. There are no such things as talking serpents in God’s design so we wonder why that happened. 

However, God’s design did include a heavenly realm of beings called angels and they have abilities just as we do which can either be used for good or evil. The angels have a hierarchy akin to the hierarchy of the animal world and Satan was at the top. Satan made a free will decision to rebel against God and he created a mutiny in the angelic realm. 

Those angels who rebelled against God are called fallen angels or demons. Satan, just like all the angelic and demonic creations, have certain capabilities. One ability they possess is to operate and move between our physical world and the heavenly realm. The demons can also shape shift to a certain degree. They do that in order to deceive and tempt humanity away from having a relationship with God. Here’s an idea of what we are seeing regarding that behavior: “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders”-Matthew 24:24. Hmm, great wonders like an alien arriving in a space ship?

However, in Psalm 103:20 it says “Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” The angels remaining loyal to God operate under God’s direction and for the good purposes that He intends. Could the fallen angels take on alien form perhaps? Why not, it is no more fantastical than reading the latest tranche of data that has just come out. 

Sightings over Zimbabwe, aliens in New England or Greece? Scary looking things that are nothing like us. Now the creatures seen in the Book of Revelation don’t seem out of the realm of possibility. Do you think that is a coincidence? Side bar: I really should be cleaning my house and weeding my garden but, it is hard to pull away from this alien data dump. Apparently, I am not the only one either. The amount of people reading this government website is huge!

The fantastical system of otherworldly beings in the Bible has had many people in the scientific era scrambling to find scientific answers for the phenomena described in those stories only now to attribute many of those events to aliens in our midst! Yes, that’s right some have declared that events relating to the creation, Elijah, Moses, the anti-Christ or even the rapture might have an alien connection. A number of scientists from respected institutions have even suggested that if another civilization makes contact it could rattle your and my faith! Steve Spielberg said that too in a recent interview promoting his new film.

I find it laughable that men who have reached the career heights that they have achieved, have less spiritual awareness of such things than I did as a little girl.  Why? Because the minute I read the account of the talking serpent in the Garden, I figured out his game. When mommy and daddy take care of all the business of family, we children have plenty of time to contemplate and to play our games, don’t we? We instinctively try to figure out our playmates strategies too. It seemed that Satan’s game was to shake Adam and Eve’s confidence in their foundational beliefs. He wanted to make them doubt what God told them to be true and Satan hasn’t changed one bit since then. It is quite possible that Satan and his demons and fallen angels are pulling off yet another caper with their latest alien garb. I wouldn’t put it past them.

When I was growing up, my family had two Bibles on their bookshelf which no one in my family picked up except when someone was looking to confirm a family history story as the list of ancestors was pasted right in the front of the bible before the account of Genesis. Before I started school, my mother would take me to visit a big beautiful library every week. My mother and I would pick out several children’s books to read for the upcoming week. My mother would read the books to me and guide me to try and sound out the words with phonics. I longed to make that magic leap to understanding this code that my mother seemed to possess and I did not.

With that in mind, it would only be a matter of time before I would pick up the Bibles that stood large on the third shelf of a built-in-bookcase. I had a lot of reading skills to develop and I had to grow tall enough to reach the shelf too. In the meantime, my mother did read me little children’s versions of the Bible. I was struck and knew that I desperately wanted more. My child’s mind immediately knew this was big. Much bigger than books of bunnies, sheep or stories of Dick and Jane running. I knew it was not in the same category as a nursery rhyme, fable or myth. I believe it was God in his almighty mercy that would touch my heart with his Holy Word. I felt his breadth in each page. 

Yet, when I encountered stories of the Nephilim and Anakim I wondered who and what they were. It only got weirder when these creatures married earthlings.

(Genesis 6:1-7 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 

There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 

And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.) 

