Michelle Ule's Blog, page 5

How Two Koreans Sparked a Church

When two Koreans showed up at the Tokyo Bible Institute in 1904, everyone was puzzled.

“They were dressed in white robes, white pantaloons tied at the ankles, and with black horse-hair cage-like tophats through which their topknots could poke out,” wrote a thirteen-year-old boy.

Students and leaders of OMS–the Oriental Missionary Society–didn’t understand what the men were saying.

What language were they speaking?

Their clothing didn’t look Japanese.

OMS missionary Ernest Kilbourne looked puzzled until one man grinned and pointed at the cross. “Hallelujah!”

Then Kilbourne understood. “Amen!”

Yes.

And that was the beginning of the Korean Holiness Church.

It started with Juji Nakada

OMS founder Juji Nakada secured permission from the Japanese army during the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War to visit troops in Korea.

He rode horseback through the north toward Manchuria, stopping along the way to preach whenever he could.

Two Koreans, Chung Bin and Ki Sang-jun, heard him preach about “the glorious experience of sanctification” and were inspired by Nakada’s words.

But what to do? Nakada rode away.

Eventually, they met a Korean doctor who knew Nakada. After listening to them, he suggested they visit the Tokyo Bible Institute to learn more about the Gospel.

So, they went.

What happened to the Koreans when they arrived?

Kilbourne’s son, Bud wrote about the meeting:

Through the use of Chinese characters, the written literary language known by most of the educated of that area of the Orient, the Japanese and Koreans made themselves understood.

Chung and Kim applied themselves to the language and within a few months a third Korean joined them, Li Jang-ha.

Bridge Across the Century, volume one, page 150

The third Korean, Li, was a musician and he spent all his spare time translating hymns into Korean.

Three years later, their training was complete; they returned to Korea with a Korean hymnal, many Holiness books translated into their language, and a dream.

OMS founders Charles Cowman and Ernest Kilbourne joined them.

All five men were interested in one thing: setting up a Bible school in Korea.

Why a Bible School?

The OMS, like other missionary societies, saw their role as starting a Bible school, teaching those who lived in a country how to share the gospel, and then leaving.

That was their goal from the start. Those native to a culture and a nation are better equipped than Westerners to share the truth of Jesus Christ.

Charles Cowman preaching in Seoul (OMS archives)

But Charles Cowman’s desire to share the good news of Jesus began long before he arrived in Japan, much less when he returned to the nation in 1904 and discovered three Korean students at the Bible Training Institute.

He had a map of Asia on the wall of his home. On it, he’d written in red letters the nations for which he prayed. One was Korea.

With three men in the school, Cowman and Kilbourne saw the beginning of an important ministry.

“It is part of the original contract to do the will of God as far as He shall make it known,” Cowman said. “I accept this new requirement.”

Off they went in 1907, carrying tracts translated into Korean with them.

Within six months of finding a suitable building near Seoul, 270 people inquired about attending the new Bible school.

Establishing a Korean school and ministry

Six months later, OMS had to find a bigger building. Large churches provided them with space for evening meetings.

Chung, Kim, and Li now taught Bible classes in the mornings and evenings with about 40-50 people in attendance.

Soon, they added “noon-day prayer meetings,” and then an hour-long prayer meeting at night.

Revival soon sprang up, described by Canadian Presbyterian missionary in North China Jonathan Goforth as “the light in the distance.”

When he visited Seoul to see what else was happening:

he marched across the land waving a banner, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,’ saith the Lord,” and the great North China revival began as well.

Bridge Across the Century, p 152

Fifty years later, members of the Korean Holiness Church had increased more than ten times the Korean growth rate.

You can learn more here.

Tweetables

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A Eulogy and How to Write One

The need to write a eulogy frequently comes at an unexpected time.

You’re already reeling from a death.

Even if it was expected, it’s still a shock.

And then you have to plan a funeral or memorial service, or sometimes even both.

But if, like me, you’re the writer in the family, everyone turns to look at you.

Go.

What is a eulogy?

According to Wikipedia, a eulogy, eulogia, comes from the classic Greek word eu, for “well or true,”and logia, for “words, text, and praise.”

It’s considered either the spoken or written word praising someone who has recently died or been retired.

(If you’re getting ready to retire and someone volunteers to give a eulogy, don’t gasp!)

Note that word praise.

Who gives the speech and why?

The eulogist generally is a family member or someone close to the departed.

As the family writer, I’ve written too many and given most of them.

I also was honored when the woman who taught me much about being a Navy wife and a mother died a few years ago.

I stepped in several times when an officiant gave a general call, “does anyone else have something to say?”

Those who know me won’t be surprised when I stepped forward. Of course I had something to say.

Usually because I wanted to provide another bit of insight into a person that their family members may have overlooked.

What goes into a eulogy?

Note how I highlighted the word praise.

Rocky relationships with the departed need to be worked out before the person dies.

