DECEMBER DELIGHTS

December.

My favorite month.
Perhaps because it's my birthday month.
I await the celebration of the 'coming' of the Lord.
Advent . . .  the coming . . .  a time of waiting.
A time of planning.
A time of preparation.
A time to celebrate the birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ. . . 
 "The only begotten Son of God . . . God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father..."

John, the baptizer, was called by God to 'Prepare the way . . . the 'new' way . . . Prepare for the "new Covenant" . . .  the Lord, the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Yet, it all began with a devout, young, Jewish girl who said 'yes' to the Angel Gabriel when he said,
"Hail [Mary], full of grace, the Lord is with thee.  Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb..."

Mary was so filled with faith that she was willing to accept this 'gift' from God even if it meant she might be killed for bearing a child outside of marriage. 
So, I begin this month with the icon of Gabriel that I 'wrote' several years ago. [Icons tell the story through shapes and color]
Gabriel's words given to Mary nearly nine months earlier will soon bear fruit as we re-live the pageant of Christ's birth.

December 1, 2016
So many changes this year.

Night shots are not my gift.
Yet, these 'dancing' waters look
like lit up Christmas trees.

Instead of preparing the house for a snowy winter we are preparing ourselves for sunny, warm weather.
We're moving south for a few months.
It's our first year taking a long time-out from work.
We'll see how it goes.
In the mean time, we linger a little longer each day as we consider what it means to prepare for the 'coming' of the Lord.

This Advent we take time to step back a bit, breathe deep, count our blessings, pray for those who are struggling, encourage those who seem discouraged and enjoy all the ways we celebrate Christ's presence in our lives.
Oh JOY!

12-2:: Pick, Pack, Plop
That's how I feel today.
We're getting nearer to our travel date.
The car is packed beyond sensibility but 'we may need that' is the motto of the day.

This is the Pierce-Dupont home that we visited.
I love the simplicity of the stairway decorations.

Actually, it's the cleaning and putting away, the picking up and the stashing in the right place, the ever-present decision to pack, keep, give away or throw.
For the first time in decades we are actually gleaning files, piles and treasures.
We've moved many times and each time we get rid of 'stuff' but never like this.

Why on earth do we accumulate so much?
For us it is another book or tiny pieces of paper we've cut out of the newspaper or have written down from a lecture.
We've collected treasures that mean more to the soul than to the pocket book.
I'm trying to place these 'treasures' in my computer in some semblance of order.
However, that means that one of these days I must make the same decisions with all the files in my computer.
This takes far less space but it is still 'stuff.'
So, on we go . . .  pick out another item and decide to either pack it or plop it in the throw-away or give-away pile.
All in a day's work.

12-3::  And we're off . . .  like a herd of turtles!
I love that phrase.
So true.

I took this picture at dusk.
Gray skies, leaves blown away.
I love it but all too soon we will be
seeing different trees.

It feels like we are swimming in mud as we very carefully inspect the house to make sure all is nicely tucked away, cleaned up, shut off etc. while we are gone.

This is the longest time away from home we've taken so we are being extra careful.
A dear friend is taking care of other homes and has gladly added us to the list.
It's nice to know that our little abode will be loved by others while we're gone.
So, this entry is short because we must get going.

Turtles may be slow but they are steady and persevere through any obstacle.
That's what we are planning to do.
We have our guardian angel, we prayed prayers for focus, guidance, protection and safe travels.
We are on our way.
Hopefully we will reach our destination in a timely manner.
As some might say, "God speed."
That sounds so much better than being in a turtle race.

12-4:: Second Sunday of Advent
Preparations for the 'coming' of Christ continue.
We think of Joseph and Mary trekking to Bethlehem for the census, a requirement.
Mary is almost ready to give birth to our Lord.
Purple is the color of the day . . . mildly penitential, regal, majestic . . .  my favorite of the four major colors of the year.

We just got off the car-train.

I posted this last month but I so love this depiction
of Mary by Nellie Edwards.  Go to her website for
more pro-life art.

Almost no sleep even though we had a very roomy and comfortable private compartment.
The constant sway of the train was not as bad as the 'jolt' around curves.
There must have been loads of curves.
We met wonderful people: compartment next to us and at dinner and breakfast.

One couple wants to visit us even though they are over an hour away.
We discussed everything from soup to nuts and agreed on most everything . . .  even politics?
One difference, which made no difference to either of us, was they are Jewish.
In fact, we talked about the prophecy of Isaiah and Amos and Micah.
They agreed that Jesus was Jewish and was God's gift to us to call us all back to God.
I look forward to further discussions.
Most of all, I look forward to sharing moments with them . . .  perhaps as we walk through the botanical gardens that are in our neighborhood.

We cherish moments with the Lord as we pray THANKSGIVING that we are safe and our little car made it all the way to our destination in one piece!
After unloading the car and finding our favorite Chinese take-away, we are done for the day.
As we think of Joseph and Mary trekking to Bethlehem for many days, we are blessed to arrive at our destination in less than thirty-six hours.

12-5:: A New Bit of Jumble

Here is a nice bit of jumble that greeted us.

By early morning I have most of our belongings in place.
The overloaded car was not only emptied but all it's contents has found a place.

