On Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, I crept into my car at wee-thirty in the morning to start my drive into work. Creeping was my mode of transportation, because I was almost too tired to walk. On Tuesday, I had greeted 1800 folks at our annual Thanksgiving grocery give-away, at work. My face hurt from smiling. My feet hurt from walking. My back hurt from standing. Believe me, I was one tired puppy.
But, I bravely headed out of the neighborhood, aiming and hoping to merge into the inbound commuter traffic. Just as I hit the major thoroughfare, I realized that my morning radio station was not giving me the local or national news. It was not even giving me an oldie or even the latest sports scores. Coming from my car's dashboard was .......Christmas Music.
Did I oversleep and miss Thanksgiving, altogether? Had the stress of 1800 frozen turkeys, 1800 cans of cranberry sauce, 1800 cans of green beans, etc., etc., etc., caused me to erase from my mind, the preparation of our own Thanksgiving Feast? Was I so tired that I didn't even remember cooking?
NO. It was Wednesday. Thanksgiving 2012, had not yet occurred.
However, the first Christmas tune of 2012, was playing on my radio, and it was, as fate would have it, one of the most annoying songs of the season.
I changed the station.
Oh Lord. We are so blessed. We should take time to thank You for Your bountiful mercy and and Your steadfast love. Indeed, there is a time for every season and every purpose under heaven.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
A Pair of What?
One of my favorite activities is solving the daily New York Times Crossword Puzzle. In a perfect world, my daily routine would allow for enough time to solve the puzzle, correctly, every single day. But, because the puzzle gets increasingly more difficult, from Monday through Saturday, my attempts at the the late-week puzzles often go unfinished. That Saturday puzzle is generally an "all-day" brain teaser.
While solving the puzzles, I will sometimes have occassion to pull out my trusty Webster's, to look up a word (spelling or definition). I don't use the computer because that's just too easy...for a old pro like me.
Last week, I needed the definition for "Paraclete". According to Webster, a "Paraclete" is an advocate or intercessor. And in its Christian context, it describes the Holy Ghost.
So, I have added another word to my vocabulary. Right there in print, between "parachute" and "parade", was the Holy Spirit.
It shouldn't be a surprise, you know.
Holy God: You have so many names. You are our Great Advocate and our Ultimate Intercessor. Watch over your children and lead us along the path that You would intend for us to follow. Remind us to focus on listening and hearing Your Word. Sometimes, we need a reminder that we don't know all of the answers.
While solving the puzzles, I will sometimes have occassion to pull out my trusty Webster's, to look up a word (spelling or definition). I don't use the computer because that's just too easy...for a old pro like me.
Last week, I needed the definition for "Paraclete". According to Webster, a "Paraclete" is an advocate or intercessor. And in its Christian context, it describes the Holy Ghost.
So, I have added another word to my vocabulary. Right there in print, between "parachute" and "parade", was the Holy Spirit.
It shouldn't be a surprise, you know.
Holy God: You have so many names. You are our Great Advocate and our Ultimate Intercessor. Watch over your children and lead us along the path that You would intend for us to follow. Remind us to focus on listening and hearing Your Word. Sometimes, we need a reminder that we don't know all of the answers.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
One man's trash ....
Trash day is Tuesday, in our neighborhood. Bright and early, every week, we follow the same routine of placing our trash bag at the curb. Next to the trash bag, we carefully put our bin of recyclables. We are always very neat and deliberate about our trash. Then, we head off to work.
So last week we did just that. However, when I came home after work, I was in for a surprise. There, next to the curb, was our empty blue bin AND two bar stools. Some creep had dumped old furniture in our yard! How totally trashy was that?
Believe me, I was hot. Parking the car, I stormed into the house. Poor Scott got the brunt of my anger. I must have carried on for 30 minutes about the worthlessness of our neighbors and the meaninglessness of doing "the right thing".
His response was to tell me not to worry about it. How stupid was that? Because then I started to worry and fume, devising my plan to get rid of the two abandoned stools.
An hour or so later, I went out to run an errand. The bar stools had mysteriously disappeared. Some one had spirited them away. How great was that?
Oh, my Lord. Life is a marvelous mystery. We think we have everything so planned and departmentalized. We know how it is all supposed to be. We make our plans. Then....you show us what life is really all about. You are in charge, Lord. You are the One with the plans. "Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord, to thee."
So last week we did just that. However, when I came home after work, I was in for a surprise. There, next to the curb, was our empty blue bin AND two bar stools. Some creep had dumped old furniture in our yard! How totally trashy was that?
Believe me, I was hot. Parking the car, I stormed into the house. Poor Scott got the brunt of my anger. I must have carried on for 30 minutes about the worthlessness of our neighbors and the meaninglessness of doing "the right thing".
His response was to tell me not to worry about it. How stupid was that? Because then I started to worry and fume, devising my plan to get rid of the two abandoned stools.
An hour or so later, I went out to run an errand. The bar stools had mysteriously disappeared. Some one had spirited them away. How great was that?
Oh, my Lord. Life is a marvelous mystery. We think we have everything so planned and departmentalized. We know how it is all supposed to be. We make our plans. Then....you show us what life is really all about. You are in charge, Lord. You are the One with the plans. "Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord, to thee."
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