I often pray for folks lying on their death bed that God will give them the words to say that speak life into their loved ones.

Death is not the time to settle scores.

Make peace in your family before the loved one dies. Work it out, present your side, but leave your family member with the knowledge that while you may have made mistakes, you loved them.

That’s what the family needs to hear. The person who died loved and valued them.

No matter how things stood when the person died.

For that reason– love and the need to feel valued–when someone dies I think about their family. What do they need to hear?

They were loved.This, specifically, is what the deceased appreciated/cherished/enjoyed about each family member.I go through the family and tell each one–looking them in the eye–what their mom/dad/grandmother/child appreciated about them.

I may acknowledge challenges in words like this: “your grandfather never really liked the pink hair, but he appreciated your free spirit.”

A good eulogy includes stories–postive stories

I spoke at a WWII Navy veteran’s funeral and told each member of the family how the vet talked about them.

A young adult was puzzled. “How does Mrs. Ule know anything about my grandfather?”

I’d walked around our neighborhood with him for several years, listening to his stories. A proud man, we laughed about the differences in education between UCLA and Cal (where his oldest son went to school).

I’d only met that son once, but 25 years later, I told the story.

That son sat up taller and smiled back at me with a nod when I complained his father always told me about how brilliant his boy was because he went to Cal.

(Opinions will differ between alumni, ncluding in my own family.)

Laughter is fine–and so is audience participation

At my Navy wife mentor’s service, I started with a question. “Raise your hand if you’ve spent the night at Liz’s house.”

Two-thirds of the audience put up their hand. Much laughter.

I was surprised. “How many of you have eaten a meal she made?”

Every hand went up.

I turned to her large smiling picture on the screen behind me and waved. “You’re work is done, Liz. Everyone loved and appreciated you.”

More laughter.

And a lighter mood in the congregation as I told stories of how Liz had changed my life.

At my mom’s funeral, someone told me not to worry if I felt like laughing.

“Laughter is the closest thing to crying,” she said. “It helps.”

She was right.

I also tell people not to worry about crying. “Your tears show how much that person meant to you.”

Talking through grief

I wrote my mother’s eulogy the morning of her funeral.

Her death came as an unexpected shock and, consumed with tears, I was still reeling.

My husband read my words.

When my father died seven years later, we showed a powerpoint presentation full of sadness, laughter, absurdity, affection, and, frankly for my siblings and I, poignancy.

We needed to honor the man he was, not how his life ended.

Sometimes photos will do the job better than our words.

The response to a good eulogy?

If someone cares enough to attend your funeral or memorial service, you meant something to them.

St. Peter’s Navy Chapel, Mare Island, CA.

Our Lutheran church periodically had an afternoon to help parishioners plan their memorial services well ahead of time.

My grandmother’s church did the same.

(Unfortunately, my grandmother outlived all the people she hoped would serve as pallbearers, speakers, and singers. Fortunately, she had enough kids and grandkids to fill in the gaps by the time she died at 92).

The goal is to mourn and remember together.

A good eulogy will prompconversation and affectionate memories afterward.

At least, that’s what happened to us.

Tweetables

Thoughts on how to write a eulogy for a funeral or memorial service. Click to Tweet

Eulogy means words of praise. Remember someone accordingly. Click to Tweet

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Baalam Without the Ass: Good Guy or Bad?

What do you know about the prophet Baalam without the ass, from the Bible?

Oh, all you Sunday School kids–who may have snickered about the ass–usually only know one element.

But other than that experience when an angel stopped the donkey and the animal spoke to Baalam, what is that story about?

As Baalam is mentioned sixty-two times in the Bible, obviously there’s more to the story.

Frankly, the story of Baalam without the ass is more important than meeting that angel.

Who was Baalam?

You can read about him in Numbers 22-23.

Here’s the basic story:

As the Israelites advanced out of their 40 years in the desert, they traveled up the east side of the Jordan River along what is now Israel.

As they neared Moab’s borders, King Balak feared their vast numbers.

Despite what Israelite leaders told him, King Balak didn’t believe they merely wanted to pass through his land.

Knowing they were followers of Yahweh who believed what prophets told them, King Balak:

sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the [Euphrates] River . . . to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! 6 Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

Numbers 22:5-6 (NKJV)

Obviously, Balaam was a locally known prophet with a good “track record.”

By John Linnell
(Wikimedia Commons)Balaam’s reaction to King Balak’s request?

Balaam was a legitimate prophet. He’d heard God’s words and, as usual, asked God what God wanted him to say.

God was stern and clear: “And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” (Numbers 22:12)

The frightened King Balak didn’t like that answer and sent more messengers, this time with money.

Baalam knew better. “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.” (Numbers 22: 18)

God’s warning to him: “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.” (Numbers 22: 20)

Balaam already had asked God for an answer. He answered correctly the first time. But, eyeing the riches, he asked again.

How often do we do that?

In essence, asking, “Did I hear you right? Are you sure that’s your answer?”