We have everything we need except food.
So, off to the super-store we go to load up on enough food for our stay.
Then another store, and another.
And, of course, our stop at Chick-fila . . .  my favorite place of a huge salad with just a little bit of chicken.
Unpack and stuff away.
We have plenty of cupboard space but a small refrigerator.
Of course hubby had to get the bargain quantity so three cartons of milk, four huge containers of yogurt and other ingredients that must remain cool are stuffed into this tiny space.
I re-arrange shelves, figure what fits best in each space and hope for the best.
Now all we have to do is remember what drawer, shelf or cupboard we've shoved stuff.
It's actually a nice challenge for us.
We were getting a bit too complacent in our lives with the same daily routine.
Now we have a jumbled bit of time to re-think, re-organize, re-group and PARTY!
Our little condo is already having a gathering.
I'm suppose to bring an appetizer.
Trying to find a proper recipe will be a 'jumble' in itself.

12:6  We're Getting There
A run to the hardware store and a few other places and I think we've finished.
More boxes arrived.

Some red and green . . . almost Christmas.

Unpack, unpack, unpack . . .  seems to never end . . .  mostly books.
Most everything will remain here, which is nice.
We so love our books.
It now seems like home.
I save everything, including the hundreds of plastic grocery bags I used to 'wrap' everything.
I now have a HUGE bag full of these little bags.
Hubby loves to empty trash daily, in each room.
So, we will never have to purchase trash bags.
We re-cycle everything so that's nice.

Phone calls begin to come in.
Friends know we've arrived.
"Don't forget our morning gathering on Friday [plus our condo gathering later in the day] and the tea on Thursday and the event next Monday and . . . "
Our calendar is getting full and few know we are here.
That's why I so love early mornings.
I can sit quietly, look our the lanai windows, ponder what the Lord has put on my heart, pray for others, write this blog and simply BE.
My quiet time has been sketchy the past week but I'm getting there.

12-7:: Pearl Harbor Day
75 years ago today the United States of America was totally unprepared for the attack on Pearl Harbor.

A picture from the History Channel.
They do an excellent  job sharing history that may not be taught in school.

Devestation.
The very new RADAR was not trusted.
When a report of seven planes reached Hawaii, found by radar and not identified, the report was dismissed as 'american' planes.
In fact, people were just waking up to another beautiful day.
The Japanese first hit the electrical center, then the grounded planes then the ships.
Our planes could have been up in the air had there been drills for what might happen if enemy planes were in the area.
However, there was no inkling of this possibility because the closest air strip was "too far away for the planes to come and return."
The Japanese "Kamikasi" knew they would not return.

Fifteen years ago we were totally unprepared for the ISIS strike on the twin towers.
No way could an enemy plane get through the constant flight corridor of protection.
We had no idea that our own passenger planes would be hijacked and used for mass destruction.
We were complacent in our airport screening processes.
We were totally unprepared for such evil.

That's what Advent is all about.
Be prepared.
Prepare our souls for any surprise the 'evil one' may have in store for us to distract us from the truth of this time of quiet anticipation of the grandest party of the year.
We can be blindsided at any moment of our lives.
Advent is a time to remind ourselves to maintain the "drills" of prayer, worship, scripture study, sharing God's gifts in community and being aware of our daily blessings in the midst of a very secular world.
Pearl Harbor Day is not an event in the past.
It can happen at any moment . . .  again . . .  and again . . .  as we have experienced.
Let's be prepared.
Let's keep up with the 'drill'.

12-8:: The Tea

Of course I did not take pictures but this little
setting is my little set-up in our bedroom.
Mother always had the tea table set and ready
in the bedroom for early morning.

I was invited to a TEA.
It's at the church I served over seven years ago.
I thought it might be fun to see old friends and enjoy some sense of beauty.
Twenty women volunteered to 'set' a table of eight in a theme they created.
So, each of these tables had a beautiful centerpiece with a full place setting, with napkins and placemats over tablecloths, to match the theme.
Unbelievable.
Of course I did not take pictures.
The "Tropical Christmas" theme was PINK with Flamingoes dressed in pink feathers.
The tree was trimmed in PINK.
The two hostess were in shades of PINK.
And many wore pink as they followed the theme.
What a delight.
The grand finale was singing the "Twelve Days of Christmas" with each table taking on a specific verse.
By the last few rounds, we were all getting a bit creative with hand actions to depict our verse.
TEA, a delight for the senses and the soul.

12-9:: The Group
I've belonged to the same accountability group for sixteen years.
We meet weekly.
Except for vacations, I have been away from the group for almost eight years.

I felt like the "Queen of Everything" as
Mary Englebrite says on her cup.

Each time I join them it's like I never left.
We come together to share what God has done for us and what we have done for God each week.
We share our 'journey' so to speak.
Some have much to share.
Others are not so verbal.
We encourage one another but do not make suggestions or try to counsel.
[Sometimes we just can't help ourselves and we do get opinionated.]
Over the years I have seen soul-growth and depth of character expand in each of us.

Today was special.
I was able to join in the annual 'gift' giving.
Each gift was either hand made or cost less than a dollar.
It is the idea of 'giving' to our dear sisters and sharing in the reason for the season.
We attend grouping at several homes but this person lives a bit of a drive away.
So, she only has the Group at Christmas time.
WOW!
The entire house said, Welcome, Celebrate, God is with us!
Elegant, yet fun.
Gingerbread everywhere but discreetly.
They are known as the Ginger Bread couple because they bake everything gingerbread each year.
They use to have a business in gingerbread.
Totally amazing.
Another day to receive the gift of beauty, creativity, JOY, celebration, sharing, sister-love and so much more.

12-10:: Spinach Balls
Last night was COLD

Yet, the little community where we are staying for the winter simply dressed in more layers.
We had an outside gathering on 'the lanai.'

