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!

Images of God

It's important to keep adding to our storehouse of names, aspects, and images of God. We tend to stick with the familiar images such as Father, Shepherd, Comforter, Christ. But what if we’re looking for the divine Comforter while the divine Challenger actually is on our case? Or we’re thinking we need the Fire of the Spirit to buck up our faltering spirits when God is trying to make the Water of grace available through our own tears? What if we’re looking for divine Light and illumination when what’s available is the divine Darkness in a “cloud of unknowing”?


- Robert Corin Morris, Wrestling with Grace: A Spirituality for the Rough Edges of Daily Life

The above quote was a part of my e-devotional today. I must say I really kind of struggled with it when I first read it. The author really challenges me to think outside the box that I like to keep God in. I often do only want God to be my Shepherd and Comforter. I don't what to hear the words of the prophets that challenge me. I don't want to be reminded of my sinful nature. I don't want God want a mysterious cloud of unknowing when I am in crisis or pain.
The Good News is that God is so much more than I can begin to wrap my brain around. God is Love, Comforter, Giver, Shepherd, Challenger, Accuser, Mystery, Light, Darkness, Truth and so much more. The real lesson for me in this devotional was to be reminded again that God is God and I am not.
I hope you are having a great weekend. I can't believe my vacation time went by so fast. It's been good but all too short. Thanks for being a part of my journey!