Of course, God did, but Balaam liked the riches being dangled before him. He could have resisted again.

God won’t block our free will. But he did warn Balaam not to say anything God did not give Balaam to say.

Baalam and the ass meet an angel

This is the part of the story everyone knows–but they may have missed that God was angry with Baalam.

God sent an angel to confront the formerly-accurate prophet who was making a big mistake.

By Gustav Jäger
(Wikimedia Commons)

This is the story everyone knows.

So blinded by his disobedience, Baalam didn’t see the angel who stood between a cleft in two rocks with his sword drawn.

But the donkey saw the angel and stopped dead.

Balaam beat the donkey and demanded he go forward, but the donkey kept his eye on the angel with a sword.

After the donkey took too many beatings, God put words in his mouth, demanding to know why Baalam was treating him this way.

Then God opened Balaam’s eyes–which grew round in terror, right?

 And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now, therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”

 Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

Numbers 22:34-35

What would you do if God put you in this situation? (With or without a talking donkey?)

Are you a Balaam without the ass?

Think about what happened.

Balaam knew God’s voice–he’d been talking to him for a long time prior to this “invitation.”

He knew God’s opinion.

But the money . . . the fame . . . the pride?

Balak and Baalam’s prophecy over the Israelites (Wikimedia)

God will not override our will. He let Baalam go–on the donkey–where Baalam, in spite of himself and in the face of King Balak’s angry reaction, blessed the Israelites as they prepared to enter Canaan.

When pressed by the king who was paying him good money, Baalam warned Balak he could only speak what God gave him to speak. Therefore, among other words, he proclaimed over the Israelites:

God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Behold, I have received a command to bless;
He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

Numbers 23:19-20–see all of Numbers 23 for more blessings over the Israelites.

The risk and the betrayal

When faced with an outraged King Balak, Balaam had a choice.

Discovered in 1967, the Deir Alla inscription may be a reference to Balaam. (Wikimedia)

Would he give in to the man who had paid him so much money and who could command Balaam’s death?

Balaam knew not to go beyond God’s word given to him.

But, he had advice he could provide the King–and that was his final betrayal of God and the Israelites.

As the Israelites moved in Moab and King Balak’s fear only grew of what was to come, Balaam had a suggestion. “Send Midianite women into the camp to seduce the Israelite men.”

Unfortunately, his “advice” worked too well. You can read more about the results in Numbers 25 and in Peter’s condemnation of false teachers in 2 Peter 2:15: “They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.”

Wouldn’t Baalam have been better off listening to the ass?

Yes.

That’s also true of anyone who uses their God-given talents and closeness to the Creator of the Universe, to give evil advice at the expense of those who love God.

Sin is always crouching at the door. God has given us the ability to recognize truth over temptation (see the Bible).

We just have to be willing to listen and act on God’s word, not use our free will to the detriment of ourselves and others.

God will send a check–in this case a talking ass–we just need to pay attention.

Tweetables

How not to need a talking ass to choose not be like Baalam. Click to Tweet

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Yankees Driving in Australia

So, I watched a duo of Yankees driving in Australia: Adelaide to Warrnambool.

I was in the back with the teenagers–and I had to close my eyes more than once.

(I sometimes did that when my teenagers learned how to drive!)

(You can get an aerobic workout sitting beside them during that . . . learning period).

We enjoyed the eight-hour drive– when it wasn’t hair-raising.

The Aussies drive on the opposite side of the road from what we’re used to in the United States.

Let’s begin at the beginning.

What side of the car for Yankees driving in Australia?

They sit on the right side.

I’d been riding around Australia for two weeks in a van before I accompanied my daughter on her first drive.

You just have to retrain your brain.

As she’s been an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and thus is a professional driver, I wasn’t worried about her taking the wheel.

Confident of her skills, I opened the car door to climb in.

“Did you want to drive, Mom?” she asked.

When I saw the steering wheel, I got out and switched sides.

Indeed, my husband and daughter were the drivers on this trip. I sat in the back with the teenagers (often singing along with them to Hamilton‘s soundtrack).

For Yankees driving in Australia? An amusing, hair-raising road!

We enjoyed the bucolic countryside that reminded us of home.

The tiny towns with one store, a school, a scattering of houses, and the occasional church were the only spots for stopping along the way.

We rode through lush vineyards, waved at sheep, and marveled at windmills on high hills.

However, we were on the east side of the road heading south, and the road signs made us laugh–when we weren’t feeling great unease.

This road is used for long-distance travelers, particularly trucks. It’s the only highway along that stretch of Southern Australia.

It’s a very busy road.

Except when it’s lonely.

Staying alive on the “wrong side“

For Yankees driving in Australia, roundabouts took more thought than usual. Sometimes, it took all three drivers to get successfully through them!

(What we love about roundabouts is how forgiving they are. If you miss your exit, you merely ride around it again.)

When I’ve traveled to other countries where folks drive on the left, we’ve noticed signs painted at crosswalks in the cities: “Look right.”

