Believe

Ok, so the daily entry attempt failed miserably, but there’s still hope. There’s still time. There are a couple days left in this year and hopefully a number of days to be experienced and thankful for next year. So, I will again begin the task.

I am thankful for 2009 and look forward to 2010.

I was thinking about showing a post from John Piper’s blog entered back in November of 2008; but not today, maybe tomorrow. For today, my wife suggested that I be thankful for Christmas.

She proclaimed boldly, “We pulled it off. It was magical. It snowed. Santa did come, and they believed.”

Her words tickled my ear and for this I am thankful. For Kaisha grasping at satisfaction I am also thankful. But mostly, I am thankful that the words above will be repeated someday in a slightly different manner.

As we join in communion with Christ we will one day be able to join in the celebration feast of “Pulling it off”. It will be magical, as it has been for all time. The grace and mercy of God our Father through Jesus Christ our Lord has rained down upon us, or in this case snowed down, and Jesus did come. (I know, odd comparison of Jesus and Santa – I do ask forgiveness for this – but hopefully you see where I am) And finally we did, you did, they did believe.


-Glory-


In John 6 - Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe…”

I pray your Christmas was magical in whatever fashion you celebrate. But more deeply I plead that you feel the magic, experience the snow, are touched by Jesus and believe in all he is…this year, next year, and forever.

Telling it like it is.

.

To all those facebookers having a bad Monday. Cheer up, you have it made.

I'm thankful, are you?

Samuel

Six years ago today, Kaisha and I woke up in a labor and delivery room at Brookwood Hospital.

At 5:14 pm, after all the pushing and prodding, a beautiful boy weighing 6 lbs. 6 oz. came screaming out.

He was perfect and in spite of a few scares, both physically and emotionally, he still is.

Today, I am grateful for Samuel.

Our little Prophet. (That's a story for another day)

Skate Center Christmas

We skated.

I skated.

Kaisha skated.

Samuel - shuffled around while on wheels.

Mattie - fell, crawled, shuffled, and fell again.

Emma took a nap.

I am thankful that our worst injury was when Samuel bit through his tongue; causing a slight blood scare. I noticed later a few droplets out on the "rink". But as they say out on the "rink", "Don't slow down, you might fall." That's what I say at least.

We skated under disco balls and flashing lights.

We did the "Hokey Pokey".

We ate pizza

We had a coke.

We skated, 80's music and all.

I am thankful for the silliness of last night. And for the silliness of today; I ate at a German restaurant with a friend. I had knakworst and bratwurst, schnitzel and spaetzle, red cabbage and brussel sprouts. Tomorrow we are going to a parade, my family and I, not the friend I ate German with. Samuel is having an inside camp-out for his birthday Friday night. We are having breakfast with Santa Saturday morning and Christmas with the family Saturday night. We are having two more Christmas's next week. Then another one on Eve and Day. And don't forget that Santa Claus is coming to town.

Sometimes I think our life is the, "Hokey Pokey".

And during all of the seemingly random, yet well planned events, over the next couple weeks Samuel will shuffle around, Mattie will take a couple falls, and Emma will take a nap. For this I am thankful. Can't slow down, we might fall.

Wind

He who forms the mountains,
creates the wind,
and reveals his thoughts to man,
he who turns dawn to darkness,
and treads the high places of the earth—
the LORD God Almighty is his name.
(Amos 4)

Today, I am thankful for the wind.

The Hebrew word for wind is often interchanged through various translations with the words for breath and spirit. I, not being a scholar, do not fully understand why so many words seem to have different meaning, pending on who does the translating, but at simple face value, I appreciate this thought.

The God of the Hebrews, Elohim, offers his wind, his breath, his spirit today for our consumption, our appreciation, and our enjoyment.

I experienced this touch of the Lord God Almighty today during a brief lunch break. In his merciful form God has kissed the surface of Lake Wilson today with an awesome display of his Glory in the form of a rapidly advancing cold front. His wind; his breath; his spirit have transformed a calm lake into mighty and turbulent soup. The lake feels more like the ocean than a river. Large waves pound the banks. Glistening sunlight blinds in its reflection and seagulls struggle to fight the volatile gusts.

To quote a friend, “My, that sure is a purty river.”