In my child’s mind, a sort of red flag went up immediately. Red Alert-what’s this all about?? I brought the topic up with family, friends and clergy but, it only seemed to make people uncomfortable. Was it because they did not know how to explain such topics to a child or did not think it appropriate? Or, was it because they had not delved into this part of the Bible themselves? I’ll never know but, quite early I got the feeling that parts of the Bible were off-limits for discussion. In particular, parts that had to do with supernatural, paranormal, metaphysical or inter-dimensional activity. Other-worldly and human relationships depicted in Genesis 6:1-7 sounds an awful lot like alien abduction and possible mating stories which have been brought up in alien encounter books, documentaries and even recently by former government official Matt Gaetz on a podcast. 

The Bible is full of these kind of accounts and it seemed people had lost those stories until now. Running away from the biblical accounts has not worked and it is all back with a force. It would appear that the demonic is not going away and the scientists and governments of the world are embracing it and trying to mitigate it all for you and I. They don’t really have a choice because the data has been leaking for a long time and has become common knowledge. The Bible has already been there and done that a long time ago and it even says that lots of crazy things would happen and increase in frequency until it reaches a tipping point as it did in Noah’s day. That is exactly what is happening. 

(Matthew 24:37- But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.) The above passage of Genesis 6:1-7 is what Matthew is referring to. It was bad, bad, bad then. Is it because the demons and humans were having a close encounter of the evil kind? Is it about to happen again?  Genesis 6, verse 8 goes on to say: But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Let’s try to be more like Noah in verse 9 when it says: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God, as opposed to those around Noah whose “heart was only evil continually. 

How will the rationalists explain all of the biblical realities that are about to unfold (1Corinthians15:51-58)? How will the fallen angels spin it this time? Talking serpents are out, what else can they pull? “The coming of the lawlessness one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deceptions for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who do not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness”-2Thessalonians2: 9-12.

Aliens are a deception. Hold fast to the truth of what Jesus said in the Bible. For example, when asked by his followers what would be a sign of the end times. He told them not to be deceived! Mass deception whether by hologram, artificial intelligence or by other means is here. Take heed, the Bible further gives us important spiritual advice when it says, “ Test everything, hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil”-1Thessalonians 5:21-22. 

Next Week: Christian Housewife reviews the movie, Disclosure Day.

Disclosure- Part 1

Everyone is talking about Disclosure. President Donald Trump has begun to release some information that has been gathered by the United States government over decades pertaining to the possibility of alien encounters. Could aliens exist? President Trump interviewed people during his first term in office pertaining to this possibility. Vice-President Vance has said that he follows the stories associated with this topic as well. The Vice-President has affirmed his desire to look into the matter before his term as Vice-President concludes. In one interview, Vance has commented that he believes the entities to be demonic. 

Then, there is the movie Disclosure Day by Steven Spielberg which weaves a tale of governments covering up the real truth about extra-terrestrials. This is not the director’s first foray into the topic of extra-terrastials. He most famously did “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial,”and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Those movies seem to cast a sympathetic light on the plight of the Extra-Terrestrial and even suggest they might be superior to humans beings. His upcoming movie will probably be a blockbuster. Why? The world has long been fascinated with the story of other-worldly beings and want to know more. Every civilization has evidence of possible other-worldly events occurring throughout their history. Creation by other-worldly things? Other-worldly things controlling the universe perhaps? 

For many years, people thought it a sign of lunacy to talk about little men coming out of a space ship. It was not polite conversation at the dinner table. The exception to this was genteel conversation about well-written books in the science fiction genre or popular movies. That sensibility has slowly changed over the years. Books and groups touting alien contact began the movement towards alien normalcy. Then philosophical books, tv series, documentaries and movies began exploring the many possibilities of other-worldly beings walking among us. Academia, the media and governments of the world have all begun to normalize this topic. 

Biblically speaking the concept of other-worldly beings is woven into the entire biblical account. It is nothing new and it started from the opening chapters of the Good Book. God chose to disclose a fantastical tale there and you can count on the fact that it happens to be true. So, that is the real Disclosure. ”In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” Genesis 1:1-2.The world was void except for him. 

