Nice Christmas

I had a very nice Christmas Day yesterday. I got to sleep in. I spend some time with my sister Stacey, brother-in-law Rob, and nephew Cameron. I also got to spend some time watching Netflix movies. It was a good day. I am grateful for this coming week of vacation to rest and relax. I am grateful to God for all of the blessings in my life. Most of all, I am grateful for the gift of God's Son Jesus.
I hope you have a great start to your week. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

For a Child Has Been Born for Us

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

- Isaiah 9:2-7, NRSV

Have a very blessed Christmas!

Christmas Eve, Chinese Food, and the Children of Abraham

I had an interesting Christmas Eve tonight. I have been home all day and decided only to venture out to attend a Christmas Eve service at my church. However, my plans got changed just a bit when my sister Stacey called me in the late afternoon with a most excellent invitation. She invited me to join her family for dinner at my favorite Chinese buffet. Of course, I could not pass this up. It was a chance to re-enact the scene from the movie A Christmas Story. Fa Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra!
So, at the appointed time, we showed up at the Chinese buffet and it was packed. There was about a half hour wait before we could get a table. While we stood in the entry way admiring the juxtaposition of the Christmas tree and the koi swimming in the fountain and the Santa Claus statue and the Buddha statue, I noticed that my fellow Christmas Eve diners were quite a diverse crowd. Beyond the restaurant staff who were all wearing Santa hats, I also noticed most was that there were several people of Middle Eastern descent. Most of the women had their heads covered and several were speaking languages that I didn't recognize. There is a rather large mosque and Islamic center near the restaurant and so this didn't completely surprise me. However, I thought it was interesting that so many people who appeared to be practicing Muslims were out on Christmas Eve for dinner at a Chinese restaurant.
It got a bit more interesting when in walked some of Stacey's friends. The family has a boy who was in my nephew Cameron's class in school. Later on in the evening, Stacey shared with me that her friends were Jewish. I immediately recalled Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan's response to the Senator Lindsay Graham's question during Kagan's confirmation hearings about where she was on Christmas Day last year. Kagan responded, "You know, like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant."
So, the Christmas Eve service was beautiful at my church. We sang all the beloved Christmas carols. We heard the account read of Jesus' birth from the Gospel of Luke. We got to light candles and sing Silent Night. However, I think I what I will most remember about this Christmas Eve was that for a brief moment, I was united with my fellow children of Abraham for a delicious Chinese buffet.
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Ten Days Off

I have the next ten days off work. I get tomorrow off as a holiday and then I'm taking all next week off. I am looking forward to doing not much of anything. I plan to attend Christmas Eve services at my church tomorrow night. I'm not sure which service I will attend. There are five from which to choose and each one looks like it will be different. Christmas day looks pretty low key. While I had planned to stay in my pajamas all day, I have been invited by my sister Stacey over to her home for dinner later in the day. Stacey suggested that I might want to shower before coming over. I guess I will oblige her on that point. The rest of the week will involve me taking naps, watching Netflix, reading, working on my new writing project, and possibly visiting with friends. I really just want to rest and relax. I am grateful for the opportunity to have a break.
I hope that you find time over this holidays to rest and relax and enjoy those things you love to do in life. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Waiting Room

The senior pastor at my church preached a wonderful Advent sermon today. He talked about how even as the culture is rushing towards Christmas, Christians are still in a waiting mode during the season of Advent and in our spiritual journeys. Advent is the season of waiting and preparing for the celebration of Christ's birth. It is also the time to remember that we await Christ's Second Coming when Christ shall return and transform the world as we know it.
My pastor talked about his experiences in waiting rooms and how journeying through Advent can be just like that. Like most pastors, he has spent many hours in hospital waiting rooms. He talked about how waiting rooms are places in which you can get your hopes only to have them dashed. There is great anticipation when a doctor or nurse enters the waiting room and looks for a family. Whenever the name is called and it's not your family's name, there is real disappointment.
Waiting rooms are also places where you meet people and talk with people whom you might not normally meet or talk with. There's something about the waiting period that can cause people to share things about their lives and families that they wouldn't otherwise share. People journey together in waiting rooms with hopes and fears. They share stories. They cry. They find both peace and anxiety. You just never know what may happen or what news you may hear.
Waiting rooms are also places that most of us don't want to be. I can't imagine that too many people ever just hang out in the waiting room of a doctor's office or hospital just for the fun of it. Even for chaplains who feel called to minister to people who find themselves in waiting rooms, they understand that this is not a place that the family and friends of the person in the hospital are not there because they had nothing better to do. They are there because they are waiting for news.
I remember when I was taking a class chaplaincy class at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, most often I was called to the waiting room of the hospital because the doctor had to give a family bad news that their loved one had died. Waiting rooms were not usually a place to which I wanted to be summoned. They were often places where tears were shed and grief was expressed.
I guess that's why so many of us like to skip right to Christmas rather than live through Advent. We like the happy story of the cute baby in the manger. We don't really have time to listen to prophets tell us things we don't want to hear or think about the Second Coming at which we will be judged. That just doesn't sound pleasant to me. I'd rather sing Christmas carols and give gifts. I don't really have time to wait. Life seems too short.
This is precisely the reason that I needed to hear this sermon about waiting today. I need to realize that I am in this waiting room of life and I need to make the best of my time here. I need to learn what I can from others who are waiting. I need to prepare and get ready for whatever news will be shared. I need to remember that God moves in God's time and that has nothing to do with my schedule or agenda.
So, as we journey through this last week of Advent, I invite you to join me in the waiting room. I could certainly use the company. Hopefully we can learn something together as we wait and hope for the Good News of Christ's birth.
Thanks for waiting with me and for being a part of my journey!