We didn’t see such warnings anywhere we traveled–but we constantly reminded ourselves to look right.

More than once, one of us yanked someone back from the brink of death.

It was safer crossing at corners with stop lights.

Some signs were straightforward and easily understood:

Watch out for your brakes on downhills!Yep, where to go in wildfires.Train tracks paralleled the roadSights to see on the road?

We stopped to admire the Blue Lake in Mt. Gambler and then ate at a lunchroom on the side of the road.

Blue Lake in Mt. GamblerWarning!Umpherston Sinkhole

The marvelous Umpherston sinkhole was a wonderful place to stretch our legs.

Australia is a beautiful country–especially if you travel a little further down the Great Ocean Road past Anna’s house and catch your breath at this view.

Ah, the 12 Apostles.
Our friend Anna drove!

Note: Yankees driving in Australia enabled us to see the small towns and off-the-beaten path sights.

The two also drove to Melbourne, where they gratefully turned in the car keys for the rest of the trip!

By the time we flew home, the teenagers had traveled on planes, cars, vans, trains, gondolas, boats, subways, trams, buses, and their own two feet.

We saw and experienced so much more of the country by getting on the road!

Tweetable

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A “Dark Night of the Soul” and Oswald Chambers

What caused Oswald Chambers’ “Dark Night of the Soul?”

I received the question recently while writing an article for a special edition of Christian History Magazine to be published in March 2025.

The entire issue is dedicated to Oswald Chambers (OC), his life, and his work.

No surprise, I’m writing about Biddy.

But I also wrote an article about OC’s experiences during World War I and how they connected to Oswald Chambers’ personal 1899 “Dark Night of the Soul.”

The answer?

You’ll have to read the magazine yourself.

What is a “dark night of the soul?“

Generally thought to be a spiritual crisis, the concept comes from 16th-century Spanish Catholic mystic St. John of the Cross.

The description refers to a faith crisis in a Christian’s spiritual life. The person can sense God’s presence but can’t connect well with Him.

Some believe it stems from a Christian’s reluctance to submit or sacrifice their life to God.

The period is frightening and painful and can last a long time. (In OC’s case, it went on for seven years–even as he taught at Dunoon College).

OC Painting circa 1899; Scottish Lake.

During a dark night of the soul, a person seeks God, wants to know Him, and prays for wisdom and insight.

It doesn’t stem from a lack of faith or fear—just an inability to connect with the Creator of the Universe.

The result? The Christian feels lost, uncertain, and unsure of what to do.

That describes Oswald Chambers as the nineteenth century turned to the twentieth.

So, what happened to Oswald Chambers?

Oswald Chambers originally studied art and earned an Art Master’s Certificate. He dreamed of becoming a commercial artist. He continued his studies at the University of Edinburgh–where his dreams fell apart.

Always an intellectual, OC saw himself as a man who could bridge the gap between Christianity and the arts.

But he could not find a job as a professional artist.

He felt like a failure.

About this time, his long-term romance with a London girl ended.

Then, there was his father–who wanted to know why he wasn’t earning any money.

What to do?

God called him? Didn’t he?Arthur’s Seat from Edinburgh By Kim Traynor – (Wikimedia Commons)

One 1897 night, in despair, OC climbed to the top of Arthur’s Seat, a tall hill opposite Edinburgh’s old town. He’d decided to stay up all night, praying on that hill, to discover what to do next.

He heard God speak that night: “I want you in My service–but I can do without you.”

When he returned to his lodgings in the morning, OC found an unsolicited report from Dunoon College–a theological school near Glasgow.

Was that his answer?

He wrote to the principal, Reverend Duncan MacGregor, with questions.

But then OC heard Hudson Taylor of the China Inland Mission speak.

“Hudson Taylor said that Our Lord’s words, ‘Have faith in God’ really means ‘Have faith in the faithfulness of God,’ not in your own faithfulness.”

(Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God p. 59)

OC went to Dunoon College in 1897.

But why didn’t his “dark night of the soul” lift?

Chambers’ emotions didn’t automatically change in his new location.

The McGregors (My Utmost Russian edition)

OC described those seven years in Dunoon as the most important of his life. As his faith wavered–and took him to the brink of despair–he continued to minister.

OC taught his classes, wrote for the local paper, ministered, and prayed–with McGregor’s wise counsel.

He felt like an imposter.

This went on for several years.

Then, a girl at a local church accused OC of impropriety.

The church authorities investigated. Their findings vindicated him and his character.

But the girl’s false accusation sobered him–not because it was true, but because the proud OC who taught at a Bible school realized he could have fallen into immorality.

That left him, a 26-year-old whose dreams were not working out, feeling bewildered– ‘What IS the point of my life?’

What changed?

As things came to a head in 1901, OC attended a Pentecostal League of Prayer meeting.

A woman told the congregation to pray while she sang, “Touch Me Again, Lord.”