There were no aliens in existence before God and if there was any truth to the phenomena of the so-called extra-terrestrial life forms, we would have to look for that story in the Bible where it would be recounted, and it is! Let’s start with the fact that God disclosed that he created two spiritual dimensions. There are candidates that have the same characteristics as these beings in the government UFO files which explain these creatures behavior and their modes of transportation. Let’s start from the beginning. Anything created was made by God and that is where our story properly begins.

What is the nature of God as described in the opening pages of Genesis? God is the original other-worldly being. He is not some scary grayish being who we have to be afraid of. The Bible teaches us that God’s purposes towards humanity are good. We can even call him Abba or Father (For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry,”Abba! Father!-Romans 8:15) As the Christian song by Chris Tomlin says, God is a “Good, Good Father”. His nature is the very definition of what it is to be good. His intentions, as recounted in the creation story, were to create a beautiful, and bountiful existence in the Garden of Eden. However, somewhere after God looked at his creation and pronounced that it was good, Genesis 1:31 “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” the opposite of good manifested. This all happened within the context of creation. If God remained alone, which he was before creation, then the principle of good would be the only reality. Once the creative process began, it was only a matter of time before that creation would rebel. That is why rebellion is condemned in the Bible. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. 

Rebellion is another thing that has gone main-stream. Rebellion against parents, against the rich, against corporations or the government. Rebellion is not the same thing as righteousness (I feel another blog post coming on). Anyhow, rebellion if taken to its’ natural end and not corrected leads to being lead by the devil. The Devil is the new normal for many. So, it is by the time we get to chapter 3 of Genesis, that we see the embodiment of that rebellion revealed in the serpent. What is the nature of the serpent? John 8:44 gives us some insight there,”He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” This is a very important verse to keep in mind as we explore the so-called aliens. Just what if the aliens are, in point of fact, fallen angels who rebelled against God along with the devil? That would explain a lot. “The angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the Great Day”-Jude1:6. In this scripture we see that there is judgement and punishment when we sin against God. It is a reminder to us that all created things whether they are angels, demons or humanity will have to be held accountable.

All of the paperwork that has been released to the public, some of which I have been able to go through, describes behavior which emulates the behavior of fallen angels in the Bible. They follow satan so they lie and are destructive just as the one they follow is. They can no more be your friend than the serpent in the garden of Eden could be Eve’s friend. In reading accounts of so-called alien abduction, I found no difference between them and accounts of demonic possession. The physical, psychological and sexual abuse mirrors accounts from exorcisms. Even the way these beings appear to come in and out of view reflects the way angels and demons seem to appear and disappear between our physical world and their supernatural world. The time is here when we need to know exactly what we are dealing with and what their intentions are. Ephesians 6:12-“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

“Genesis 3:14- God speaks to the serpent and pronounces judgment on him: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

NEXT WEEK: DISCLOSURE- PART 2, detailing more stories from the U.F.O. files and biblical examples of alien-type behavior plus the authority in Jesus Christ. 

Middle East Relations

My husband and I have developed a cordial relationship with a Syrian* man. He runs a local Middle Eastern restaurant. His food is an authentic slice of a small regional specialty and he does it right. As we have enjoyed his cuisine for the better part of a year the conversations that have ensued have been humorous, intelligent and uplifting. I see within this man the tradition of Middle Eastern hospitality. It is not unlike the hospitality that I saw in my own home growing up. My parents taught me to appreciate hospitality and to always extend it to others. Has a friendship begun? 

He is not the first Syrian man that I have gotten to know. There was a time when my husband and I somehow were the only non-Muslims to host some ill Syrian* children when they were visiting the United States to receive some much needed medical treatment. Many were shocked that as a Christian family we would be approved by the local Islamic center to do this. When God opens a door, he does so indeed!