Today I am thankful the LORD has lifted his Spirit within me by Breathing his Wind over me.

May you also experience the creation of the wind today and know the LORD God Almighty is his name.

Elvis

Today, I am thankful for Elvis. Yes, I'm aware of the cheesiness, however, I heard this song last night and had to stop a moment. I use to listen to Elvis with my Mawmaw on an old Hi-Fi stereo around Christmas time. The thoughts of her big yellow couch, orange chase lounge, and knob controlled cabinet TV decorated with a small white snow flocked Christmas tree simply takes me to another place. Elvis crooning from the living room. Cracking fresh pecans and drinking eggnog. Good times.

Today, I am thankful for musicians, poets, and entertainers
that can take us back to another time. I am grateful that we live in a creative world and that there are individuals who thrive in the process of creation. I am also, thankful for the memories that they invoke from time to time.

So take a moment and see where this song will take you. Enjoy.



Holly Leaves and Christmas Trees: Elvis Presley

Somewhere in, in the distant night
I hear Christmas bells
The gentle snow keeps falling down on people
Who are homeward bound
That's the way it's always been
The circle never really ends
Christmas seems to come and go
Home's a place that I don't know
Holly leaves and Christmas trees
It's that time of year

Lights aglow and mistletoe
Don't mean a thing when you're not here
As I walk, walk this lonely street
The sound of snow beneath my feet
I'll think of how, how it used to be when
Holly leaves and Christmas trees
Use to mean so much to me

Burst into Dance

Found within magnificent prose of awe and thanks there is a gem. A gem for which I am thankful.

Mary’s Song - The prayer of Mary, found in the gospel of Luke, after her encounter with Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist. What a wonderful expression of joy and thanks found deep within the mother of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

However, what I am thankful for today is a particular translation of the opening line, namely the following:

I'm bursting with God-news;
I'm dancing the song of my Savior God
(Message)

The more traditionally accepted translations read:

My soul doth magnify the Lord,
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
(KJV)

My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
(NIV)

My soul exalts the Lord,
and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior
(NAS)

But, to relate to Mary, as best we can, at least when attempting to understand emotion, we can magnify, we can glorify, we can exalt. But, how much more to the point, do we simply, “Burst”. How can one from our culture truly and without pretense dissect the heart felt meaning of antiquated language like magnify, glorify, or exalt. But bursting, we can wrap our minds around bursting.

To Burst: not able to hold or control, to break apart into pieces, to be filled to the breaking point, to have excess emerge suddenly.

We can see that, we can understand that, we have felt that, we have tasted the sweetness of such a passion that simply cannot be held.

Thanks Eugene for allowing the word “Burst” to take on a holy interpretation.

Further, and maybe even moreso, I am grateful for the phrase.

“I’m dancing the song of my Savior.”
(Message)

Not dancing with my savior, not dancing to the song that my savior likes, not dancing for the savior, but in fact “Dancing the song of my Savior”.

There seems to be a connection, a bond, a relationship - so powerful that not only does she magnify, glorify, or exalt, but she becomes a part of the very expression of God. The two become one, a marriage, a kiss, a dance. Such mystery cannot be found in words like, rejoice. Maybe the mystery cannot be found in words or analysis at all. Instead it must be acted out. There must be motion, there must be art, there must be inhibition – the type that cannot be contained, the kind that simply bursts forth.

So for today: thank you, God, for allowing us to join in your dance.

"Jingle Bells, Daddy"

I know I know, shut up about the kids, but I have been taken back by how adorably sweet Mattie is this Christmas.

For the last two days my mother has kept Emma during the day. Mattie and I go by after work to pick her up. Mattie gets so tickled at MeMe’s door mat and wreath, “Jingle Bells, Daddy”. Her face glows with excitement each time she notices a new Christmas decoration. MeMe now has ten stockings hung by her chimney, at least four table top trees and garland hung everywhere. The lights and color, the warmth and joy, the cookies and candy has Mattie beaming. She is beautiful, sweet, happy, silly, and just plain fun.

For this, I am thankful

With kids at these ages I expect a certain amount of holiday spirit but the volume shown has given me pause. Even with all the craziness, worry, insecurity, and confusion of life I have to take a moment and settle in for a Great Christmas. These ages; these reactions; will really only be around for a short time. I am planning on soaking as much in as I can.

