last couple days of the DECADE!

hhhhmmm, 

so how was the decade for you?

And if only one thing had happened differently...

How tightly do you believe God influences the details of our lives? I've met some people who believe that God has a purpose for every little thing-- a God of the minutiae. As though God is pushing buttons and pulling levers overseeing and conducting all aspects of our lives from disease to parking spots.

Something like this scene from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button:

Just what does it mean to "...know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those called according to His purpose." ? 

Are we simply free-will agents living in a world of selfishness and chance or are we micro-managed puppets in the hand of an overachieving deity?

Advice (10-29)

10. When things go wrong don’t go with them.

11. Write down your dreams.
12. Give credit. Take the blame.
13. You can't cram for a dentist's exam.

14. Make time for your mom on your birthday. It's her special day too.

15. It isn't the person who gives the most, who gives the most away.
16. Gratitude is the sign of noble souls. You have to be thoughtful, if you want to be thankful.
17. Dress for the job you want, not for the one you have.
18. Keep a garden.
19. Never turn down an invitation to speak in public.
20. Never respond to a critic in writing.
21. You aren't done raking until you've played in the leaf pile.
22. Know the difference between arts and crafts.
23. Surround yourself with smart people.
24. Don't be a snob.
25. If you've made your point, stop talking.
26. Admit when you are wrong. Be convincing.
27. If you offer to help, don't quit until the job is done.
28. Sunday is the FIRST day of the week, not the last.
29. When it's time to sing in church, SING! It's a great time to practice.

Advice (cont'd)

#5 Be mindful of what comes between you and the earth. Buy good tires, good sheets, and good shoes.

#6 Cellphones have amplifiers, there's no need to raise your voice.

#7 If you need music on the beach, you're missing the point.

#8 Don't pose with booze.

#9 Sadly, some things we love will never come back. The fedora is one of them.

Advice

Over the next while I'm going to add some bits of wisdom here and there that I have gathered from family, friends, reading and daydreaming, in no particular order. I suppose this is intended for my daughters as a kind of 'advice from dad'...but I'm never sure how it'll be received. Perhaps it will be useful for you too, I'd appreciate knowing. And feel free to add yours as well, or just comment.

#1 Never let a wishbone grow where a backbone should be

#2 When you're with new friends, don't just talk about old friends

#3 In her dad's eyes, until you marry her, you're not in the picture

#4 It's not the man who says the most who has the most to say

 

Chuck

Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.

Lights, please.

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

It's a...wonderful life

Take a minute and watch this. Life is so pediatric.

True North Strong and Free

So, are you ready for Christmas?

People keep asking me this question: "So, are you ready for Christmas?". What does this mean exactly? It could mean

"So, have you exchanged bits of paper and metal and plastic for other bits of paper and metal and plastic and then wrapped the new paper and metal and plastic in colored paper, marked them with the names of your family members and put them under a tree which has been cut down from where it grows but now stands in your home (or is also comprised of metal and plastic and lives the rest of the year in a box in a room under which it now stands)? And have you also combined food stuffs so that they have no nutritional value but make those who eat them magically become bigger each day that they are 'getting ready for Christmas'?".

Or does the question "So, are you ready for Christmas?" mean,

"So, are you fully prepared to receive the one who brings God to humans and humans to God by being both human and God?"

The answer to the first is "No. I haven't had time" the answer to the second is "I'm not sure I really can be"

Am I prepared for the coming of the Christ into the world? no. Am I ready? Absolutely.

Some things we are never prepared for. They happen anyway.
 

 I'm ready for Christmas because after this season of Advent I really need to hear the story of Christ's birth again. I need to hear about how God enters fully into the muck of our existence and brings new life. I'm ready for that because I know that I need it.

Am I prepared for Christmas? No. There is no way for me to know how God will bring new life into this existence - here in this place, in this life, at this time. One thing I know is that, like the birth of Christ, it's won't be what I expect or what I think I'm prepared for.

Merry Christmas.

Thanks Nadia Bolz-Weber

Home is where the hearts are

One nation under God

Saw this picture recently and thought it was amazing! click on the link below

Placing the cursor over a person will provide a description of that character on the right. Be sure not to miss the group of people in the lower right corner.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section.
Enjoy...

http://www.mcnaughtonart.com/artwork/view_zoom/?artpiece_id=353