This is as close as I get to Spinach balls.
Our collective tree filled with 'knitted' ornaments.
An oxymoron set next to the 'flora' and 'font' of Florida!

It's a huge covered area with loads of chairs and tables and lovely decorations.
Two dear ones took it upon themselves to invite the entire condo community to a feast.

Of course we all contributed to this feast.
Except me.
I was so excited to share this new recipe for Spinach Balls but it was not to be.
I managed to pre-prep parts of the recipe between our umpteen events and hubby time of shopping.
I was perfectly on schedule.
I only had 30 minutes to bake these spinach balls, which was right on target.
I popped them in the oven and set the timer.
I noticed the timer was a bit funny but I saw it declining by the minute.
I did not test the oven but it voiced the signal that it had reached the 300 degree temp.
Alas, after thirty minutes, nothing was cooked.
I simply left them in the oven, turned off the heat, and joined the group for a hearty meal and great conversation.
"Too much too soon," I said to myself.
I cannot unpack, shop for major household needs, party, keep hubby happy and prepare SPINACH BALLS.
After a lovely evening of delightful conversations and great food, I returned to the spinach balls, still sitting in the tepid oven.
I tried again but this time I set the oven to 350 for 15 min. instead of 30 min.
Cooked too hot too fast but they COOKED.
Hubby LOVED THEM.
Fortunately, I have more in the freezer to cook for the right time at the right temp.
They are yummy but a bit tinged on the edges.
Next time I'll be ready.
I can make them days ahead of time and freeze them.
I'll test the oven to make sure all is hot and then will 'go for it.'
There will be more little community events and it's my only fun recipe.
Spinach Balls . . . here we come!

12-11::  O JOY  !
In the depths of darkness a spark of light reveals life.

I am nostalgic for the pink of Christmas celebrations up North.
This was inside the conservatory where it was as warm as Florida.

This third Sunday of Advent, as we anticipate the celebration of Christ Jesus, we add a little sparkle to the darkening days.
We light the third candle, PINK, JOY . . . in remembrance of the Joy Mary may have felt as the child/God kicked within her.
The reality of birth is close at hand as she and Joseph journey to Bethlehem to be counted... and taxed.
The reality of the blessing given by God through the Holy Spirit by the Angle Gabriel is forthcoming.
We kick-start the long, lingering waiting for THE day.
We POP a little color into these gray days.

A pop of pink gives us a jolt as we are reminded that this wonderful day is soon approaching.
We read of John, the baptizer, sending his followers to Jesus . . . which will not happen until about thirty years after the LIGHT OF CHIRST comes into the World.
As JOY pierces the darkness, so does the 'light' of new awakening from our slumber.
Awake ye followers of Christ, awaken the Spirit inside us, the Spirit who was given to us in baptism and who continues to guide us on our journey if we choose to follow.
ReJOYce!
This day of a new beginning is almost here!

12-12:: Ultreya [A Spanish word, derived from the original Latin, meaning ONWARD!
It was in common use by pilgrims to greet and to encourage one another along the way.]

Amaryllis grows 'onward' as
our little decor depicts all
aspects of the Advent of
Our Savior.  Ultreya!

I have not been to an Ultreya in several years.
Where we have resided for nearly eight years there is no Crusillo.
There is no 'Fourth Day.'
There is no 'Grouping.'
The Holy Spirit seems to be an afterthought in the lives of so many who faithfully attend church.

But we have come South for the winter.
We have returned to friends who celebrate the entire Trinity and who live a life of accountability in Christ.
We all gather monthly to hear the journey-story of a fellow Christian.
A little food, some great singing, sharing in small groups and listening to God's mighty work through another in Christ is always a blessing that fills my soul.
I feel the renewing of the Spirit in me, the filling-up as if I were a quarter tank low.
We all need filling up.
It's great to be with friends who remind us of the source of our 'filler.'
God: Father, Son AND Holy Spirit . . .  God with us . . . working in community as we step into fellowship filled with JOY and love as we mingle with so many dear friends.
Ultreya!

I so love lingering over breakfast.
It's a special time for reading and
meditating.  I even make 'Christmas tea.'

12-13:: A down Day
Nothing beats a 'down' day.
A down day, for me, is one where I can catch up on my blogging and organize more piles that sit on the floor waiting for a place to stay put.
A 'down' day means I can linger a little longer with little things.
Hubby wanted to run an errand, which took longer than usual.
But, the rest of the day I could put together some shelves we purchased.
I sorted through linens and 'stuff' we do not need.
I created a HUGE pile to give to the thrift shop.
I put a little order into our life.
NICE.
I need about twenty more 'down' days and I'll feel like I'm in heaven!

12-14:: Sleep and Lingering.
I still can't believe it.
I plopped into bed at 9:00 pm last night.
Hubby tucked me in and stayed up for several more hours.
Amazingly, I did not stir until 7:00 am!
The whirl of activities and settling into our winter abode took its toll.

I also linger right outside our condo door in front if this 'winter' scene
in the midst of Florida foliage.   NICE!

Upon rising I did not even get out of bed . . .  hubby was already up.
I lingered over prayer and meditation, reading and simply reveling in my quiet time.
Oh to sleep  . . .  and linger . . .  and to chat with God . . .  and to simply BE.
Sleep . . .  a wonderful thing.
Lingering . . .  even more wonderful.
Combine the two and I'm a new woman!
A few more hours of this and I'll be ready to join friends at a very fine restaurant tonight.
It's wonderful to be able to sleep, linger and party!
We are SO blessed!