Children suffering serious wartime injuries were brought to the United States for treatment by a wealthy and well-connected Middle-Eastern businessman whom I got to know better. He told me that it took him a total of five years working through numerous diplomatic, medical and governmental channels to accomplish this feat. His Islamic Center was interviewed about this story by a local newspaper. Local doctors volunteered to perform surgeries and they were now in the process of identifying host families for the children. As soon as I heard this story, I immediately called my husband at work to ask if we could offer our home. I asked him to think it over but, in the meantime I was already seeking a tutor to see if I could get some language basics. 

A quick fact about me. I have always loved languages. I love the history of them (all of them), the etymology and the process of learning basic communication whenever I travel or meet people who speak another language. This was inculcated in me as a child because my own family spoke French and Spanish as well as English. My grandfather, mother and my daughter are polyglots. My husband speaks German pretty decently too. He worked with a number of German-speaking colleagues over the years and was inspired to pursue proficiency. He always studies the Bible with his German Language Martin Luther Bible version.  He has made a few new friends who are native speakers in our new hometown and he enjoys practicing German with them.

My love of language is an extension of my enjoyment of people and the biblical role that I have in relation to others (Matthew 5:16-Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father.) When you can find a friend, it is nice to be able to understand each other a little better don’t you think? Sometimes, I get complements like when an Israeli once told me that she thought I had a good sense of the pronouncation. Or, when my husband commends me on getting one of the many nuances of German pronunciation right. I  still have a long way to go.

As of late, it has crossed my mind to invite this Syrian man to our home for a visit. Zair* worked in his father’s rug business before starting a restaurant. My husband and he started a number of interesting conversations on the topic of rugs. About a year ago, my husband and I started learning to weave. This came about because I wanted to explore weaving in order to teach some lessons about it to my church craft group. My husband, who has never done a craft in his life, did not wish me to go alone to a workshop on weaving before my surgery last summer. I tried in vain to find a woman to go with me but many of them thought it to be a difficult craft to learn and were not interested. So, my husband felt compelled to come along with me but only to look out for me. To his surprise, there were a number of excellent male weavers who drew him in. Among other things my husband has quickly learned the rudiments of weaving and has also mastered the art of making a hand knotted rug. I know that my husband would love to have an opportunity to discuss this and to show Zair the first rug that he made. 

As for me, I would love to have a conversation with someone who truly appreciated Middle Eastern rugs and to showcase some of mine. Along with a mixture of Louis XVI antiques and contemporary pieces, I have what I think is a nice array of Turkish and Persian rugs. Oh, and a contemporized version of a Berber rug. Many of my rugs are hand-knotted. When my husband and I left Westchester County New York almost five years ago, I had the fun and excitement of decorating a new home. 

I had not redecorated in a while but, I had been reading and studying more on the topic for a long time. I had always admired Middle Eastern rugs but, the time had finally come for me to purchase them. As a result of the COVID pandemic, house prices in Westchester County New York had sky-rocketed. People escaping New York City during the pandemic fled to nearby suburban locations and mine was one of them. With the huge profit that I made in the  highly overrated Westchester County market, it was time for me to go shopping. I was lucky to find an Armenian rug dealer who had the sort of antique inventory that I had dreamed of. He had a long family history in the rug trade and the expertise to help me find some special pieces.

Friendship used to be so easy. Now, it seems like the world is at war and people hate each other. What seemed natural just a few short years ago, like visiting a friend in Russia or being invited by an Iranian woman to tea is fraught with anxiety these days. Now that we have established my love of Middle Eastern cuisine and rugs, it’s time to go over some crazy Middle East Relations that I have had in the past. Do I really want to risk that again? Is it even possible for the Middle East and West to meet somewhere in the middle? 

