BLESSINGS OF CHRISTMAS

The whole day was a Sabbath day.
Resting
Snoozing
Phone calls to family
Gifts unwrapped
Being with the Boys all day
Baking gingerbread cookies for LH
Quiet time, holy time
lighted Christmas tree
wonderful dinner
being ever so thankful
feeling blessed beyond belief

BECOMING GODBEARERS

"In the fullness of time, God sent the Son." (Galatians 4:4)

"What good is it to me if the eternal birth of the divine Son
takes place unceasingly but does not take place within myself?
And what good is it to me if Mary is full of grace
if I am not also full of grace?
What good is it for the Creator to give birth to his Son
if I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture?
This then is the fullness of time:
when the Son of God is begotten in us."
Meister Eckhart - 14th century

May Christ be born within you this Christmas.
And may you bear God to a world in need of Christ's light,love, life, peace, hope and joy.

FAVORITE THINGS MEME

Just happened by Cheesehead's place and yup, read her favorite things meme, and now I've been tagged. So we'll give it a whirl:

Swiss chocolate
my greyhounds - Ben & Jett
my sister
my husband
artwork
Vivaldi
Henri Nouwen
bookstores
black ink
hard back journals
spaetzli
rainbows
pools
my corner of the sofa
inspired ideas
retreats
chocolate chip cookies
good wine
water
the music of cowbells on an alp
moose
Taize worship
the way the lights on the Christmas tree color the ceiling
colored Easter eggs
Zopf - Swiss bread
boiled wool slippers
comfortable shoes
my van
my pillow
duvets
freshly fallen snow on trees and bushes
bluebirds
the hushed quiet when it snows
Christmas Eve
70-75 degree days
time to just be
warm towels out of the dryer
fresh herbs & tomatoes from my garden
sunsets

Have to end somewhere...may as well be with sunsets. Consider yourself tagged!

ADVENT PREPARATION UPDATE:

So far, I've completed three Advent services.
Attended an Advent Event
a youth group Christmas party
did the service at the Retirement home
made plenty hospital/nursing home visits
working on home visits
sorted and gift bagged all LH's staff gifts
sorted and gift bagged all my staff gifts
wrapped, packed and sent 4 Christmas boxes full of gifts
sent 22 German Christmas letters
sent 25 Christmas cards and letters
handed out 9 gift cards to needy families (and bought went to the store and bought the gift cards for the church)
working on Christmas Eve very short reflection
and finishing all the parts of the liturgy for the lay people on Dec. 30th:
offering invitation, prayer of dedication, benediction, prayers of the people
the Christmas tree is up au natur! No lights, no decorations, no nothing!!! Hoping the lights will go up to tonight. I will hang ornaments and tinsel the next couple of nights.
Still have family gifts to wrap up.
I am very, very tired!!!
I could...just...sleep....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

MACHO-MARTYR MINISTER JUST DOESN'T WORK!

YIPPEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My computer came back today! All clean and fresh-faced from having it's clock cleaned!!!
Now, perhaps I can settle into Advent and get all my services together.
Between all the folks in the hospital and no computer, it's been...well...better not say!
Last Tuesday the heat went out in the offices and I froze since it was such a bitterly cold day. Heating folks can't make it out til Wed. morning.
Had Christmas Lunch with the Women's Association at a restaurant. I was glad for the drive so I could crank up the heat in the van. Was still cold at the restaurant and had a cup of coffee just to warm up. It worked!!!
On Wednesday, still no heat and cold and snowy. Arrived at the church to see footprints up the stairs to the door by the kitchen. Door was unlocked, boots and jacket on the floor and beautiful sounds from the sanctuary piano. School was cancelled due to the snowy morning and gifted HS student was practicing piano - all morning!!!
Shoveled the 2 sets of stairs and sidewalk out front. (Our custodian has a near full-time job with Friday and weekends off. He has to be at work very early in am so we have no one here to shovel during the week!) Went to spread salt, the bucket was next to empty with barely a handful. The shovel I used was old and beat up.
A trip to the local Hardware store was immanent. The Red Cross Bloodmobile was that day at 1 pm and they arrive at 11 am to set up.
By now I have held off going to the Hardware store still waiting for the heating company to arrive. Just as I told piano student what to tell the furnace guy and walked out the door and down the steps who should arrive? Yup, furnace guy. Tell him the offices have no heat and I have to get to the Hardware store.
Trip to Hardware store to get new shovel and 50 lbs of ice melt. They load it in my car. The ice melt bag is not nearly as big as a 40 bag of dog food or a big bag of fertilizer. I think I can handle it! I'm showing off, that a woman pastor can do what a male pastor can do. (Sinner that I am and stupid as I am!!) I actually get the bag up the steps and to the door. Can't open the door with the bag. Set bag down, open door, use big butt to hold door open, lift, twist and plop bag over threshold. Cut bag open, dump into bucket. Now go sprinkle ice melt at all doorways and down steps.
As soon as I had the bag over the threshold who tromps up the inside steps? The furnace guy!! Where was he 10 seconds ago, when he could've helped me? Igniter is burnt out, will check his van for a new part. Of course, doesn't have the right part, returns to company and will be back.
Red Cross arrives. I take off for my monthly clergy lunch. I am so ready for lunch and to get away from a very crazy morning. Lunch is good.
Drive in the clear opposite direction to make a hospital visit. Good visit.
Decide to return an extra book from the Mainline Christian bookstore in this town. I had already tried to return it once before, on a Saturday, with holiday shopping traffic in this shopping mecca of this part of OH, and there was an accident on the street of the bookstore. No traffic was moving for 20 minutes. (I gave up, turned around and went home by another way!!)This time I made it and instead of having credit in my account, found two other books and bought them.
Went home and called it a day!!!
Some days just make you wonder why you're a minister?
The weird thing that happened ocurred after dinner, when my knee (the one I had torn the quad muscle off two years ago) began to hurt, pull and feel tight like it did 2 years ago. I took some medication and had to be careful with it for three days. It hasn't ever hurt like that for 2 years. I surmise it was trying to be a macho martyr of a pastor and tried hauling that 50 lbs. of ice melt.
Lesson learned - it doesn't pay to show off, or brag or try to be a macho martyr pastor. Ask for help next time! Believe me, I will!!!!!
Hope this week will find me infinitely more productive and less stupid and sinful!
Hope springs up from within and without, especially in Advent!

RGBP'S FRIDAY FIVE ON TUESDAY! - LEAST HOLIDAY FAVORITE:

Please tell us your least favorite/most annoying seasonal:

1. dessert/cookie/family food
Has to be fruitcake, the candied fruit makes me shudder

2. beverage (seasonal beer, eggnog with way too much egg and not enough nogg, etc...)
eggnog, I'm just not a fan of it

3. tradition (church, family, other)
getting together with in-laws, not that thrilling

4. decoration
plastic Santas and Snowmen, etc. How tacky!

5. gift (received or given)
Outrageous socks with bizaare colors and circle mirror sequins on it that
I received from a friend. Totally tasteless and so not me! (Maybe it was a
regift!!!)

Bonus: Song/CD that makes you want to tell the elves where to stick it
Barking Jingle Bells - how obnoxious is that?!!? And I'm a dog lover!!