12-15::  Loss and Grief
My dear friend's husband died this summer, while we were too far away to attend the funeral.
So, when we came South, my friend and I made a date for early morning coffee at our favorite McDonalds.

Darkness envelops the tree as a faint
sparkle of light reveals half of what we see.
Grief is like that.

Our times together, when I am down here in Florida, are very special and we can talk for hours.
Today was different.
She did not show up.
My phone call to her was recorded.
She called me a few minutes later in tears saying how sorry she was that she forgot.
She'd been missing dates and names lately.
Grief.
Grief takes on so many genres.
It lingers in tiny, far-reaching corners of the soul.
It flares up in the most unexpected places.
I drove to another McDonalds closer to her.
By the time I found it, she was just driving up.
It was just nice seeing her.
Worn.
Fragile.
Tentative.
Conversation was simple, slow, thought filled.
Nothing deep.
I prayed with her for God's GRACE to surround her as she continued her journey surrounded by many wonderful friends and helpful family.
All the friends in the world and her great relationship with God does not take away the pain of loss.
It's like she was glued to a strong 4x4 who held her up, even though she is just as strong.
Half of her is gone.
Her spouse of umpteen years is no longer here.
We all grieve.
She has a strength of her own and has been a very capable leader but 'half' of her is now missing.
Anyone of us would go on tilt when half of us is missing.
Return to a balanced life will take time . . .  and patience . . . and wading through more grief.
But she is loved by so many praying for her as God's grace surrounds her.

12-16:: Retirement

This says it all.

We've made it a habit to visit this elderly couple each time we have come here on vacation.
He is a real trooper.
Although he 'retired' five times, he has helped serve the Lord with gladness until he was forced to step back a couple of years ago.
He turns 90 this coming May!
I learned many years ago that we can 'retire' from our jobs but we never are retired when it comes to serving the Lord.
If, indeed, we choose to step back and not share our gifts according to God's purpose for us, we might as well be called to heaven with all the choirs of angels.
Since our purpose is to love the Lord, thy God, with all our heart, soul, strength and mind how can we really retire?
If, indeed, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (after we follow the above purpose) how can we retire?
We might change activities.
We might slow down.
We might meet a need we've never thought we'd be able to meet if it's according to God's will.
But retire?
I don't think so.
Our visit today affirmed to hubby and me that we will be 'serving the Lord with gladness' until we take our last breath on this earth.
This may take many forms but, even if we are unstable on our feet or have difficulty seeing, like our friend, we will always find ways to keep going.
Retirement is not in our vocabulary.

12-17:: Do Not Be Afraid
We've heard that one before.

This branch filled with lights and 'icicles' grasps the wonder
of this moment in time so many years ago.
The 'electric' charge of New Life filled Mary and embraced
Joseph.  Each year we delight in trying to grasp this moment in time.

Each time an Angel sent from God is in the presence of a human, the words, "Do not be afraid" are uttered.
When Mary received, AND ACCEPTED, the Word from the Angel Gabriel, the message was prefaced with the words, "Do not be afraid."
Now it's Joseph's turn [Matthew 1:20]
The angel comes to him in the form of a dream but still makes sure Joseph is attentive to the words Joseph needs to heed.
"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."
This revelation continues in verse 21, "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
WOW!
That's a lot to digest for one who is of the lineage of David and who knows and loves God with all his heart, soul, strength and mind.
The prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 is coming to pass.
This is REAL!
This is actually happening . . .  now!

Sights and sounds enhance our awareness of the Presence
of "God with us."  As we wrap our minds around 'wonder'
we are reminded of the words, "Do not be afraid."

I often wonder if I were given words that are just as 'unbelievable' to my logical brain.
What would I do?
Would I say, "No way!" and argue with the Angel?
Of course, the Angel would have to say, "WAY !!!"
And, as we know, Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us IS the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE . . .

This is the season to walk boldly into the full Presence of God.
This is the time to claim a personal relationship with the One who desires a deep, personal, holy, fabulously amazing relationship with us.
Do not be afraid.
Go for it.

Follow the One who desires to become ONE with us.
God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit . . .  the full nine yards.
and . . . do not be afraid.
The journey is  amazingly wonder-filled if we remain focused on Him.

12-18:: Fourth Sunday of Advent
Mary and Joseph are on a new faith-path, together, because the Angel of the Lord has communicated to them, separately, that 'God with us, Emmanuel' will soon be born to them . . . and to the world.
It's a message I do not think I could receive well if I were called to be the 'bearer of God', especially this year.

This is what I would see up North.
A vast expanse of golden hues as we celebrate
with Moravian candles and decorations.

This year seems surreal.
Advent, the waiting period of the 'coming' of Christ, Jesus.
Advent, the prelude to the grandest celebration of the year . . . mostly by the secular world.

Advent, a time of JOY, anticipation, gatherings, lights that pierce the darkness, red and green both inside and outside, decorations, quiet times of remembrance, deep breathing, too much to do then stepping back and lingering over the beauty created to mask the deadness of dark winter months.

This year it's just not there.
Yes, we have made a huge life-change by spending the dark, cold, winter months in a place where sun shines, warm weather prevails and palm trees overtake the scruffy florida pines.
Lights and decorations abound.
Celebrations are everywhere.
Churches are packed with those who truly celebrate the Presence, God in Christ, in our lives.

I'm just not 'feeling' it.

I packed this tiny tree
and Manger snow globe
as part of Christmas in a Box.
My nephew, who is grown
and married, picked this out
for me when he was just a tyke.
I've always loved it.