Let’s start in University. I did a few side jobs in high school and college and one of them were tutoring fellow students. With my family proficiency in French I found it a rather easy job to tutor some first year students on the side and make some transportation funds the easy way. One of my first students was in my first year French class. She was a Zoroastrian girl from Iran. She was very quiet and sweet. Noticing that I was doing well in class, she asked me if I would consider tutoring her for a fee. I told her that she did not need to pay me since we were in class together. Instead, I suggested that we form a study group. She took me up on this offer and soon she was doing better in her studies.

She mentioned that she had a few Iranian friends who needed some help in French. She also said that they needed some more help then our study group could afford and asked me if I would be interested in doing a tutoring job for them. I couldn’t resist and it was then that I started my little side college gig. No ads necessary, just Iranian word of mouth and the business was steady. I held all of my sessions in a quiet section of our university library. Because of my multi-cultural family, I am always hyper-sensitive to cultural and religious differences and tried to make sure and navigate different groups respectfully. If I was going to be alone with a bunch of Iranian boys, I decided it had better be in a very public place. I went out of my way to made sure that I dressed and acted businesslike and professional too. 

I think it’s a rule of thumb that on any job that I have that I will make one or two friends. So, it was that Ali and Majid tried to strike up topics of conversations with me outside of the French curriculum. Being ever so wary I made them say it in French making our conversations part of their lessons. One day Majid invited me to his birthday party (in French). I was quick to say a happy birthday but, I was surprised that he invited me to his birthday party at an off campus apartment. Normally in my university days, I went to a whole lot of parties. They were usually with my girlfriends or on a date with people that I knew or part of my student club’s activities. They was no binge drinking or drugs involved as I had given my life to the Lord. Somehow Majid’s invitation was a little bit different.

He noted that I was not very quick to respond. He became very sweet and told me that he really wanted me to come to his party and that he was quite grateful that I had assisted him in his studies. He gave me credit for helping him go from merely passing the class to being within sight of a “B.” He further told me that his father was pleased and that I had gotten him out of trouble with his father.  He said,”I want you to be my special guest because of all that you have done” He told me that he would not take “no” for an answer. I was a little nervous about this party but since he really strong-armed me, I agreed to go to his party. I very seldom go against my instinct but this is one of the times that I did.

I arrived at the door of Majid’s apartment. I could see nothing of his apartment or I would have fled. I handed him a gift and he ushered me down a long hallway into a large open living space. To my horror, I was the only woman in that room. I felt I was going to die or be raped.  As Majid was trying to take my coat, I immediately told him that I was the only woman in the room and that I was not comfortable in that setting. He countered, “you are under my protection.” The men danced, there was good Middle Eastern food but, I was not hungry and I was not going to dance. Why, oh why did I not bring a date? Oh yeah, I wasn’t dating anyone at the time, that’s why. Was I stupid because I thought Majid was cute. Oh no, I thought, I’m gonna die because of a momentary crush! Yet, that night, I was indeed under Majid’s protection and nothing bad happened to me. It was clear to me that Majid, just like me, was trying the best he could to negotiate two world’s and two cultures. 

My other student Ali was not so virtuous. At the end of the school year when students have many get-togethers and parties before summer vacation, Ali invited me to lunch before he was heading back to Iran. He told me that he would like to take me to lunch in gratitude for receiving a passing grade in French class. I agreed to met him at local restaurant. At first, we had cordial discussions of summer vacation plans, next year’s coursework and other casual topics of conversations. Then, out of the blue, he propositioned me in the most crude way imaginable. I was shocked and lucky that I did not choke on my food. I said, “Ali, how can you talk to me so disrespectfully? Haven’t I always been professional?” His reply, “ all you American women are like that.” I said,”no we are not. I am a Christian and I am saving myself for marriage.” I finished my meal and I left having very little to say to Ali and he to me. Ali was negotiating two cultures as Majid had been but, one was the good Muslim and one was the bad Muslim. Ali had very little respect for the country or the people where he chose to study. To this day, Ali holds the record for saying the crudest things to me ever. (2Corinthians 6:14- Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?)

