Seasonal Thoughts

In thinking about Christmas the past few years, Wade and I get very disgusted with the rampant materialism that is all around us and even expected of us. It seems that there can be no Christmas get togethers without gifts. Why? And why don't I remember it being like this when I was a kid? Today I read an article about how Rome's biggest festival (even before the birth of the Christ) was similar to our American Christmas today. Which reminded me that, like someone pointed out to me recently, America today is so like Rome of the first century. And you know Rome fell. But I digress. Today I also read a post on Alan Cross's page. I found it so profound and encouraging and challenging that I felt I must share, so here it is:

I've meditated on what Jesus came to do and I have asked Him to do it in me in a fresh way. I've begun to look at the season in a whole new way and joy is being restored. The pain that I have felt of broken families and loss has begun to be shouldered by the God-man who took on flesh and became our Immanuel, God with us. What a blessing! What a perspective! It is all beginning to come alive and joy is returning.
But, it is not a joy that comes from this world or the plastic that we are to ingest from our culture. Instead, I am seeing the miracle of the coming of Christ in ways that go beyond words or manger scenes. Things that I've known to be true are coming alive in my heart, not as a "Reason for the Season," as though Christ was just the underlying excuse for all the celebrating. Rather, I am seeing the world aflame with the purposes of God, as Jesus stepped into space-time to bring salvation to all the world. The words of the great carols are resounding in my soul more and more as I think upon the power of the inexpressable, uncontainable God, limiting Himself to dependent baby human flesh. What a miracle!
This might all seem elementary, and these are things I've known for all my life. But, it is amazing how much worldly expectation you can attach to spiritual things. Christmas belongs to Christians, not the world. They are going to get it wrong 100% of the time. We endanger ourselves when we give our celebrations and our hearts over to the world to redefine and destroy. We endanger our faith when the validity of our celebrations rest on the good will of a secular world in saying "Merry Christmas" or in hosting our Nativity scenes. Christ lives within us. He has come. If He has come, shouldn't we go and tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere, that Jesus Christ is born? Shouldn't we incarnate Christ into our dark world? Shouldn't we bring His peace, joy, hope, and love to a world in desperate need?
On December 26, in the midst of new toys and gadgets, America will wake up with a profound materialistic hangover, covered in wrapping paper and credit card debt. There will be a let down that is only alleviated by more shopping for after Christmas sales and the celebration of New Year's. But, we will arise with hope in our hearts and praise on our lips. Our Savior has come and He lives within us. He still wants to come further and deeper into our world and He has chosen us to bring His Kingdom. How can our Christmas be about that? How can each present we give be a representation of the gift of grace that was given to us in Christ? How can each time we light the tree, we remember and proclaim that Jesus is the light of the world?
I'm all for Christmas again. But, I'm a Christian and I celebrate it differently from the world. I celebrate the Incarnation of the Son of God onto a planet frozen in sin and death. He brought life, light, and salvation. May God be praised forever. Immanuel - God with us.

This definitely gives me something to think about. Surely a new perspective like that can change my outlook and attitude. If not, I'm more like the world than I realized. I invite you to share in this challenge of making Christmas about Immanuel--may we hold each other accountable in love.

Update, or Book?

Wow! It seems that I've stored up quite a lot to post. There's Halloween, our trip to Cheaha, and Hockey Day. I think I may tell the story with pictures. And this time I expect some comments, friends.

Halloween

Cosmo 2006
Cosmo 2005

Cheaha

Brenda took this one at the main lookout point.
There were so many people there that I can't believe no one walked in front of our camera for this one.
The two scaredy-cats. We're a lot farther from the edge than it looks. This was on the other side of the mountain from the main lookout, and it was so beautiful!

You can see the restaurant at the top of the picture.
Joe and Brenda
Brenda climbed into this "cave." I don't think any of the rest of us could fit.

Hockey Day

Thanks to Susie (in her wonderful coat) we stayed in Barron 220.
Current and future hockey players. The smile on Lily's face when her mommy finally came back was just too precious!
Judson was beautiful...
and there's nothing like a good game of field hockey!

After staying up all night, Lily and Baby finally took a little nap.
Lily just climbed right up there like she knew what to do, so of course I gave her a ride around the lobby while were waiting to go to the new "soul food" place in Marion.
After dinner, we all got more comfortable before playing pennies. How cute it this little "rolling stone"?!!
But first things first, Christy taught Lily how to play pennies--or was it the other way around? I can't remember since at the time I was drunk on cough syrup.

Because Friday was Susie's birthday, we had a little party. Christy got her own babydoll birthday cake (probably because some people forgot her real birthday).
Here's Jennifer and Lily with Super Susie's birthday cake.
Susie even got a bucket of prizes.

Someone even left Christy a "birthday present."
Whether Susie liked it or not, Lily was going for another goldfish.
"You don't count your money when you're sitting at the table, there'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done....You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em....." Lily really liked when she was stuck in the pack-n-play and Susie sang to her. Just joking; Lily really didn't like it very much. Also, notice that Susie's Buddha is holding the Superman symbol.

Happy Birthday, Christy!!

Today at myway, my "fortune" read: Simplicity of character is the natural result of profound thought.
What do you think, you readers who never comment?

A Real Update

Most of you are probably shocked, but I really am posting again. I wanted to last weekend, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise. Wade finally decided (on his own, by the way) that it was time to get rid of one of his three toys and get a grown-up vehicle. So we sold the car less than two days after listing it on autotrader.com and last weekend we bought a truck. I always said I'd never, ever own another Ford after the Blue Goose but just look where that got me--never say never. Today we drove the new truck to Roanoke to show it off a little since no one up there knew we had even sold the MR2, so that was fun.

Enough about that. Saturday we cut down about 10 dead pine trees from our lot. Then we went to Plant World and bought 10 new trees and planted them as a privacy hedge. I decided that we're "Do-it-Yourselfers." I have to say that our place is starting to look pretty nice. Now if I only had some design sense maybe the inside of the house would be more complete. I was supposed to clean this weekend, but I played landscaping instead because it's so much more fun.

I'm so jealous of Wade this week. He's on Fall Break and I have to go to work every day. Blah! But I'm counting the days until Hockey Day--I can't wait!

From the Old to the New

Oddly enough, I'm really going to miss this car.

Okay, Okay...

This has to be quick.  I'm just saying today that you'll have a real update by
Sunday.  I have my reasons for waiting, so you'll just have to wait, too.

p.s.  1 month 'til Hockey Day!! 

Brace yourselves--this one has lots of pictures.

As requested, I have finally posted pictures from our vacation. We had a great time! It was hard to come back. Amelia Island is such a beautiful and relaxing place. Mostly I've just posted random pictures. And at the end I threw in a few of when we went to see David and Traci and Lilly Kate.

What a cute couple (even if I was falling over)!
The family
Joe and Brenda--another cute couple
The family again

 

Random beach pictures

 

I think this shot is of them setting up the canopy.
The next day, it got very windy so Joe and I went down to take off the canopy. This is a close-up of the above picture...
Everyone thought it was hilarious so they took pictures.

 

We played minature golf.
Matt got two extra feet for his birthday.
Unflattering picture of me and Brenda talking on the beach
Wade took this one of me and Matt walking in the surf looking for shells or shark's teeth.