I told you so.....

The winter weather and my current mood has led me to revisit some of the literary classics of my youth. This week I embarked on a reread of Silas Marner. Written in 1861, it must have been on the list of  "must reads" in the middle of the last century, because most everyone of a certain age has read it.
However, I don't think many folks, under the age of 55 or so, have even heard of it. It has disappeared from the required reading lists of modern education. Kids are reading other things, now.  And, I am admitting that it didn't make much of an impression on me at age 15. But, I think it was supposed to.
Silas Marner is a highly moralistic tale. The good characters prevail through all of the trials posed to the them. The bad guys get their come uppance, in the end. No doubt young readers were supposed to learn something from the story and heed the written warnings to make good choices or regret it.... for ever and ever...for generations to come.
Honestly, in my reread this week, I found I had retained very little of the plot. I can't blame my morals...or the lack there of....on Eppie and the coal hole. The ending was a pleasing surprise.

Gracious and all knowing Lord. You show us the right path. We know that our decisions do have consequences.We don't have anyone to blame but ourselves, when we make the wrong choices. Open our eyes and our ears to your guidance. Shut our mouths, so we can listen to your direction. Praise the Lord, always.

How cold is it?

In Southern California, it snowed recently. From the weather reports, it's actually near freezing in San Diego. San Diego, you know, almost always has practically perfect weather. Warm, rarely HOT, and cool, never COLD. Their current weather phase is a rarity, indeed.
I cannot imagine how the folks out there are coping. People in Southern California, even stay inside when it rains.....because it rarely ever rains! They don't have snow boots. (My Orange County sister once put baggies on her kids feet, when they took a day trip to the mountains, to play in the snow.) They don't have warm coats, hats, gloves or scarves.
What can I say, as I sit here, all cozy in my turtleneck, lined jeans, fuzzy socks and faux fur slippers? We adapt to cold weather, here in the middle lands, just as we adapt to our sweltering summers.
As my nonagenarian friend says, "this too shall pass." It will warm up soon, folks.

Oh, Lord. We are hard to satisfy. We complain about all kinds of things. We rarely remember to give thanks for all that we have. Our blessings are mighty. Tomorrow is a brand new day. You are with us, Lord, rain or shine.

Have Faith

The choir sang a catchy anthem last Sunday. It was based on the the Bible verse..."Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened..... ". It had a great message. But, the problem was, we were having trouble singing it with conviction. We just couldn't get our level of excitement up to match the words we were mouthing. We were singing about God answering our prayers, but it sounded like we didn't really believe it.
Faith is so easy catch and so incredibly hard to hold on to.

Great God. You are always with us. Hold us tight. Open our eyes so that we can imagine what you have in store, for those of us who have Faith in you. We are of your Kingdom, always.

     

Happy New Year, Folks

It's a new year. The old one is toast! Stick a fork in it! It's so last year!
Aren't you looking forward to starting anew? The new year is a time for making resolutions and promises to ourselves and others.
Last year, I resolved to write a blog entry every week. I didn't make it. The year before I think I had one about losing some weight or maybe it was exercising regularly. I wasn't very successful at those, either. Several years ago, my resolution was to eat a fresh fruit daily. Change fruit to snack food, and I would have made that one, in spades.
But, the optomist in me, says "Go ahead and shoot for the stars. Make those resolutions, no matter what your success rate has been".
So, all of the above. Ditto, again! Why not? Those hopes and dreams are still valid. Add to the above... find meaningful and lucrative employment and maintain a strong sense of humor. Oh, and be a better friend to everyone I care about.
I've got a big and busy year ahead of me.

Kind and gracious God. There isn't a single doubt in my mind that you are with us every minute of every day. Open our eyes that we might be willing to see what you have in store for us this year. Guide our feet, the race is sometimes very difficult.
We thank you for our many blessings. Amen. Amen.

5 Gold-en Rings

Wouldn't you know it? The furnace humidifier bit the dust last week. We called right away, but with the holiday, the repairman didn't show up until today......4 hours late, but he DID come. I'm grateful. My lips are chapped and my skin is flakey, but I am grateful.
When he finally arrived, he entered the house and spoke, as if in total amazement ..."Your Christmas Tree is still up!"
Now, folks, it's only the 28th of December. Good Lord, it's only the fourth day of Christmas. My true love has just given me 4 calling birds, for Pete's sake. I'm waiting for all of the other stuff! The 12th day isn't until the 5th of January.
Don't rush me. I want this season to last. It is not my fault if most Americans have their trees up and decorated by Thanksgiving. Go ahead and put it up on Labor Day, for all I care. We will continue to decorate our house after Thanksgiving, and put up our tree one week before Christmas. We will enjoy it until after the first of the year.
So, please, don't mess with my holiday and I won't mess with yours.

Happy New Year.

Dear Jesus: We are celebrating your birth. We do it in many ways, but as birthdays go, you always have a wonderful one. We are thankful for your birth. Let us always remember to make you the center of our Holiday plans.
We glorify your name.

"The stockings were hung by the chimney...."

I am hanging a new pre-lit galand around our front door. This "new-fangled" decoration will take the place of the well-worn and out dated GIANT lights, that for years, outlined the roof of our ranch-style home. The time is right for a change and both Scott and I agree that a new entry is the perfect way to greet holiday guests.
Other changes are happening, too. This year, for the first time, all of our kids and their spouses have children old enough to create family traditions of their own. Santa will come to each of their households on Christmas morning and some of them will spend part of the day with one set of grandparents or the other. This is the way it should be.
But, Santa plans to stop by our house, too. Our granddaughter, Sophia, will be visiting and the Jolly Old Elf will know right where to find her. Her stocking will be hanging right where her daddy used to hang his.

Great and glorious Savior. We celebrate Your birth and the joy that is Christmas. Be with all of our families, wherever they are this holiday. Our lives change. Time passes. But, You are with us always, every step of the way. We praise Your Holy Name.

"You've got the cutest little baby face"

This has been a week of events.
On Tuesday, 12/12/12, a new grandbaby was born to our family. Her name is Penelope Violet, and she is tiny and beautiful. Her birth date is special, of course, but to add to the specialness, she was born at noon.
This time of year we are in the midst of celebrating the birth of another tiny child. We  know next to nothing about the grandparents of Jesus, but I feel in my heart that they were just as excited about his birth as I am about Penelope's arrival.
Scott and I have seven grandchildren and each one is "practically perfect in every way". Every grandparent, I know, feels the same way.

Precious Lord. Thank you for bringing us grandchildren. They are a special blessing. Watch over them and keep them all safe and out of harm's way. Guide them and lead them in the way that leads to life eternal.