Unpacking, re-organizing, making this southern space our home and adjusting to sounds of lawn mowing, sprinkler systems and others in close proximity may have something to do with it.
Endless trips to the hardware and super-mart stores may have something to do with it.

Yet, we continue to visit dear friends, celebrate life over tea and cookies and linger a little longer on the lanai.
I have decided that we are going to be more intentional this week.
We are going to seek out those little displays of light on simple homes down hidden streets.
We are going to walk around downtown (three blocks long) which we still have not seen.
We are going to CELEBRATE the 'coming,' the ADVENT, of our Lord in simple ways.
Today I bake cookies.
Tomorrow I have tea with a friend and go to a cookie exchange at night.
Advent, a wondrous time of anticipation . . . of 'feeling' it.

December 19::  Celebrate A New Day!
"This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be GLAD!
Fog hovers over the endless expanse of water as I make footprints in the sand.
This is a new beginning.
I'm finally beginning my daily walk, even if it is a short distance.
I need to get my 'sand' legs.
It's not easy walking on sand but where I walk makes all the difference.
It's low tide.
The most 'compacted' sand is near the incoming waves.

I pulled out some ribbons and a little manger and tree from
the Christmas Box.  Tiny bits of  celebration set out each day.

My feet weave in and out of the sloshing sea as I walk as close to the water as possible.
I'm on a bit of a slant so I feel like a mountain goat.
This is good but it takes a bit of practice.
I get to a certain point and reverse course . . .  not far enough, in my opinion . . . but I'm not going to overdo it.
I have too much to do and don't need to be laying around feeling aches and pains.

It really IS like a new day.
The constant ache of joints on my right side has almost ceased.
I'm overjoyed by the sense of movement I've felt in this moist warmth.
I want to do more but I know I must build up these muscles that have sort of atrophied over the past couple of weeks.
Ahhhh, this NEW day feels great!
Perhaps the Lord wants us to feel the joy of EACH new day as if we begin our journey afresh with each sunrise.
May the SON rise in my life with newness of life each day.
May I see one NEW Presence of God each day as if I were beginning afresh.
As we anticipate the celebration of the birth of Christ, may I anticipate the celebration of each new day as if it also were my new birth.

12-20:: An then there was LIGHT !
It was dark.
Tomorrow is the darkest day of the year.
We were tired after a long day of seeing people and doing things.
Yet, we promised ourselves that we would see a 'little bit of Christmas.'
All we needed to do was drive around a little to see a few lit-up homes here and there.
And so we did just that.

And LED LIGHTS pierced the darkness!

We roamed the tiny down-town area and slowly inched through the dinner crowds clogging the streets.
We drove down some neighborhood streets and chuckled at the 'antics' in their front yards.
Those blow-up creatures . . .  from santa stuck in an igloo to a full manger scene were quite impressive.

And then . . .  and then . . . with excitement in our hearts . . .  we remembered Victoria Park!
It's a community of simple homes, nothing to speak of.
It's family oriented with loads of kids and trucks parked in driveways.
BUT, these miles of streets are FILLED with LIGHT!
Each block took on a theme.
Their mailbox poles were extended high to fit a home-made wire filled with lights in the shape of: stars, arches, snowflakes, candy canes etc.
I love the arches because they are HUGE arcs that expand across the street so that we drive under them.
Almost every single house in the development has some sort of lights.
Even the 'hanukkah house' has streams of blue lights and a menorah in the window.
I remember it from years back and they did not disappoint.
On certain days those who drive through the neighborhood give a donation for the local food bank as we enter the open gates.
Ooooo, ahhhhhh, a m a z i n g !
Wonderous, fanciful, precious . . ..  from HO, HO, HO in lights on one roof to a huge Manger scene, and huge lit bulbs hanging from large trees . . .  OH JOY!

And then there was LIGHT . . . light pierced through a very dark night . . .  in the same way the Light of Christ pierces though the darkness of the soul.
God is very present in the whimsy of lights in this community.

12-21:: Dark, quiet, peaceful and connected

Snow sticks to the screen and covers winterberries.
This hazy shot of winter brings memories of
life in the midst of cold, dark days.
Winterberries pop up and remind us of LIFE and
how we also give 'life' as we give to another.

After days of running here and there, baking cookies for the annual cookie exchange, inviting friends over for tea and still unpacking our 'stuff,' it is nice to simply sit and ponder the many gifts God has given us.

Today is a bit cool with dark clouds lingering as if it were going to rain any minute.
Can't beat it.
I could be shoveling snow or wearing seventeen layers inside the house and not going outside.

I walked the beach today.
Not many people walking on this misty, dark morning.
Quiet music plays from our radio.
We write more cards to friends we may never see again.
But, it's always so nice to hear from them as they hear from us.
We share pithy news and recall fond memories that seem like yesterday.

God created us to live in community, to love and nurture and find purpose in giving and doing for others as if we were giving and doing for God.
Sometimes I swirl through each day so fast that I forget to contemplate how dark this world would be without the knowledge that God is with us . . .  God with us . . .  Emmanuel . . . Christ Jesus . . .  the reason we pack our days in a frenzy of fancy.

Dark, quiet, peaceful . . .  helps me take time to remember the reason I connect with friends, the reason for this season, the reason I live.
I pack another little bag of cookies for someone who could use a bit of a lift today.
I love these moments.

12-22:: "O" Antiphons of Advent

The Council of Catholic Bishops says the following about Antiphons:

I was told that the colors of Red and Green,
when seen together, give peace to the soul.

