“…we will not spend Christmas
…nor observe Christmas.
We will keep Christmas
...keep it as it is
…in all the loveliness of its ancient traditions.
May we keep it in our hearts, that we may be kept in its hope.”
~ Peter Marshall, from his book Let’s Keep Christmas
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
The Wise Men on camelback
The wise men got it right.
In your race to Christmas, gather your gifts as they did... travel light... go slow... and enjoy the scenery under the stars!
-- Meg
In your race to Christmas, gather your gifts as they did... travel light... go slow... and enjoy the scenery under the stars!
-- Meg
Thursday, December 8, 2011
The Walk
By Lane Harvey Brown
I turned 49 last week. I know this to be true because I’ve had to do the math to remember which mid-40s year was up: 47? 48? 46? Wishful thinking.
It’s almost Christmas and this year it seems to have caught us completely by surprise. The Advent calendar sits bright and ready in the hall, watching as its children – now teenagers – trundle past without a glance on the way to high school each morning. I wonder if it can remember the feel of little fingers working on it the way I can.
The toy catalog comes and goes with only a chuckle about the silly stuff of little kids. Toys R Us has been replaced by big kid diversions: camping gear, clothes, phones. I flip through the American Girl and the Lego catalogs, pausing only briefly on the pages I use to study contentedly just a few years ago. Now I linger over things for college.
Oh I know, there’s no use moping. Every child grows up: Don’t dwell on it! I get that; what I don’t get is how it happened so fast, or how it happens to be me who is here.
Now I hear the quiet in the house differently, when I am home alone. It’s like its own song, one I admit I used to long for at times -- but now I’m not sure I like the tune. And this person – me – whom I have felt so many times like I have lost amid the mothering is about to be face-to-face with more time to get reacquainted than perhaps would be desirable.
So that’s my backdrop today, and yet, a thought strikes me as I am brushing my teeth: that’s the wonder of this time each year when we await one birth so inexplicable, so consequential. We return to the manger, all of us, a little older. Yet this birth never ages. It’s evergreen --
And I think of being very young, walking with my grandfather through the woods near his house in eastern North Carolina, on a cold December morning. Stepping over fallen logs, pressing back fingery evergreen branches with my own small hands, trying to stay by his side.
That’s the image I hold on to in my crowded head. In the rush of stuff we call Christmas, Advent is where I step outside.
The air is cold and fresh on my face. I step off into the woods at the end of the busy road. It wakes me up, and my cheeks cool from fury of the festivities. This forest is a house of stillness, spare, wonderful, real. If it were night, I could see the canopy of stars stretched across the open fingers of trees.
I look around slowly, trying to memorize this moment, the fullness of this quiet –
The feeling that I am never alone. That’s the promise of this time of year to me, and I know it to be true, as sure as I could feel those branches in my child-sized hands. My heart knows it, but I also see it, watching this season’s waddling toddlers, who will soon play pick-up football at the park across the street. Someday, maybe there will be kids there who come back to my house, a
new generation.
Life’s all changing, all the time, before us, after us, all around us. Yet for these spare weeks as fall opens the door to winter, we invite inside with it a hope that it will all continue, evergreen. And for me, right now this year, that’s very reassuring.
I turned 49 last week. I know this to be true because I’ve had to do the math to remember which mid-40s year was up: 47? 48? 46? Wishful thinking.
It’s almost Christmas and this year it seems to have caught us completely by surprise. The Advent calendar sits bright and ready in the hall, watching as its children – now teenagers – trundle past without a glance on the way to high school each morning. I wonder if it can remember the feel of little fingers working on it the way I can.
The toy catalog comes and goes with only a chuckle about the silly stuff of little kids. Toys R Us has been replaced by big kid diversions: camping gear, clothes, phones. I flip through the American Girl and the Lego catalogs, pausing only briefly on the pages I use to study contentedly just a few years ago. Now I linger over things for college.
Oh I know, there’s no use moping. Every child grows up: Don’t dwell on it! I get that; what I don’t get is how it happened so fast, or how it happens to be me who is here.
Now I hear the quiet in the house differently, when I am home alone. It’s like its own song, one I admit I used to long for at times -- but now I’m not sure I like the tune. And this person – me – whom I have felt so many times like I have lost amid the mothering is about to be face-to-face with more time to get reacquainted than perhaps would be desirable.