As described in Oswald Chambers: His Life and Work:

“I felt nothing, but I knew emphatically my time had come, and I rose to my feet. I had no vision of God, only a sheer dogged determination to take God at His Word and to prove this thing for myself, and I stood up and said so.”

That evening marked the turning point of his life.

“His inner turmoil had given way to transforming peace . . . When you know what God has done for you, the power and the tyranny of sin is gone, and the radiant, unspeaking emancipation of the indwelling Christ has come . . . Finally, the long night was over and peace had come.

The citadel of his heart had fallen, not to a conquering Christ, but to the gentle knocking of a wounded hand. In a new and powerful way, at the age of twenty-seven, the story of Oswald Chambers’ life had just begun.”

(Abandoned to God, p. 87)

How did that tie into OC’s ministry during WWI?

In the lives of the soldiers he loved 15 years later, OC probably saw the same empty and purposeless feelings within them: dark nights of the soul.

Like OC, only stuck in the Egyptian desert awaiting a call to battle, they might have wondered:

What am I doing here?Will I ever amount to anything?What led me to end up here when I had opportunities and talents unrelated to war?Is my life just a waste?Who does God see me to be?

OC was a much better minister to the soldiers because he recognized their struggles from his past.

He knew the internal and emotional pressures that might cause them to do something stupid because they felt valueless.

Most Zeitoun soldiers would have been between 15 and 30 years old–OC’s same age when the false accusation came.

The Zeitoun soldiers recognized his identification with them, which made OC’s ministry so profound.

Was Oswald Chambers’ dark night of the soul pointless?

Of course not.

Tweetable

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Submarine Movies: Which are the Best?

So, which are the best submarine movies?

It’s always helpful to ask people familiar with the subject–like a submariner and/or his wife.

We get asked this question periodically and always promptly answer The Hunt for Red October (me) and Das Boot (the guy who served).

While we have our personal favorites, a recent review of the “genre” reminded me of a number I’d forgotten.

I’ll list them under themes.

World War II Submarine Movies

Greyhound Technically, this 2019 movie doesn’t star a submarine–Tom Hanks serves in a transport convoy above the water.

But, well, you know who lurks beneath.

Run Silent Run Deep: I prefer movies where the Navy guys get along, but for many years, this was the most realistic boat movie made. (Subs are called boats, not ships). Great cast, too, with Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster.

Cary Grant “dancing with the one-eyed lady,” or periscope. (IMDb)

Destination Tokyo: You can’t go wrong with Cary Grant as your skipper, but this one is full of tension and drama. I first saw it as a child and never forgot the torture of the boat settling on the bottom of Tokyo Bay. They had to perform an appendectomy on a sailor. Were those depth charges being dropped? Yikes!

Operation Pacific Another drama I saw as a kid, this one includes the line I’ve often joked about as a submarine wife: “I could never marry a submariner, honey. I like to sleep with the windows open.”

Operation Petticoat It’s silly, funny, and amusing. Stars Cary Grant, so it’s easy on the eyes.

You’ll notice a documentary about Admiral Hyman Rickover in the photo. Interesting, and for me, insight into the man who (unwittingly) made my life miserable . . .

Not really, but sort-of historical or fictional stories  with  submarines.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: The Disney film I saw as a child. I also watched the TV series and made a fool of myself when I enthused to my then-fiance, “Imagine the sealife you’ll be able to see out that big front window.”

NOT a typical meal on a submarine! Screenshot from the 1954 Walt Disney film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. (Wikimedia Commons)

Sharks don’t guard the nuclear reactor, either.

Mysterious Island: I loved this movie as a kid. Captain Nemo comes to the island in the Nautilus submarine and rescues the castaways just as a volcano blows.

The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming: I laugh whenever I catch this one. The submarine doesn’t show up until the end, so it’s not technically a submarine movie. But it does play a role.

On the Beach Based on the apocalyptic novel by Neville Shute, this grim film was directed by Stanley Kramer. I saw it as a teenager and often felt uneasy because of it during the years we lived at ground zero. (Which was 20 years).

The two submarine movies appreciated the most at our house

Any time a family member walks into a room and The Hunt for Red October is on the screen, they stop.

It’s my favorite, particularly the terrific scene when the Dallas saves the day.

My husband agrees, but his favorite is Das Boot–-because of its realism.

We attended the initial screen of Das Boot when he attended submarine school.

His entire class went together one night to a small movie theater in Niantic, CT.

But for me and the handful of other young wives who attended, the story broke our hearts.

You didn’t know who to root for–the German U-boat crew who fought so hard or the Americans they were trying to kill. (I’ve had that problem before).

But the guys agreed Das Boot was realistic. Some already knew about the infamous submarine “smell.”

The hours of “sheer boredom,” spiked by moments of “sheer terror,” became their life during their tours.

Watching it once was enough for me.

Then there’s real life.Life after submarines

We spent 20 years living with the drama of submarines.

