Thinking on these things . . .

My kids were trying to pull me out of bed this morning. (Why is it that on the weekends they are up hours before they are on school days?) They were not having much success. When your first conscious thoughts are an assault of all the work you need to do, it causes a delay in your feet hitting the floor. I better understand how children feel when they're woken up to go to school - who wants to leave rest and ease for work? I thought this morning of Christ - of the antithesis of anticipation he must have felt before his incarnation. The God of the universe was going to come to a backwards, ignorant sin -filled world as a baby in order to die a cruel painful death on a cross. I'd sure be pulling the covers back over my head if I knew that was what was ahead. But there is the story of Christmas. Christ's feet "hit the floor"of a barn and walked along dusty roads and up Calvary's hill. There's a Christmas song sung by Go Fish that says it all: It’s not just a...

I have had an epiphany . . . well, that was my first thought, but I had to go and look up epiphany to make sure that was the right term. Epiphany: (1) a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2) an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking (3) a: an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure; b: a revealing scene or moment Yep, that was it—I had had an epiphany. I was reviewing something I'd done and realized that it really was good. Now, I'd been politely complimented by the people who knew me and I'd smiled and thanked them, but when I heard it for myself, what I heard wasn't the way it had sounded to me—what I heard was fantastic! My whole sense of reality is skewed now. I had thought I knew how it sounded. I was totally wrong. What else am I wrong about? I've written before about how you suddenly get a glimpse of yourself—the reflection in the store window, ...

“Fall on your knees…. Oh hear the angel voices….” Are you kidding? The only falling I’m going to do is on all the ice out here in the mall parking lot. This place is a madhouse. Why aren’t all these people ready for Christmas already? How in the world will I get in and out of this place in an hour? “Fall on your knees…. Oh hear the angel voices….” That’s a great idea for someone else, but I am far too busy to be stopping for angel voices. Have you seen the “to do” lists I still have? “Fall on your knees…. Oh hear the angel voices….” I am far too important to be falling on my knees. Don’t you know that without me Christmas wouldn’t happen in my household? There’d be no tree, no gifts, no cards, no fresh-baked cookies… (well, there probably won’t be any fresh-baked cookies anyway, I’m so far behind). “Fall on your knees…. Oh hear the angel voices….” Gifts bought and wrapped – check. Food prepared – check. Tree trimmed – check. Stockings hung by the chimney with care – check, check, check...

I live in Chicago. I'm dashing out to the car, already late, and discover that Jack Frost has been here, and apparently with ten of his buddies for no delicate design swirls on my windows, but ice that seems to be a solid sheet. Why do I never remember to leave enough time in my schedule in this the onset of winter for scraping the car windows? So I start the car and start looking for the ice scraper. Along the door - no. Under the front seat - no. In the back seat - no. In the trunk - no. Aargh ! Last year I had three scrapers in my car and now I can't find a single one. Back into the house I go, down to the basement, here, there and everywhere - not an ice scraper to be seen. I don't even want to look at my watch and see how late I am now. Desperate, I resort to the only tool I have...from my wallet I pull out a store rewards card and away we go - the funny thing is that the card actually works, not because it's a wonderful ice scraper but because the ice has softened...

My third grade daughter sat me down. She was going to draw my picture. I was told to pose and smile and she studied my face and studiously put pencil to paper. She would draw a line then look up at me intently, place a curve, then look up again. Her entire posture reflected her concentration. She was both serious and still. The process continued and now her paper reflected the shape of my face, the sweep of my hair, two eyes and an spot where my mouth had already been erased several times as she was having a hard time with it. It was one of those proud parent moments as I sat there watching her trying her very best to translate how I look to her paper. She was focused and intense and kept looking up at me to make sure she was drawing me correctly. Now no matter how hard she would try, her drawing will be that of an early elementary sort - somewhere between stick people and recognizable characters, but it wasn't her drawing that was bringing me this great pleasure. I was so proud of...

During this season you will be expected to … *maintain all your normal work responsibilities. *redecorate both the inside and outside of your home. *purchase appropriate and thoughtful gifts for all the significant relationships in your life and gifts of appreciation for those who assist you or your children, then wrap and present these gifts. *send out cards of greeting to current family and friends and also to those with whom this yearly card has become your last thread of contact. A personal note on each one is a welcomed addition. *host and/or attend festive dinners and gatherings. *prepare a variety of baked treats for above said holiday gatherings *learn and perform a quantity of new music requiring additional evenings of rehearsals. *participate in or contribute to charitable organizations. You must accomplish all of this in the next 25 days. There are no exceptions or excuses. This must all be done by December 25th. Is it any wonder that although we know that “Jesus is the reas...

I've realized that my favorite time of the week is Monday mornings about 7:30 am. Now don't throw things or stop reading out of exasperation yet - let me explain. By 7:30 my family is off to work and school. We have found the homework, and the gloves and shoes, packed the lunches and book bags and the door slams and the house is quiet. I pour a cup of coffee and sit down. It is the time for thinking, time for planning, time for lists. On a Monday morning there is a whole week of responsibilities and projects stretching out before me but, there is also a whole week's worth of time. As I make my plans and write my lists I have this sense of hope that by next Sunday night many of these things will have been accomplished. (It's an entirely different feeling than let's say on a Friday afternoon when the list still has half of the things on it!) Today is the first Sunday of Advent and appropriately the candle was that of Hope. There are only 23 days until Christmas but th...