So that’s my backdrop today, and yet, a thought strikes me as I am brushing my teeth: that’s the wonder of this time each year when we await one birth so inexplicable, so consequential. We return to the manger, all of us, a little older. Yet this birth never ages. It’s evergreen --
And I think of being very young, walking with my grandfather through the woods near his house in eastern North Carolina, on a cold December morning. Stepping over fallen logs, pressing back fingery evergreen branches with my own small hands, trying to stay by his side.
That’s the image I hold on to in my crowded head. In the rush of stuff we call Christmas, Advent is where I step outside.
The air is cold and fresh on my face. I step off into the woods at the end of the busy road. It wakes me up, and my cheeks cool from fury of the festivities. This forest is a house of stillness, spare, wonderful, real. If it were night, I could see the canopy of stars stretched across the open fingers of trees.
I look around slowly, trying to memorize this moment, the fullness of this quiet –
The feeling that I am never alone. That’s the promise of this time of year to me, and I know it to be true, as sure as I could feel those branches in my child-sized hands. My heart knows it, but I also see it, watching this season’s waddling toddlers, who will soon play pick-up football at the park across the street. Someday, maybe there will be kids there who come back to my house, a
new generation.
Life’s all changing, all the time, before us, after us, all around us. Yet for these spare weeks as fall opens the door to winter, we invite inside with it a hope that it will all continue, evergreen. And for me, right now this year, that’s very reassuring.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
It's a little surreal
Since it was 70 degrees today (sorry Northern friends) it was easy to stop time in my mind. Because 70 means early fall, right?
And then Robby had soccer practice (which is usually over by now but he is filling in for a player on a friend's team) so that put my fall fantasy into full swing.
But the calendar is open on my desk, and yes, it is December 6.
I could panic and in the past, I have. Oh mercy, have I panicked. Like, not pretty, hide-in-your-room-boys-mama's-on-the-warpath unattractive.
I could worry, and let me assure you, that's been a speci-al-ity of mine, too. Have you ever bitten your nails so badly your fingers bleed?
Here's the deal. It's not even that I refuse to let myself feel that way anymore, though that would be ideal. It's that I physically cannot muster it. With enough reminders, with three years of great blog posts, with all your support and love and gratitude, I finally know what is most important and I am almost walking the walk.
And with God's grace, I am keeping the reason for the season above my need to rush around and get it all done.
But when I feel the heat creeping up my neck as I know it will in weeks to come when the pressure tries to rise, I know I can ask myself... is this what God has planned for us? Is this the Advent he would want me to have? Is this the best way to prepare myself for the birth of our savior?
I'll keeping working until the answer is yes.
And then Robby had soccer practice (which is usually over by now but he is filling in for a player on a friend's team) so that put my fall fantasy into full swing.
But the calendar is open on my desk, and yes, it is December 6.
I could panic and in the past, I have. Oh mercy, have I panicked. Like, not pretty, hide-in-your-room-boys-mama's-on-the-warpath unattractive.
I could worry, and let me assure you, that's been a speci-al-ity of mine, too. Have you ever bitten your nails so badly your fingers bleed?
Here's the deal. It's not even that I refuse to let myself feel that way anymore, though that would be ideal. It's that I physically cannot muster it. With enough reminders, with three years of great blog posts, with all your support and love and gratitude, I finally know what is most important and I am almost walking the walk.
And with God's grace, I am keeping the reason for the season above my need to rush around and get it all done.
But when I feel the heat creeping up my neck as I know it will in weeks to come when the pressure tries to rise, I know I can ask myself... is this what God has planned for us? Is this the Advent he would want me to have? Is this the best way to prepare myself for the birth of our savior?
I'll keeping working until the answer is yes.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The Ultimate Sacrifice
At Advent, as we prepare for our savior's birth, we can all give thanks for the many gifts we are given, including our life and our freedom. This is long but so beautiful:
My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. on this flight." (H.R.Stands for human remains.)"Are they military?" I asked.'Yes', she said.'Is there an escort?' I asked.'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'.'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said.
A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier.The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us. 'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia,' he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure.
About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin.'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is also on board', she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left.We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia. The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane.I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do. 'I'm on it', I said.
Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.
Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I Saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family.The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home.Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks."
I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane.