Our hearts often soar with pride when we watch the movies, but I’ll never forget the pain and heartache.

I think of families, separation, and trying to solve household problems my husband didn’t learn about for months.

I remember the fear and the loneliness. We could not have survived without the help of Navy wives and our Connecticut church.

The movies never look at that side of the story. (But, I’ve written a novel . . . )

Meanwhile, a boat my husband built still plows (under) the seas 40 years after it was commissioned.

I’m glad it’s never shot a missile.

Let’s admire submarines in the movies instead.

Tweetables

A Navy couple chooses their favorite submarine movies. Click to Tweet

What are the top two submarine movies? Click to Tweet

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Ideas for 2025 and Ways to Improve Your Life

Considering new ideas for 2025?

Here are some suggestions

Invest in Spiritual Growth

Get a Bible-in-a-year and read it every day- it takes 5-8 minutes.

Consider using a devotional this year. I like My Utmost for His Highest, but there are other excellent choices.

Spend time in prayer every day.

If you’re on X-Twitter, consider listening to 1.5 minute Biblical insight by following Lutheran scholar Chad Bird every morning here.

Join a Bible study. A couples study can help you learn about a loved one.

New Attitude Ideas for 2025

A new year is an opportunity to improve your life.

Say, in the attitude department.

How about choosing not to be offended–even if you feel offended?

Indeed, when given the opportunity, why not first assume the best intentions of the would-be offender?

Why not make it a habit of saying “thank you,” even if folks don’t deserve it?

If in doubt about a situation, ask yourself, “What do I know to be true?” before jumping to conclusions.

Or ask yourself, “What might God be up to in this situation?”

Choose to be positive, not accepting shame.

Are you feeling true guilt or is it false guilt? Ideas for 2025 in how to tell the difference.

If in doubt, choose to bless other people rather than curse them.

Avoid Sarcasm and Cynicism.

How to choose a year of deliberate grace.

Ideas in 2025 for family life

Adopt simple, silly, and fun ideas for life with kids.

Consider using a job jar for family chores and simpler weekends.

Teach your children basic household tasks.

Make a family recipe book. (Great for kids going to college!)

Introduce the family to art museums–with a scavenger hunt to help!

Give them leeway to choose a profession someday.

Learn how to observe the kids’ gifts.

Travel ideas for 2025

Visit local museums.

Have the teenagers plan family travel.

Tons of Travelers’ Tales

General Life Fun

A gold star as a gift of grace.

Personal Adventures in Grocery Shopping

Flat Stanley, Mango Monkey, and Now What?

To “Pull a Biddy” and other Adventures.

Encouragement Ideas for 2025

Consider each individual as valuable to God.

The Ministry of Standing in Line.

A Homeless Man and Grace

The Blessing of Showing Up

Barnabas the Encourager

Books and Movie Ideas for 2025

In case you haven’t seen or read any of these!

8 Favorite Memoirs in Time and Place.

8 Favorite Christian Biographies.

10 Classic New England Kid Books.

Favorite Books for Toddlers You’ll Love

Good Books for Young Boys

The Best Apollo Movies

World War I Movies

Thanks for Everything, Cary Grant.

Happy 2025 to all!

The post Ideas for 2025 and Ways to Improve Your Life appeared first on Michelle Ule, Author.

2024 New Year’s Eve

For 2024 New Year’s Eve, I’m reflecting on the highlights–many of which I’ve shared throughout the year.

I assume you’re having a personal review of the year–and I’ll share some of mine.

Most enjoyed books of 2024

I read some 80 books in 2024. You can see my whole list on Goodreads.

The most appreciated books fall into several categories:

Bible-related

This year, I savored, enjoyed, and rejoiced in my readings of Lutheran theologian Chad Bird‘s Unveiling Mercy: 365 Daily Devotions, “based on insights from Old Testament Hebrew.”

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Each day, he examined a specific Hebrew word, and I discovered many astounding nuances in the Bible’s Old Testament language.

Some mornings, I sat back in awe to savor the broader understanding of a specific word, which often changed my understanding of the verse. Glorious!

The One-Year Chronological Bible We happened to have an untouched version of this book at home, which is why I read it. I’m not a fan of the NIV.

But, reading a different version of the Bible than what you’re used to brings out concepts you may have overlooked. I’ve enjoyed reading through the Bible and seeing how the story unfolds in chronological order.

Novels

Of Love and Treason by Jamie Ogle, is a fictionalized version of St. Valentine’s story. I enjoyed reading about the life of Christians in 270 Rome–and how they went to their martyrdom. A sobering lesson.

Leaning on Air by my friend Cheryl Grey Bostrom. Such a lovely novel, beautifully written with multi-layered insights about marriage, birds, neurodiversity, the land, and heartbreak.

Nonfiction

The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony–a narrative nonfiction story about a South African nature preserve suddenly receiving nine “rogue” elephants! I learned a lot about pachyderms!