The Roman Church has been singing the "O" Antiphons since at least the eighth century. They are the antiphons that accompany the Magnificat canticle of Evening Prayer from December 17-23. 
They are a magnificent theology that uses ancient biblical imagery drawn from the messianic hopes of the Old Testament to proclaim the coming Christ as the fulfillment not only of Old Testament hopes, but present ones as well. 
Their repeated use of the imperative "Come!" embodies the longing of all for the Divine Messiah.

Each day, from December 17 - 23, there is a different Antiphon focus:
O Wisdom of Our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge.

O Leader of the House of Israel, giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai: come to rescue us with your mighty power!

O Root of Jesse's Stem, sign of God's love for all his people: come to save us without delay!

O Key of David, opening the gates of God's eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!

Just as the Light of Christ 'comes' out of darkness
into the light of a new covenant with us, our
Amaryllis has burst forth with new life
on the darkest days of the year.
[See picture on 12-12]

O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O King of all nations and keystone of the Church: come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!

O Emmanuel our King and Giver of the Law: come to save us, Lord our God!

I have enjoyed saying each daily Antiphon slowly and picturing what God wants me to see, know, understand about my Lord, God, King of Kings.

The O-Antiphons en-LIGHT-en us regarding the New Covenant bursting forth through God's Son.
 O . . .  Come . . .
O come O come Emmanuel . . .
Advent . . .  Come
O King of kings and Lord of lords, Come, be with us . . .  God with us, Jesus, the Christ.

12-23:: . . . Come, be with us . . . 
O King of Kings . . . His Holy Presence is with us as we begin to celebrate Christ Jesus' birth.

Come, be with us . . .
Come, dear friends, gather round the table for sharing of whatever we have to offer . . .  words of encouragement, a listening ear, delights for the palate, love and caring and kindness.

Come into my space and sit awhile.
Come and be with one who can listen.
That's what I did yesterday.
I have not yet met her but she seemed to open up about the grief she carries over her husband's recent death.
My weekly sharing group was open to sharing how they feel during this festive time . . .  confession, pain from ill-health, depression, anxiety.
Godly, Christian women know the One who can heal and make things better but sometimes it is not that easy.
We all have moments or extended periods of time when nothing goes right or dear ones die or we are simply depressed and don't want to put on that smily face.

It's so nice that we 'come' and 'be' with each other.
That's what our Lord wants.
Just COME and BE.
God will do the rest.
It feels good to know that the Lord will carry me if I'm too exhausted to walk.
I've had many of those moments.
So far we are doing quite well as we continue to 'come' into God's Presence with singing and joy and a simple peace that resides within hubby and me at this point in time.
We are so blessed.

12-24:: Eve of the Christ Mass (Celebration of the Nativity of our Lord)
I was reading about the origins of Christmas in the Wall Street Journal today.
The celebration of Christ's birth has been challenged from it's beginning.
Early Christians did not celebrate the birthday of Christ as they assumed Christ would come again not long after His ascension.

Little did they know that God would take His time returning His Son to us.
We have lessons to learn and, since the beginning of time, we have been  s l o w  learners.

When the Puritans came to America they abolished any of the 'riff-raff' of this 'Catholic' celebration, especially because they found so much 'idolatry' in the church.
They were focused on 'purity' of faith.
No celebrations, no gift giving, absolutely no trees and no frivolity whatsoever.
The celebration of Christ's birth was meant to be a solemn occasion.
No color, no unique smells, nothing for the eye to see, the ear to hear the mouth to taste the nose to smell that would remind one of a festive time of rejoicing in our Savior's birth.

Thank goodness for the Germans, decades later, who brought the Christmas Tree to these barren souls.
But what about the tradition of the Manger scene that St. Francis of Assisi created?
Was that also totally lost?
Guess not.
Somehow, we created small or large tableaux of that wondrous moment in time when Mary and Joseph held their new born son in their arms, surrounded by smelly mules and whatever else was in the manger at the time.

It's the images and smells and sounds of this wondrous time that will never cease, no matter how many pagans try to take Christ Jesus from us.

Mangers may be 'politically incorrect' and "Merry Christmas" might only be said by those who are pressing the 'system' beyond protocol.

The real Presence, the Christ in our hearts will never cease.
"The night before Christmas and all through the house" . . . we wonder and we wander through memory lane . . . knowing God in Christ Jesus will always remain . . .
in hearts seeking God, in hearts filled with faith . . .
if only we are willing to receive and acknowledge God's GRACE.

12-25:: God's Presence Comes Down to Earth

We brought 'Christmas in a box' so that we could celebrate with same
traditions.  Hubby's dad brought this manger scene home after WWII.
It's simple.  That's why we love it.  The Wise Men are present a
little early only because I wanted to make sure we put all the pieces out.
Our Advent Calendar (top right) is another annual tradition.

By tradition, we celebrate the Christ-mass on Christmas Eve.
This year was a little different as we joined the majestic celebration at our old church for the first time in eight Christmases.
It was so good to sit with hubby and share a hymnal.
We held hands as we listened to words and joined others in song.
People dressed up for this grand celebration.
After all, it is grandest birthday party of the year!

We returned home close to midnight, just in time to place baby in the manger.
The baby, Jesus, totally trusting in his parents for every need and want.
Born in the most lowly abode one can imagine, without fanfare, of little note to any but a few shepherds whose sensitive spirit heard the call of the angels to 'Come and see."
They came, they saw, they worshipped.
This little baby who could DO nothing came to BE the 'light' planted in the souls of all who would come . . . see . . .  and know . . .  and worship.