As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. He is a soldier who recently lost his life. Private Stephens is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is an Army Sergeant escort. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'
We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', "I'm sorry," "thank you," "be proud," and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane.They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.
Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA.
Footnote:I know every one who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me. This is a Prayer Chain for our Military. Please send this on after a short prayer for our service men and women.They die for me and mine and you and yours and deserve our honor and respect.'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need.. In Jesus Name, Amen.'
Prayer Request:When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world. There is nothing attached. Do not let it stop with you. Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in Harm's Way, prayer is the very best one.
My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. on this flight." (H.R.Stands for human remains.)"Are they military?" I asked.'Yes', she said.'Is there an escort?' I asked.'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'.'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said.
A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier.The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us. 'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia,' he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure.
About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin.'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is also on board', she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left.We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia. The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane.I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do. 'I'm on it', I said.
Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.
Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I Saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family.The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home.Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks."
I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane.
As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. He is a soldier who recently lost his life. Private Stephens is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is an Army Sergeant escort. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'
We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', "I'm sorry," "thank you," "be proud," and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane.They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.
Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA.
Footnote:I know every one who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me. This is a Prayer Chain for our Military. Please send this on after a short prayer for our service men and women.They die for me and mine and you and yours and deserve our honor and respect.'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need.. In Jesus Name, Amen.'
Prayer Request:When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world. There is nothing attached. Do not let it stop with you. Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in Harm's Way, prayer is the very best one.
Monday, December 5, 2011
The Same Sunset
My college roommate and I have a very special connection that has lasted through many years, many tears but mostly joy and lots of missing each other! The other night, I ran outside to grab a picture of a gorgeous sunset that was obviously just getting started here in Georgia as it headed West to glow over Colorado a short while later. She sent me this picture the very same night. I like to think its just one more way we share a brain cell and a love of God's creations across the miles. It's a gift to have her (and so many other blessings like her) in my life!
(Hers is the hipstamatic style on the bottom -- like my phone, my camera is not "smart.")
(Hers is the hipstamatic style on the bottom -- like my phone, my camera is not "smart.")
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Advent, Latin for "coming"
Advent helps us to do a little house cleaning. For the second Sunday of Advent I plan to share a story in my homily about my mom. I remember when she would leave for work and
tell us kids that the house “better be clean” when she returns. If the house was clean upon her return we experienced her benevolence, but if we were lazy and didn’t clean we experienced her wrath.
Advent (from the Latin for “coming”) is a time for preparing for the Second Coming of Jesus as well as remember His first coming at Christmas. So we should make sure that our lives are in order, that our homes and our hearts are clean through repentance of sin so that we may welcome the benevolence of Christ when he comes again.
Fr. Timothy J. Gallagher
St. Pius X Catholic Church
Conyers, GA
tell us kids that the house “better be clean” when she returns. If the house was clean upon her return we experienced her benevolence, but if we were lazy and didn’t clean we experienced her wrath.
Advent (from the Latin for “coming”) is a time for preparing for the Second Coming of Jesus as well as remember His first coming at Christmas. So we should make sure that our lives are in order, that our homes and our hearts are clean through repentance of sin so that we may welcome the benevolence of Christ when he comes again.
Fr. Timothy J. Gallagher
St. Pius X Catholic Church
Conyers, GA
Saturday, December 3, 2011
I don't want to miss out on any more....
Hi Meg,
I'm so happy to read and share your blog this year again. It is a bright spot in my crazy crazy day! We are all doing fine here. I had some unfortunate news in that my grandpa passed away a few days before Thanksgiving. I'm glad that he finally went "home" but he was so full of life. He passed away at 90 and still had a daily job and lived on his own. He went "downhill" quickly, which is just the way he would have wanted it.
We packed up the family, drove 14 hours to PA, and celebrated his life and visited tons of family we never see anymore. During this trip two things really stood out. The first was a teaching lesson for me and the kids as we stood in my grandpa's house wondering what to do with all of his things. You see, all of the "stuff" that clutters our life is so unimportant. It doesn't matter what type of material things we possess as it doesn't go with us. The only important
things that he valued were the people standing in his kitchen.
My second lesson stood out as Sydney (now 12) stood in front of an old, enormous cathedral and beautifully read a scripture at the funeral. She looked so poised and read so eloquently that I felt like I didn't know who that young lady was. Was she really the little girl I spent hours trying to get to sleep at night? When did she grow up? And why have I felt like I missed out on that process?