After graduating and getting my first job in New York CIty, I decided to continue studying French but in a more informal way. I began to take classes at the Lycée Français de New York. It was there that I met my next Muslim friend. This time it was a Muslim woman from Mumbai. She and her husband were both lawyers working tangentially with the United Nations. She was a Muslim woman who went against the wishes of her parents and married the man that she loved. Their road to love was fraught with problems. He was a Catholic Indian whom her parents did not approve of. Clarence was of the highest character. Virtuous in every way. Extreme in intelligence but, he was not a Muslim. Ayesha loved and respected her parents and informed me that she would not have married without her parents blessing. She studied law and went to work. All along she was not interested in anyone but Clarence.. Many years went by and these two remained committed to one another but, living apart in an unmarried state. 

In the meantime, they both had successful careers but, Ayesha’s parents knew she was getting older. Her parents finally acquiesced realizing that their daughter would indeed never marry if they did not give her permission to marry Clarence and they did not want her to be lonely in her old age. They finally gave their permission for her to marry. Some have asked why would Ayesha need her parents permission at her age? Yet, I admired and respected her love for her parents and Clarence. What an amazing love story these two had!  I even got a chance to meet Ayesha’s younger sister when she visited New York. I was invited to go on a trip upstate New York to Hechscher State Park. I had no idea how many Muslims hung out there until I went on a trip with my Muslim friend and her family. It seems that Ayeshs’s sister scandalized every Muslim at the park that day because she wore a pair of cut-off denim jeans on that hot summer day. I could easily see who was Muslim because they either gave her a disapproving glance or tried to talk to her family to tell them to correct this young Muslim girls’ attire. Note: I was dressed more Muslim than Ayesha’s sister that day. Ayesha was quite embarrassed that day. I told her that her sister was young and she was experimenting with Western garb. She wanted to fit in, she wanted to try western food and read western books too. It wasn’t like her shorts were too short, or that her arms were uncovered. She wasn’t flirting or making a spectacle of herself. From my perspective she looked comfortable, respectable and dressed to effectively cope with the hot weather but, for many that day Samina had crossed a religious line, not mine but theirs. 

Another Muslim girl I knew crossed a line. This time it was an Iranian high schools student who helped me learn some Arabic as she was fluent in both Farsi and Arabic. I hired her as a tutor but, she also agreed to work for me after school when I hosted Hamid and Zia, the two young boys that stayed with me before their medical treatment. I loved these two boys and wanted to adopt them but, the program that brought them to the United States did not want any of the children to stay in the United States after their medical treatment and that was a stipulation that the Syrian businessman had agreed to. My boys were going back to an orphanage even though I wanted to give them a better life. Their body stature and shape told me they had known starvation. Their injuries told me that they were in the midst of trouble. Zia seemed in a lot of pain but he still was always helpful to me. Some of my favorite moments with them were: seeing the glee and smiles that came on their faces when I pushed them on a swing or helped them rock on hobby horses. Or, watching them eat meals with gusto. They loved when I prepared tea for them too. They always looked forward to my husband spending time with them when he arrived home from work. My daughter was just a tyke then and completely learned their language quickly in order to get then to play the games that she wanted them to play. They always smiled at me and acquiesced to her. 

Special moments continued when I was able to assist the Syrian businessman in the children’s care. Since I was a Westchester Christian Housewife at the time, I was available to assist Fez* with managing the children during daytime events. Fez hired a bus to take all the children into New York City to a Middle Eastern restaurant and to go shopping. I went along as a class mother as I had on many of my own children’s events. Fez even complemented me on my handling of the children and compared me to a Saudi woman. Let’s make this clear, I have no idea what he meant. He thought a lot of my help and assistance and was very kind to me until one day when I went awry according to his sensibilities. 