Something beyond-human emanated from this tiny babe.
A profound 'Presence' that was beyond his own spilled out from this little crib.
"God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, begotten, not made, of One Being with the Father . . . "

As we lingered by the manger so late at night, hubby and I shared profound observations about Christ's birth.
It was as if the Spirit of God were speaking through us as our thoughts swirled together and wove in and out of our remembrances in our journey with Christ.
Christmas past, present and future . . .  in Christ we dwell.
God's Presence continues to come down to us . . . on earth . . .  in simple ways.

12-26:: The Day After Christmas
"Twas the day after Christmas and all through the house,
the computers were clicking and none had a mouse.
Technology reigns with new gadgets galore,
hubby is fascinated and still wants more.

Yet, the reason the season is such a delight,
is that we celebrate Christ's birth from day into night.
For twelve days we linger with the Word from above,
as we care for others and give them our love.

Twelve days of JOY as we wait for Wise Men,
to seek out the Christ child and bring gifts for when,
the Holy family must travel a great distance soon,
because Harod is after each each baby boy for doom.

But God is in charge of His family of God
and watches over each of us wherever we've trod.
May these twelve days of Christmas bring mindful insights,
as we share with each other much love and delight.

12-27:: Mary, Mother of God
I've been away from my blog the past few days because I'm taking advantage of an amazing deal.
I able to watch twelve videos about Mary that would normally cost about $200.
The creators offered this series, free, to any who wish to watch for only one week.
Go to "Saint Paul Center for Biblical Theology" and look for DVD series on Mary.
Very well presented, incredible art work and, most important, teaching that I've wanted to hear for a very long time.

This icon of Mary was given to me by my husband's cousin.
The one next to it, of John the Evangelist, was given to me
by a friend who has since died.  I cherish both the gift
and the friendship of the giver.

Protestants have a hard time calling Mary, mother of Jesus, Mother of God.
As a protestant, I've never understood this 'disdain' for this verbiage.
Of course Mary is the mother of God since Jesus is God.
In fact, if we really stop and think about the process of conception to birth we would be amazed at the logic behind the words, "Mary, Mother of God."
Think about it.
The 'seed' that was planted by the Holy Spirit in Mary still had to grow by sucking in the bloody tissue of Mary.
A woman's body is what 'feeds' that precious seed from conception.

LIFE from conception, growth of that tiny seed, sucking bodily fluids incessantly as its DNA expands into head, heart, lungs, internal organs, limbs, fingers etc.
The logic seems so simple.

Nellie Edward's painting
Type in Nellie Edwards Art and you'll find the website to
purchase this . . . just posted for sale!
I just had to repeat this as it is so perfect with today's notes.

If, indeed, the seed of Jesus is planted in Mary and if, indeed, her entire body supplies the necessary nutrients for that seed to grow into a fully human yet divine (planted by the Holy Spirit, not Joseph) Being, would that not make Mary the most incredible woman . . .  ever?
God designated Mary to bear this holy baby!
The Psalm says, "... before you were born I knew you . . . "
Before Mary was born, God knew what this woman would be called to do.
God created Mary for the single purpose of bearing the Christ child.

Each of us has a purpose in life.
God knew us before we were ever born.

God destined us to an incredible life that would glorify Him.
Only one challenge.
We have to say, YES.
Only when we say 'yes' to God's call for us . . . no matter how often we are called, no matter what twists and turns are required, no matter the sacrifice, our YES can take us in a direction that is beyond human belief.
Mary, Mother of God, is far from human belief.
It's totally logical, in my humble understanding.

12-28:: Go . . . Tell . . .  Baptize . . . Grow

A dear friend gave me these crosses
over the years.  I purchased St. Francis
when we visited Santa Fe when my brother died.
Remembrance, a story with each, a time
to linger over precious memories.

Between loads of laundry, walking the beach with hubby and simple errands, I managed to watch seven of the twelve half-hour videos on Mary.
So much to absorb and so little time.
Only one more day before they are taken off-line.

I have encountered so many Christians who are content with the simple knowledge that Jesus is God.
Press them as to how they came to the conclusion and they have a hard time explaining.

Matthew 28 tells us, who call ourselves Christian, to go out into the world and tell everyone we meet the Gospel, the Good News, about Jesus Christ and then 'cement' their 'yes' through baptism.

I'm simplifying this greatly to get to the point.
First, if, indeed, we call ourselves Christian, we should be darn proud of the fact that we have chosen to follow Christ as Lord of our lives.
So proud, in fact, that we should not hide our joy and love of the Lord.
We don't have to shove our faith down another's throat but we don't have to be shy about it either.
It is the 'calling' of every Christian to SHARE THE GIFT of NEW LIFE within us.
It is our 'purpose' to do so.
We are asked to do nothing more than to share that same love of Christ that we have within us . . .  with those who might be seeking.
Go . . . Tell . . .

Hubby don't do much for Christmas beyond worship.
We give cards and spend time sharing each word.
Life is as simple as this tiny, undecorated tree.
Yet, we celebrate with sounds and smells and
beauty and all that touches the senses.

Yet, when I ask people why they believe or how believing in Christ has changed their lives, they are hard pressed to answer.

Perhaps we who call ourselves Christians can think deep and ask ourselves a few simple questions.

When did Christ Jesus become your focus in life?

Was there some episode, event, reason that God's Presence manifest in your heart rather than just in your brain?