I hope you take time to be thankful as well.

Small Comforts

Crawling into bed, snuggling under the covers, the cool smooth feel of the sheets, the warm security of a roof over my head deflecting the rain, the surrounding walls to block the wind, indoor plumbing, hot water beating down from the showerhead begging me to wake up, a microwave to reheat yesterday’s coffee, switches on the wall that bring light to my world whenever I want…

For these things I am thankful.

During a conversation last evening the idea of God being fair arose. I am confident he is not. Is it fair that I have a bed, a shower, a microwave…when there are folks all over the world that do not have these comforts? Why do I deserve a beautiful wife and three wonderful children, when there are great people all around that wish for the same but somehow fall short? Why was I born to a loving family? Why was I born in America? Why was I born in the 20th century? I do not deserve any of the lavish blessings that flow from above. But I am very thankful for them.

Some may say, “Well that’s life, that’s not God.” Are God and Life not synonymous?

“For In Him we live and move and have our being.”

“Every good and perfect gift is from above…”

Reguardless of your position, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.”

Traditions

They connect our present to our past. They encourage constancy for our future. We pass them down through the generations, irregardless of our awareness, hoping the next will remember the prior. Depending on the context, the word can take on an air of staunch futility or a feeling of warm remembrance. This time of year often lends itself to the later.

Last evening my family began our Advent. Now, the traditional mimicking of ancient longing and waiting for Salvation to enter the world through a messiah begins four Sundays prior to Christmas day, however, at our house we take a more secular approach and begin on the first of December. This practice allows us to pop a quick chocolate each night as we await the coming of Santa Claus. The kids love it and I do too.

My grandmother on my dad’s side had my sister and I an Advent calendar every December. The anticipation was often too much and we'd eat the chocolate days in advance. But Nanny didn't mind, she probably even related a bit to this desire. Participating in the practice my grandmother passed on her traditions as we continue to do so now; passing her tradition to the next generation. The modern practice of the Advent has its origins with German Lutherans. This makes a connection since Nanny was a native to Munich, Germany and attended Lutheran Mass in her childhood.

Last night, we also put up trees in our children’s rooms. Now there’s an odd tradition. This practice has been linked to ancient pagans - ranging from Roman Saturnalia to British Druids; Norse mythology to earlier Christianity. But the constant here is that we continue to put them up, decorate them, sit around them sipping cocoa - remembering years past while hoping for years to come. We love this tradition and accept it as if we originated its oddity.

For this I am thankful.

I am thankful that my generation is linked to generations from millennia past. I am thankful that regardless of my efforts my children will take on tradition. Good ones, bad ones, odd ones, fun ones; they too will be linked to this broad communion of all the peoples of the world; not only within their time but encompassing all time; from Lutherans of a few hundred years back to Druids thousands of years ago.

We are a collective of our past as we hope for our future.

The waiting for the Christ is over, yet we continue to long for his return. We are connected. Thousands of years cannot separate. For this mystery, I am thankful. I am also thankful for the smiles on my children’s face as they eat their Advent chocolate by the light of the Christmas Tree.

HO...HO...HO

Last evening as we began the tumultuous process of decking our halls, we ran across our collection of Santa hats. We of course immediately donned our gay apparel and began dashing through the house chanting all the carols we could remember. As the night came to a close, even the most mundane acts of bedtime took on a Santa theme. HO, HO, HO, while brushing teeth, hats on while reading stories, Christmas smiles while saying prayers. The entire evening was lost within the spirit of the big guy.

I remember from childhood, mother chasing my sister and I through the house. We would giggle and scream as we peeked around the corners attempting to avoid collision. If we were watching a TV movie we would jump up during the commercial breaks to get our fix of fun or as mom would announce our exercise for the night. I find myself doing the same with my children. There is always time to be silly when there are children in the house. Always time to laugh and enjoy.

This morning as the kids emerged from their sleepy rooms they both had on their Santa hats. Breakfast and cartoons where lifted slightly higher by the magic of Christmas this morning. My two little Santas wearily surrendered their hats just before time for school. Today is December the 1st I tell them. There are many more days of Christmas to come. We’ll play Santa again tonight.

For these times of Joy and for the remembrance of past graces, I am thankful.