Fourth Day of Christmas: family

Lovely Christmas Eve here, with candles and carols and joyful worship.

24 hours later, we were getting off the plane and driving to Indiana; vacation (my first in months) had begun! We first spent a couple days up in the northwest corner (aka "The Region" for former Hoosiers), staying with my sister and her family. My brother and his family came down from MN, and Dad flew in from Arizona; so we had the whole tribe together for a nice visit.

This morning we worshiped at our old church (the parish that sponsored me for ordination). It was a traditional Lessons & Carols service. Well, quasi-traditional-- some of the music was very contemporary, and while (unlike some of my esteemed colleagues) I do not object to that, I found the selected pieces difficult to sing. Oh, well. We did have a nice visit with the folks there afterward.

Then this afternoon we got in the rental car and drove south to Indianapolis. A nice day for a drive, except for two things: the road was in lousy shape (are you listening, State Infrastructure People?) and we listened to the Bears game on the radio all the way down. Not a good day for the Monsters of the Midway.

Bruce has one sister who lives in Indy, and another drove up from southern part of the state for some good visiting time. Several of the younger cousins latched onto Kyle immediately; 10 minutes later they were all clambering up the huge pine tree by the driveway.

I will be content to get back next week; but it's good to spend the time, to renew relationships.

Feast of the Nativity

A blessed Christmas...

Football as Christian Witness

Reciting the Lord's Prayer before a football game does not make one a Christian-- not even in Texas. It takes more than a brief ritual to be a disciple of Jesus. Among other things, the business of loving God and one's neighbor takes acting as though each person we meet is "just as valuable as any other person on planet Earth."

Something like this is a start.

"Anyway, with the economy six feet under and Christmas running on about three and a half reindeer, it's nice to know that one of the best presents you can give is still absolutely free."

"Hope."

(Props to Kendall Harmon at T19.)

"Bear Weather"

That's what Chicago football fans call conditions like they've got tonight-- bitter cold, with the wind coming off the lake to make it colder. Local lore says bad weather is good luck. It's typical for the last game of the calendar year, traditionally when they play the Green Bay Packers.

It is a truism in Chicago that a bad season isn't as awful if the Bears beat the Packers; and even a great season is lessened if the Packers happen to win.

Tonight's final score? 20-17, in overtime!

Go Bears!

RevGal Friday Five: Countdown to Christmas

List five things you need to accomplish before Christmas Eve.

The good news is that our Christmas shopping, and all of the wrapping and shipping and distributing of gifts that go out beyond the walls of Chez Hoosier, is Done. Done. Done! But there are other "To-Dos" still on the list...

• Baking: I am the family Christmas cookie maven, and this weekend is Bake & Ship time. Butterballs, sugar cookies, kolachkis, toffee... I love this part of the tour.

• Preaching: I still need a sermon for Christmas Eve. 'nough said.
  

• Posting: Fold, address and mail church Christmas letters (yes, I know today is normally my day off; you'll have that), as well as cards and notes to our personal list. That didn't happen until later last year (we called them Epiphany cards); but I hope to get at least some of them out before we leave.

• Packing: We are headed back to the midwest for several days' vacation, and very much looking forward to the trip (woohoo!). Of course, this means laundry, sorting, etc.

• Praying: Daily devotional time each morning, despite my inclination to get all the work done first. "All the work done" never happens, and time spent intentionally in the presence of God... needs to.

How about you? What does your list look like?

Legal!

Our eldest has renewed her driver's license... because the format changes when one is a legal adult.



That photo feels more like mom's reaction to the idea of her baby turning 21! More actual pictures later, I promise.

I have too little time to blog, and way too many things to say about the beautiful young woman she is, and is becoming. So I'll just share the instructions that we've been giving ever since she was old enough to go out of the house without one of us:

Mind your manners.
Don't be stupid.
Remember we love you.

Happy birthday, sweetheart!

Porpoise-Driven Life

Are you anxiously waiting for the next Christian fad before everyone gets Left Behind?



(Props to Benedict Seraphim for this one.)

Brrr!

December in Big Sky Country means snow and chilly temps. I get that. Not much different than life back in HoosierLand, really. I like the snow, and I don't really mind the chill... to a point.

However, today we crossed the line between chilly and just plain cold. The temperature when I left the house this morning was -17°F (-27°C), and made it up to a high of about -6°F (-21°C) as I made my appointed rounds. Wind chill factors lowered those numbers another 10-15 degrees. What did this mean for the "wandering minstrel" priest?

• My utterly reliable car (aka "the VicarMobile") was not happy about starting. It did, each and every time; but it seemed to grumble whenever I turned the key in the ignition.

• Attendance was very sparse; a few of our most faithful parishioners don't budge (for health and safety reasons) when the weather gets cold, and others decided to follow their example.

• In the 90 minutes I was at St. Alban's, the water bottle I habitually carry in the car with me froze.

• The the blower on St. Paul's furnace (which roars like an airplane engine preparing for takeoff) did not shut off at any point during the service. We could have turned it off manually, but I did not want the few hardy souls there to turn into parishioner-cicles. Preaching and presiding required what my father calls STEEL MILL LUNGS.

• We celebrated the Eucharist in the parish hall at Our Saviour's because the church building would not warm up-- even the liquid wax in their new Advent candles froze solid.

The list of "Things They Never Covered in Seminary" added a new chapter today.

Life goes on

So... yesterday's stings still linger; but the world continues to turn. And I don't want to sound as though life is all miserable. In fact, today has been good at Chez Hoosier.

First, our daughter learned she'd done very well on her semester finals-- even Anatomy & Physiology, her big challenge. Way to go, CJ!

Next, my Christmas gifts arrived! Newlyweds everywhere would no doubt be groaning; but I am delighted to have a new washer and dryer. We've been nursing the old ones along and saving our pennies, hoping that we could replace them before they forced the issue by completely giving up. With Christmas as the excuse, we have done so-- with spiffy new front-loading models. They are water-saving, energy-efficient, quiet, and wondrous.

Then this evening we had our annual Christmas Shopping Date-- a tradition we started when our oldest was still in diapers. First, we enjoy a child-free dining experience at a restaurant with waitstaff that brings real food on real dinnerware. Then we finish up the holiday shopping, picking up whatever gifts are left on the list. Not much, this year-- the wonders of internet shopping have made getting done earlier very easy. No need to procrastinate because of crowds or traffic.

Then we came home in time to watch the last quarter of the Montana/JMU football game... and the Griz won! Very exciting.

All in all, a lovely day. Now all I need is a Sunday sermon...

It's been a day.

The most significant events today are not really bloggable; but they have left me frustrated and angry and sad. I am left to contemplate:

• the damage done by inconsistent and unarticulated expectations;
• spontaneous, short-sighted decisions which demonstrate control and power, more than any true concern for "the best interest of the child;"
• the impact of economic climate on individual circumstances... and when it becomes the latest and most convenient excuse to avoid charitable giving;
• how "perfect love casts out fear," and when the reverse can also be true.

I have also had a headache since roughly 5:00 this morning, and this is not helping. I'm going to bed.

Radio silence

Yes, I'm still here; as my father would say, alive and well and taking nourishment. Today's nourishment thus far consists of a lovely chai grande at a local Overpriced Hot Beverage Emporium. I do not treat myself this way often; but today I am taking advantage of their wifi connection, so I think of it as an especially tasty toll.

Lots going on here, inside and out, and some of it even bloggable; but corporeal life takes precedence.

Heads down and to work, and I hope to be back later with something more substantial. Take care, friends; I do miss you!