Elisabeth Elliot: A Life by Lucy S. R. Austin. Ellen Vaughn also wrote an excellent two-part biography about EE, as well. I write about EE’s influence on my life here.

A 2024 New Year’s Eve overview of movies and films

The Boys in the Boat–which came out in December 2023, but I didn’t see it until 2024. I watched it several times while flying across one country or another! I liked the story, the cinematography, and the insight it gave me into several NCAA crew champions in our extended family! (CAL, not UW).

Shakelton: The Greatest Story of Survival is an IMAX film production we saw in Melbourne, Australia. My family loves the Endurance story, and this film was terrific. I felt cold just watching it.

Travel Adventures

2024 was the most heavily traveled year of my life. We crossed two continents twice each in one three-week period, as well as the Pacific Ocean. I’ll continue writing about our Australian experiences on the last Tuesdays of each month in 2025.

January saw us in Alaska at -37 F temperatures to see the Northern Lights.

We drove up and down California several times and spent a week traveling through Idaho.

The world is a beautiful place. We don’t know yet where we’ll turn up in 2025.

(Beyond Saratoga Springs, NY, in March. Fortunately, we have the clothes, thanks to our trip to Alaska!)

A final 2024 New Year’s Eve reflection from Oswald Chambers.

Perhaps your family likes to celebrate the end of the year with a watch night like Oswald and Biddy Chambers had on December 31, 1916.

On Oswald’s final December 31, he looked ahead to a better 1917. Hoping, with most, that World War I would end.

As he wrote in his diary about that night:

At 12 o’clock, I turned the blackboard over and showed on it–‘1917, A Great New Year to you all.’ And God shall wipe away all tears. (Revelation 21:4)

Oswald Chambers: His Life and Work p. 279

May Oswald Chambers’ words be true of all our lives at the end of 2024 New Year’s Eve into 2025.

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Christmas Eve Can Be Lonely

Some years, Christmas Eve can be lonely.

That’s true of us this year.

Our boys are off with their “other side” of the family.

That leaves my husband, daughter, and I without a large gathering to attend.

Oh, sure, we could horn in on their parties (and we might), but that’s not what we usually do.

Long ago, we instituted a policy: every other year we swap which holiday our family spends together.

That’s the only fair way to handle the holidays.

Our turn was Thanksgiving this year, which means the kids go to their in-laws’ houses for Christmas.

We’ll have them next year for Christmas (but not Thanksgiving).

(We are SO thankful for obliging “outlaws!”)

In the meantime, what do we do?

Christmas Eve can be lonely while traveling.

For several years, we traveled over the Christmas holidays.

It was the only way we could guarantee all the kids would be able to join us on a family vacation.

We spent the holidays in exotic locations where we learned new traditions.

Military Christmas Eve service.
(U.S. Army Wikimedia)

When we lived in Hawai’i, for example, we learned a Christmas tree is unlikely to still have needles on it by December 15!

(In addition, we always bought a new Christmas Hawai’ian shirt each year–we didn’t need any scarves!)

One year, the only restaurant in town we could find open on Christmas Eve (in Queenstown, New Zealand) was a Hard Rock Cafe.

Our family were the only guests–except for a dozen international businessmen who enjoyed the local wine too much.

As we looked at our burgers, listened to hard rock music, and watched the busy drinkers, I wondered, “Why am I not at my sister-in-law’s house baking a Yule Log?”

Why indeed?

We stayed home the following year.

Death at Christmas

For many people, the first Christmas holiday after a significant family loss can be difficult.

I’ve written about this here, here, and here.

My solution was to develop new holiday traditions (or travel, see above).

That year in New Zealand (the year my father died), we shopped for presents (on this trip, local and small enough to fit in a Christmas stocking), went to the movies, and then to a restaurant to dine.

Bleak.

Other years, we’ve baked traditional family meals to make Christmas Eve less lonely and attended a local church service.

We worked hard not to think about the hole in our lives.

The one year my husband was out to sea on a submarine, the toddlers and I went to bed early. Why bother to stay up until midnight?

Each year I faced an empty Christmas Eve without loved ones, I sought a way to eat a good dinner, remember the reason for the season, perhaps watch a good Christmas movie, and go to bed early.

The kids didn’t know the difference until they were old enough to come up with their own fun ideas. Board games, anyone?

Focus, instead, on how Christmas Eve wasn’t lonely for Mary and Joseph

When those shepherds burst into the manger, Mary and Joseph weren’t thinking Christmas Eve can be lonely.

Who knows where the relatives were that night in Bethlehem, but when baby Jesus was born, everything changed.

Singing Christmas carols on Christmas Eve night to remember the Messiah’s birth can only help lift our own hearts.

Even the Hard Rock Cafe played Paul McCartney singing “Wonderful Christmastime!”

If you’re lonely on Christmas Eve this year, focus on the Savior’s birth, remember happy past Christmases, and try to make it to a church service either Christmas Eve night or Christmas morning.

You’ll be surprised at how much good it will do you.