One afternoon, Fez decided to take the whole group of visiting children to a McDonalds restaurant for a quick meal and to play in the playground. I happened to pass a television screen depicting the latest massacre of Jewish people in a synagogue and I made the mistake of showing shock and saying a word of support for the Jews. Fez immediately lite into me and starting yelling at me. He told me some terrible things about the Jews and a vein in his neck started popping out. I felt I was in some movie, where something bad happens to a woman. Even when I am afraid I will try to bring logic and my faith into the forefront of even a deeply heated argument hoping for a good outcome. In this case, Fez was having none of it. In fact, I went from being close to being a good Saudi woman to a “stupid American” who “has no culture.” Ouch. Plus, he told me he had thousands of years of history and I didn’t. I gently pointed out to Fez that I would not be talking to him if I did not have thousands of years of ancestry and culture too. Did I just arise on a shell out of the ocean or could this new country have integrated the experiences of the past into a new matrix? However, Fez was not going to let logic get in the way of his argument. I tried to stay cordial for the sake of the children and even called him about a year after the children went back to the Middle East to see how he was. The children’s hometown was again embroiled in bloodshed. I told him that I regretted not adopting the boys. He asked me not to remind him how he asked me not to adopt them for the sake of the medical exchange program. Sadly, the program ended soon anyway because people who were not connected to Fez took over regional government.* The program was unceremoniously dropped after that. 

As to their Iranian student who assisted me, as soon as she turned 18 years of age, she stopped wearing her hijab. Again, a clash of cultures. As she explained it to me, she told her mother that if she wished her to wear the hijab, she should have kept her in Iran. When she took off her hijab in my backyard one day, she asked me did she look American? She did indeed with her blue eyes and black hair. She almost looked like the black Irish!

Since all my previous experiences, I think the rift between the Middle East and the United States has only gotten worst. Should I wade into the waters of another Middle Eastern friendship or should I leave it alone? Is it even possible to bridge the huge divide that exists in our religious beliefs, culture and politics? There always comes a time when friendship grows with each Muslim person that the topic of their beliefs and mine comes up. It is inevitable that when you get to know someone and grow closer that you share your thoughts and your beliefs on a deeper level. Every single Muslim wished to share the Koran with me and I wished to share faith in Jesus Christ with them. I describe the moment when I first felt God’s presence. I talk about the direction my life has taken after I have decided to follow Jesus and the grace and mercy of Jesus. I talk about the times that I have failed to follow God and the forgiveness that is always available from the most high.

As a Christian and as an American what sort of friendships should I pursue? My husband always thinks that my conservatism naturally draws Muslim friends to me and he is probably right. There are some points of intersection that exist but, there will be limits as to how far the relationship can go too. Will we have a disagreement when a new Middle Eastern development occurs that we might see differently. If Zair comes to my house he might innocently peruse my bookshelves. He might enjoy looking at books that I have about Middle Eastern rugs but, what if he sees the book,”Hostage” by Eli Sharabi about October 7th told from the perspective of a man held hostage?

Here is one of the problems that I always run into with my Muslim friendships: can I ever truly be myself or must I watch what I say all the time? Should I take some books off my shelf, should I make sure that I take down my front door wreath before our would-be friend comes for a visit declaring,”He Is Risen” that I put up every Easter? I love the handcrafted wreath that I made in my church craft class and I keep it up until my daffodils fade and summer is on the way. I love the meaning behind it, Jesus is alive and he is present. Will I compromise my faith, will I succumb to temptation to not follow God? Will my friend feel the same way? 

What is very interesting is that while I find myself holding back on my faith at times in these circumstances I always feel my Muslim friends have always been the first one to bring up the topic of what it means to be a Christian. They want to know if I believe in many gods as the trinity makes them think I do. How can God have a son? And is Allah the same God that I believe in? Every single one of my Muslim friends in a way has forced me to do what I should and plant a seed of understanding into what the Christian faith and the road to heaven is. (2Timothy2:24-And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.) Lord, help me to be a blessing to all whom I meet.

* the names and some details have been slightly changed to protect privacy. The stories are true.