I am now learning, and conscious of, living in the "present" and not saying, "just a minute". I don't want to miss out on any more!
Wishing you and your family a beautiful Advent,
Debbie Connelly
I'm so happy to read and share your blog this year again. It is a bright spot in my crazy crazy day! We are all doing fine here. I had some unfortunate news in that my grandpa passed away a few days before Thanksgiving. I'm glad that he finally went "home" but he was so full of life. He passed away at 90 and still had a daily job and lived on his own. He went "downhill" quickly, which is just the way he would have wanted it.
We packed up the family, drove 14 hours to PA, and celebrated his life and visited tons of family we never see anymore. During this trip two things really stood out. The first was a teaching lesson for me and the kids as we stood in my grandpa's house wondering what to do with all of his things. You see, all of the "stuff" that clutters our life is so unimportant. It doesn't matter what type of material things we possess as it doesn't go with us. The only important
things that he valued were the people standing in his kitchen.
My second lesson stood out as Sydney (now 12) stood in front of an old, enormous cathedral and beautifully read a scripture at the funeral. She looked so poised and read so eloquently that I felt like I didn't know who that young lady was. Was she really the little girl I spent hours trying to get to sleep at night? When did she grow up? And why have I felt like I missed out on that process?
I am now learning, and conscious of, living in the "present" and not saying, "just a minute". I don't want to miss out on any more!
Wishing you and your family a beautiful Advent,
Debbie Connelly
Friday, December 2, 2011
Each day we are given...
I will be on the lookout for something good to post but for now:
I have a childhood friend that her son is on last efforts of radical chemo for lymphoma that the doc says will shut his organs down. Started today. He's 29, married and the father of two very young children.
I have a childhood friend I just spoke with that is stage 4 colon cancer. Says 'they say I'm dying but I feel ok.'
I have Jack Mathis (aka family of RL Mathis Dairy) whose wife died last night from stroke following news of cancer.
I have a cousin needing chemo and platelets from side effects of chemo for leukemia 10 yrs ago.
I went Thursday a week ago and gave platelets for David Boyd and my cousin, Kelly Richards. I had enough for three people.
It's coming home to me as a reality just how blessed each day we are given is and I am thankful for my family and our well being. It's all such a gift. The light in my grandchildren's eyes and their laughter are gifts. The love between my kids and their spouses is a gift. My dad leaving his cigarette butts in my flower pots is... well, I'm working on that one. My husband Fred is a gift (?)... I'm delirious....
I look all around and am so blessed. I love my neighbors (all of them)!
I have faith that God is driving this train and He knows best and above all we want His will to be done. Amen
-- Terri Abbott (my neighbor by the way... Thanks friend!)
I have a childhood friend that her son is on last efforts of radical chemo for lymphoma that the doc says will shut his organs down. Started today. He's 29, married and the father of two very young children.
I have a childhood friend I just spoke with that is stage 4 colon cancer. Says 'they say I'm dying but I feel ok.'
I have Jack Mathis (aka family of RL Mathis Dairy) whose wife died last night from stroke following news of cancer.
I have a cousin needing chemo and platelets from side effects of chemo for leukemia 10 yrs ago.
I went Thursday a week ago and gave platelets for David Boyd and my cousin, Kelly Richards. I had enough for three people.
It's coming home to me as a reality just how blessed each day we are given is and I am thankful for my family and our well being. It's all such a gift. The light in my grandchildren's eyes and their laughter are gifts. The love between my kids and their spouses is a gift. My dad leaving his cigarette butts in my flower pots is... well, I'm working on that one. My husband Fred is a gift (?)... I'm delirious....
I look all around and am so blessed. I love my neighbors (all of them)!
I have faith that God is driving this train and He knows best and above all we want His will to be done. Amen
-- Terri Abbott (my neighbor by the way... Thanks friend!)
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Why rush Christmas? Fall and Advent
Here is a shot of our breakfast table Monday morning. With Advent starting when my autumn decorations and Thanksgiving tapers are still out, it works :) We light our candle(s) everyday, usually at a meal, and I read aloud from the book, "Jotham's Journey," perfect for my kids' ages (short enough selection every day and a good amount of excitement and action for my boys). -- Amy Gottschang
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