One Key Chain Found

I am very pleased to say after last night's odyssey that I found a key chain that was appropriate to use for our Habitat house dedication on Saturday morning. Thanks to my friend Mari who suggested I look at a Christian book store. I went to a Christian bookstore near my office today and found several very nice key chains from which to choose.
I ended up selecting a key chain with a passage of Scripture printed on it from Jeremiah 29:11 which reads: ^"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD." I thought this was an appropriate verse and wonderful words of assurance for new home owners to reflect upon. God does indeed know the plans for each family and reaches out to bless them in powerful ways as they move from living in poverty housing to a home of their own.
I invite you to join me in praying for our house dedication tomorrow and for the family who will close next week on their new home. It's always an exciting time for each family and is a wonderful blessing for me as a staff member of Habitat for Humanity. I also know there will be times of stress for the family in the coming days as they move and try to make their new house a home. Of course there is the added stress of preparing for Christmas for this family so soon after they close. I am praying that God's peace will fill this house and this family's hearts.
Thank you for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

A Very Special Christmas Video

I had a lot of fun the past few days writing the script for and taping a video for the TriState Habitat for Humanity website. Our Executive Director wanted to have a video Christmas greeting from the staff on our website and asked me if I would help. Of course, having been chosen as 1984 Best Thespian of Mishawaka High School, I can never turn down a chance to perform or be creative.
I first thought that we would need our construction staff to build sets. I would also have to get volunteers to sew costumes and we would need to rent a small orchestra. I also wasn't completely sure how, but I thought that the video would make use of a mirrored ball and lasers.
Well, the final product was a little less complicated. I think it turned out okay. The finished product strays from my original script and creative vision a bit, but in the end I guess it's not a bad video.
You can check it out at http://www.habitat-tristate.org/ Just scroll down and click on the video. I'd be interested in your thoughts.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

A Glee-ful Christmas

I absolutely loved this week's Christmas-themed episode of Glee. It was amazing! I can't decide if I liked Sue Sylvester as the Grinch most or Kurt and Blaine singing Baby It's Cold Outside. The episode was probably a little light on substance this week but it still touched on some great themes. I thought Brittany's unwavering belief in Santa Claus was hilarious. Overall, this was just a fun and entertaining episode.
Just when I think Glee can't get better, it does. I know in many ways it's pretty shallow entertainment but it continues to keep me watching and singing along. I don't think I could ask for more than that in a television show.
Thanks for being a part of my Glee-ful journey!

A Cold Winter's Day

I haven't left my apartment all day. The snow has been falling all day. There has not been a lot of accumulation and it looks like it didn't stick too much on the streets and sidewalks. However, I am guessing that the roads will be slick in the morning. I will need to allow myself extra time to travel to church.
I purposely planned to stay in today and work on the revisions of my short story for my creative writing course. I've made a lot of progress but it's still not where I want it to be. I will continue working on it tonight and tomorrow and hopefully be ready to present it to my class on Monday evening.
I did make a wonderfully delicious crock pot full of chicken tortilla soup today. It's fabulous and was the perfect thing to eat on a cold winter's day. It has a little kick to it and I made it more so with some chili powder before I ate my first bowl for supper tonight.
I am finishing up my last load of laundry. I got the bathroom and kitchen cleaned. I still want to work on some other stuff I need to organize but I think I will leave that to another day. For now, I'm back to my short story and an evening inside where it's warm. I have been listening to some of my favorite Christmas music and all seems right with the world. I am grateful for days like this in my life. They are truly gifts from God.
I hope you are having a great weekend. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

An Evening of Lights

Tonight my sister Stacey, brother-in-law Rob, nephew Cameron, and I went to dinner together and then went to a county park in Cincinnati to see a light display. It was quite a site to see. The park is mostly woods and a road runs through it. All along the road were Christmas light displays. There were lots of Santas and reindeer doing all sorts of things - flying, riding motor cycles, falling down chimneys, etc. There were angels and cartoon characters. There were snowmen and elves. There was even a very nice display depicting the nativity. It was a real hodgepodge of themes but some of them were really neat.
After driving through the light display in the woods, we stopped at the main park building. There were lots of people in the building including several screaming children. They had a train display, get your picture taken with Santa, a play room with tubes to climb through and balls to jump around in. There were musicians playing Celtic Christmas music and a puppet show with a very grouchy Ebeneezer Scrooge.
It was a fun evening. My nephew Cameron has recently lost both of his top front teeth. He had a hard time saying some words and on occasion sprayed me across the table when he talked. He was excited to say that all he wants for Christmas are his two front teeth. What joy he brings to my life.
I hope you have a great weekend. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Going Green with Goats ... and Discarded Christmas Trees?

Going Green with Goats ... and Discarded Christmas Trees?