Blessings to all my readers, and Merry Christmas 2024.

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What Do Angels Look Like?

What do angels look like?

Have you ever seen one?

A surprising number of people in my acquaintance have.

Maybe even including me.

Do Angels look like babies with wings?

Ah, no.

At least not according to the Bible.

They’re portrayed throughout the Bible as warriors. They don’t fly around on wings smiling.

Here’s one description from Daniel 10:4-6:

I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.  His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.

Daniel 10:4-6 (ESV)

Hagia Sophia Angel (Wikimedia Commons)

If angels looked like innocent, sweet creatures, would they introduce themselves with the words, “Fear not?”

Angels look like people, albeit they often come

dressed in white (Daniel 10:5-6).gleaming like lightning (John 20:12).wearing gold sashes around their chests.How common are angels?

According to the Bible Gateway app  (New King James Version), the word “angel” appears 105 times in the Old Testament and 175 times in the New Testament.

The word appears 19 times in the OT book of Zechariah (18 times in Judges and 15 in Genesis) and 24 times in the book of Luke.

Luke, of course, provides the most detailed story of Jesus’ birth.

(As a word, angel isn’t all that common in the Bible, given the English Standard Version contains 756,848 words–581,112 in the Old Testament and 175,745 in the New).

Strong’s Concordance (H4397) defines an angel as a “messenger or representative.“

What do my friends know about what angels look like?

I know a surprising number of people who have seen angels.

When I asked my Bible study ladies one year, almost everyone had an angel sighting in their past.

Yesterday, I got another list of what angels looked like to friends:

A lady in her 60’s with white hair and a thin athletic build.A golden eagle, 10 feet tall. The angel was thin and tall (maybe 7 ft?), wearing white but without wings. He wore a round shield on his chest.Tall, behind the altar, radiating calm and peace.Soft, white, love, and an excellent catch when a child fell out a window.Light, humanlike, and kind.

Another friend commented, “because angels were created a long time ago before us, they’ve seen a lot and have lots of experience interacting with the human race.”

Annunciation by Henry O. Tanner (Wikimedia Commons)

Now there’s an interesting idea. They know a lot more about how and when to interact with us than we know about them!

Several friends described a “shimmering,” that flickers in and out. When they focus, they catch a glimpse of a tall (think 10 feet tall) benevolent angel.

Consider this: when we think we’re looking at heat waves, perhaps we’re sensing the presence of angels that just look like moving air?

“Fear not,” angels don’t have any problem letting people know when they’re there!

My friends indicated angels are always doing something–they’re not just hanging around.

More thoughts on angels:

Angels have a sense of humor.Angels are sent to perform the word of God.We can invite angels to be with us so that they can perform their work.God the Father commands the angels.

One man saw two tall angels blessing a wedding. A few weeks later, he saw one flickering in and out behind a glorious praise band.

Guideposts Magazine often writes about such “angel encounters.” Here’s one link.

I’ve often written about Biblical passages and angels here.

What did angels look like in specific Bible stories?

Moses: “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush . . . the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.” Exodus 3:2

By Edwin Blashfield (Wikimedia Commons)

Balaam: “The Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in hand.” Numbers 22:31

David: The angel of the Lord stood between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. 1 Chronicles 21:16

Psalm 104:4: He makes his angels spirits, his ministers a flame of fire.

Angels are often found speaking to people, leading charges with swords, touching them, waking them, guarding (and blocking), explaining things, comforting them, and bringing words from God to His people.

Even Satan knows, “God will give his angels charge over you, and in their hands, they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Matthew 4:6

Joseph saw them four times in dreams.

They dress in white (John 20:12), often appear with light (2 Corinthians 11:14), can wrestle (Genesis 32:24), and travel in groups (Hebrews 12:22).

And, of course, they love to worship God.

Does it matter if you can see an angel?

Of course not.

Often, however, we only realize we’ve encountered one after the meeting is over.

You know, as in, “Wait. Was that an angel?”

I tell my own story here.

That day, when I needed help, a stranger appeared on the side of the road after a terrible automobile accident.

Navy Summer White. Not the uniform worn in a CT winter. (Wiki Commons)

All I saw was a man dressed in what looked like a summer-white uniform. I was near a Navy base on a lonely stretch of road, but I didn’t think twice about where he came from.

He told me to get my kids out of the car because there was gas all over the road, and the car might blow up.

I handed out the first toddler to him, then the second.

I could hear the ambulance sirens already coming.

When I turned to thank him for his help, he was gone.

That night, when we were safely home and not seriously injured, I remembered that man in white.

Then I frowned in puzzlement.

That sunny day in Connecticut was a frigid New Year’s Eve.

Anyone in the Navy would have been wearing a navy blue uniform and a heavy peacoat.

What do angels look like?

“Praise God,” I thought. “A man in white.”

Thanks be to God.

And for sending an angel when I needed one.

Have you seen an angel? What did it look like?

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