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What's going on in Marisa-land
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Fear Less, Love More
Today is Daddy's birthday. His theme for the year has been to "fear less and love more," and he encourages our family to follow. I've watched him embody this theme not only throughout the year, but for my whole life. His words have been an inspiration throughout this year of people and changes. So in honor of him, (and with a little help from Sara Bareilles's song Brave), I put together this song/rap. Happy Birthday, this one's for you.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Grandpa Foxy
Philip Foxwell Sr.
Faithful family patriarch
Faithful family patriarch
Servant of God for 99 years
A source of wisdom
Awe and wonder
and never ending good humor.
Truly
one of the greatest men I have ever known.
Grandpa Foxy.
Philip saw a magician doing card tricks
in a park in Junior High and immediately picked it up. A few weeks later,
his eighth grade teacher saw him demonstrating the card trick to his classmates
and called him to the front of the class to perform for the rest of the
students. He marked this as the day he became a “real” magician.
Philip attended Wheaton College where
he received “two degrees and the president’s daughter" [A bachelor’s
in 1942 and master’s in 1944, later marrying Jane Alice Buswell]. He went
on to earn a bachelor’s of divinity from Northern Baptist Seminary in 1946 and
TSM from Faith Theological Seminary in 1947. He and Jane moved to the war-torn
nation of Japan in 1947 and served together as missionaries for more than 30
years. He dazzled and amazed multitudes with his
magic shows while preaching, teaching and founding Tokyo Christian University
and Seminary, where he served as president and professor of
Apologetics and Greek (in Japanese).
Upon retirement from
Japan, Philip worked at the U.S. Center for World Missions in Pasadena, Calif. He
was a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Fellowship of
Christian Magicians, the Magic Castle in Los Angeles, Alhambra Kiwanis and is
the author of Missionary Magician.
His tremendous legacy
lives on through the lives of his wife, Eillean Eckardt-Foxwell; children, Mary
Loeks, Martha Berg, Linda Pettit and Philip Jr.; 14 grandchildren and 15
great-grandchildren, who all call him “Grandpa Foxy.”
His energy, intellect
and humor were a force of nature and anyone he encountered would agree – he
never met a stranger. Philip’s life was far less about shows and lectures and
clubs than it was about prayer and wisdom. As the Foxwell patriarch, he leaves
the family with countless nuggets of truth to keep them close to one another
and close to the Lord he loved so dearly – one such maxim, “blessed to be a
blessing,” has become a family motto.
Grandpa Foxy always reminded us, through his actions and his
words, to be thankful, to be faithful in prayer, and to keep the main thing the
main thing. He would tell me to say the magic words as he pulled streams of
color from my ears to my absolute amazement, but he also taught me that beyond
the magic words and mind tricks, we shouldn't get caught up in details or
stepping-stones to success. He always told us to "be thankful," and
to "keep the main thing the main thing." This is from a letter he
dictated through my dad a few years ago:
To my dear grandchildren
As the patriarch of the clan, I am
greatly enriched by what you all have added to my enjoyment of life. When
you have a good proud moment of success, I am very thankful; and when you huAs the patriarch of the clan, I am
greatly enriched by what you all have added to my enjoyment of life. When
you have a good proud moment of success, I am very thankful; and when you hurt
or are in sorrow, I hurt with you, because sympathy comes from the Greek word
"pathos" [to feel] and "sum" [together with], so when you
are in distress I will be praying in your direction. You can count on that.
As you know the word Octogenarian means
someone who is 80yrs old, and Nonagenerian means you are in your 90s. I
am a nonagenerian, and I nominate myself to be the most thankful nonagenerian
in California and beyond. I will add other regions as you honor me
by doing well.
When I pray, I often give thanks I had
a perfect mother and you have a perfect grandmother. I am often
helped by John 17:10 "I am on display in you…" If I lean
some toward deviation, this brings me back with the realization that Jesus is
on display in me. I consider age 85 to 95, bonus time on planet
Earth. The bonus time has allowed me to be on the radio show
"Unshackled", allowed me to give the key note address at the Intl
Magician's Convention, honored by CASA, Cal-State, and lots of other speaking
opportunities and chances to be a part of other people's lives, BUT most of all
it allowed me to get to know all of you better --and meet several great-grand
kids, for which I am eternally blessed!
It is with sadness that we say goodbye, but with joy that we
remember Grandpa Foxy's life. And what a life it was! His love, lessons and
memories will always remain, and as I try to live my life by "keeping the
main thing the main thing," I will look to the path he leaves
behind.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Tread on Me
They’ll tell you that I don’t kill people—that
“people kill people”
That I am not evil, and don’t cause the upheaval
Of the young generation
Don’t compromise the safety of this free nation
But don’t believe everything that is said
I’m a tool to invite dread, I’m alive to see you
die
My
favorite color is red, and I love when people cry
That’s my purpose—Haven’t you seen and heard
this?
How else can I word this?
I am hatred’s best friend and I have sworn
Allegiance to violence. Battle is why I was born
I eat dynamite and spit out attacks
Just so people will fear and stay back
They told you that I’m just for sport—right?
That I’m one of your constitutional rights
Since when did “right” mean that we fight
The children walking home at night?
That we open fire on preschoolers
No. I’m the one that makes you feel like a ruler
I am power to the fool, make you feel cooler
In a flurry of anger, I’m what you will go to
The dangerous toy that you never outgrew
The bad influence friend that makes you do
Things that your mama would never want you to,
Things you don’t even understand.
Does the cold steel of my spine against your
hand
Make you feel like more of a man?
Good.
You think you’re a killer? Please.
My mother is war and my bane is peace.
I sit here waiting for you to release
Round upon round on whoever you found
To appease your appetite to astound
To be the loudest when nothing is sound
Go ahead and caress me, wave me from your
steeple
And say that I don’t kill people—that people
kill people.
Look around you- I fuel the terrorists and drug
lords
I am one word making historical records.
Where would you be without me?
Homicide side by side with sticks and swords?
Colombine, Newton, Virginia Tech
Unscathed by my ability to wreck
The lives of billions, Killing them in millions
Spreading fear like a flame to army and
civilians.
Without me people stroll
Down the streets of South Side Chicago
Fall asleep without hearts pounding in fear
But I am still here.
Don’t let evil men and women take the credit
I do kill people. Don’t forget it.
Admit it. Right now and make me proud
A person kills a person but I kill a crowd.
I ravage the earth but you never bill me
You think you do it all, but you never kill me.
O please. Call me dirty filthy words or
Charge me with accessory to murder
Put me under judicial review
Because people may kill people, but I’m a damn
good killer too.
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