It just hit me. In the past when I wrote a “Madcap Christian Scientist” book, my mom was one of the first people I’d share it with. She was my biggest fan. And, just now, for a moment, I forgot she was gone, and I thought: I need to give Moz a copy of this. And then I remembered.
Whoah.
I’m on my own with this one.
So this is what I’ve been working on the last month or so. A new book – Looking Forward: More Adventures of the Madcap Christian Scientist.
It would be a spectacular understatement to say that there have been some new developments since my last Madcap Christian Scientist book, The Madcap Christian Scientist: All Things New, published in 2014. Since that book, my parents moved from their home of 48 years; my mom died; my dad died; friends died; pets died; I retired; the world experienced a pandemic; my country survived an insurrection; new pets arrived; the sons found life-partners and had pandemic weddings; and we have a new grandchild on the way. For example.
And through all the “new developments” I have felt Love with me – guiding and directing me, comforting me, and connecting me to my fellow passengers on this boat of life as we forge our way through high waves.
We have some catching up to do, my friends.
This is the fourth book in the series. In order:
Blessings: Adventures of a Madcap Christian Scientist (2005)
The Madcap Christian Scientist’s Middle Book (2012)
The Madcap Christian Scientist: All Things New (2014)
Looking Forward: More Adventures of the Madcap Christian Scientist (2023)
The Madcap Christian Scientist’s Middle Book (a collection of Christmassy stories) (2014)
(Also available on Kindle.)
Here’s the link to the podcast.
So I was driving through the countryside this morning and I had Allison Krauss playing on my CD player, and her version of “I Will” came on – I always find her banjo-happy version of that song so uplifting – and I was just filled with such joy. A couple of songs later, her song, “In the Palm of Your Hand,” started playing – and I found myself crying with the pure beauty of the words and music.
I’d been working through some fears – the fear of aging, chiefly, and all that comes with aging – the fear of losing our natural immunities and protection as we grow older, the fear of getting worn down and “vulnerable” to disease and whatnot. (This is something that we’ve all had pounded into us constantly since 2020.) And the thought came to me that more solar years don’t somehow put a greater distance between me and God, Love. More years aren’t like more bricks in a wall between me and Love. The further I move from my human birth doesn’t move me further away from Love. Love is right here, right now, wherever I am and however many solar years I’ve lived through – and my Father-Mother, Love, still sees me as Her precious child.
And then I started thinking about a trip I was taking out of state soon, and the thought came to me – “I better stay healthy, because I’m not sure health inurance works when a person is out of state.” And, immediately, that thought was countered with, “No worries. Crossing a state border isn’t going to separate me from God, Love.”
Allison Krauss’s music just seemed to confirm all of that for me this morning. I imagine God saying, “Who knows how long I’ve loved you? You know I love you still…”
I put a dime in the traffic meter
and bought myself four minutes.
And I thought what could I do
with my four minutes?
If I could pay a dime
for four minutes in past time –
what four minutes would I bring
back for myself?
Four minutes with Mom and Dad?
Four minutes with the sons?
Maybe everyone together
around the Thanksgiving table
for four minutes more?
I put a dime in the traffic meter
and bought myself four minutes.
-Karen Molenaar Terrell
When I’d heard that my friend, John “Peace Wizard” Bromet, had passed, I immediately thought of the Friday noon vigils in front of the Skagit County Courthouse. John had been a faithful force at these vigils for decades. His passing was going to leave a huge hole there. Almost as soon as the thought came to me, I knew how I could honor John: I would go to the courthouse at noon and hold my “TRUTH JUSTICE KINDNESS” sign, and every time a car honked I would give a “high kick” like John had done.
When Friday came, it was rainy and gray outside. I wasn’t sure anyone else would show up at the courthouse, but I knew I needed to do this for John – even if I was the only one.
Of course, I should have known better. A little rain wasn’t going to stop John’s peacenik companions from showing up with their signs, as they’d been doing for years.
And yes, many high kicks were made. 🙂
– Karen Molenaar Terrell
Check it out! One of my photos of the tulip fields is on the back page of Mother Earth News this month.
(Just had to share.) 🙂
Karen Molenaar Terrell
I just learned that my friend, and peacenik extraordinaire, John Bromet, passed on yesterday. He made the world a better place every day that he was in it.
The last time I saw John was on January 13th. I’d taken a drive up to Concrete and came upon John waiting for a bus to take him to the courthouse for the weekly Friday noon vigil. He had his sign with him, of course. I got my sign “TRUTH JUSTICE KINDNESS” out of my car and joined him at the bus stop. It was so good to see him again. We chatted and laughed and sang a song while he waited for the bus. I’m so glad I ran into him that day.
Below, John at the Women’s March in 2017; John and I the last time we were together (January 13, 2023); and John and I in front of the Mount Vernon courthouse (November 22, 2019).
Adventures of the Madcap Christian Scientist 