When did the 'head' knowledge become heart knowledge and what is the 'story' that you could tell?
It's the story that is of worth to another.
Once we understand our own, personal story of salvation . . .  change of heart, repenting to God for not seeking His glory, and transformation of life patterns that is so important, we can tell our story.

Most often, once we refocus our attention on God in Christ, we do make life changes.
It might be as simple as being baptized.
But it's usually far more than this.
Attending a church and getting involved in that community in order to serve others.
Seeking greater understanding of our Christ-commitment by reading scripture daily.
Studying with another in order to ask . . .  and find answers to . . .  those hard questions.
It's the seeking, learning and understanding that enables us to . . .
Go . . . tell . . . baptize . . . grow.

12-29:: The Last Day
What if this were my last day of my life?
Would I change anything?
I ask myself that question all the time.

Lots of trinkets here, each with a story.
The tiny heart was just given to me from a dear friend.
But, it's the Christmas scene in the glass house that means the most.
As my step-mom was dying, her last year of life, she made sure
each sibling had this memory of her favorite time of year: Christmas.
She's been gone many years but I treasure this as much as the myriad
stories I could tell about her love and giving and joy-filled life in Christ.
Her prayers brought me into the Presence, salvation in Christ, Jesus.

I so cherish each moment of life.
Yet, I still do laundry, cook for my hubby, run errands and maintain some semblance of order.
I still meet God, in my quiet time, and read and ponder and ask too many questions.

Why would I stop these 'dailies' even if it were my last day on this earth?
My whole purpose is to grow in greater knowledge of my purpose according to God's will.
My purpose is to know and love and embrace God in new ways as God shows me . . . daily.
Why on earth would I want it any other way?

I believe my purpose here on earth is to prepare to be in the presence of the Presence.
I believe I am already in the presence of the Presence on earth, especially when I receive the consecrated 'body and blood' of Jesus Christ during the Holy Eucharist.

I'd still hang up my stocking and
plant Nativity scenes all over the house
if it were my last day of life.

But there is so much more to look forward to.
Being solely in the Presence, 24-7-365 [oops, no time constraints beyond this earth] has got to be something beyond my comprehension, beyond the tight parameters of my tiny little mind.

No matter what I do, or how much I 'be' or what I study or how much I love my neighbor, I have no
idea the expansive possibilities that I'll have when I meet God personally . . . like sitting on Jesus' lap as I've always imagined I would once I'm truly with Him.

So, I try to treat every day as the 'last' day of my life.
I try to live by the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22)
I'll expand upon that at a later date.
I live daily, love all I meet with Christ's love, laugh as often as possible, linger with the Lord in meditation or contemplation and give as much of myself away as I can.
After all, this might be my last day.

12-30 It's Still CHRISTMAS !
We all know that the celebration of Christ's birth cannot possibly happen until Jesus' birthday celebration.
Four weeks of anticipation of the ADVENT of Christ's birth spill over with celebration but it seems the day after Christ's actual birthday all celebrating ends?
We have 12 days of celebration . . .  the 12 days of Christmas . . . in which we are suppose to Re-JOY-ce !

We should at least wait for the Wise Men to arrive on January 6, don't you think?
Yet, trees come down, normal snarling at one another resumes as cars pile up on highways, people shove and push to grab what they can at the sales and life returns to craziness without anticipation of good things to come.
Oh my!

I'm realizing that I, also, want to clear up the many mangers that are parked all over the house . . .  some as small as the palm of my hand.
The 'clutter' of symbols that remind us of our blessings because of our salvation in Christ seems to cover areas where I could park my computer or place magazines.

What if . . .
What if I decided to extend the 12 days of Christmas to ALL YEAR!
I could actually place symbols around the house and on walls that remind me to celebrate Christ Jesus every day of the week . . .  24 . . .7 . . .  365 !
A manger could go up on the shelf next to my Santa, our symbol of charity and giving.
The wise men could linger on the other shelf to remind me to keep seeking more, maintain my journey of growth in Christ, and continue to ask questions that draw me into God's Presence.

I'll continue to have Christmas tea
All Year Long!

The little angel that hangs over our larger manger could hang from a cupboard knob and continue to
watch over us as we go about our daily business.
I'd be reminded daily that God's guardian angel is always with us.
My crosses and icons, now on the walls, are further reminders that God with us, Emmanuel, is residing in and around us wherever we are and in whatever we say and do.

Christmas is not a day or a month or a season.
Christmas is the celebration of our Lord always . . . "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say Rejoice!"
Christmas . . . the Christ Mass . . . coming into the precious Presence of our Lord with Holy Communion daily, if I so choose, is the true celebration.
Our daily reminder of JOY in Christ, that Christmas is never over, that IT IS STILL CHRISTMAS is very comforting when I wrestle with daily challenges  . . .
That's NICE.

12-31  Seventieth New Year's Eve

Hubby decorated our abode with
pink, blue and white crepe paper,
our birthday tradition.

Seventy
It's a nice number.
I've been working up to this life transition in my journey for the last few months.
Seven days God set aside to create heaven and earth and then God rested.
We are to forgive another seventy times seven (or seventy-seven times seven in some translations).
Seven is the hebrew number for completeness.
Seven decades is how long I have lived.
Pretty nice.

I'm pleased with the number but I also know I have just joined the aging Boomer's crowd.
Joints ache if I don't drink enough water.
Forever weak eyes seem to strain a bit more to see in the dark.
A 'quick' jog has now turned into a fast-paced walk.
My slim, stick-like body-shape now has a tummy-lump that I'm forever trying to decrease.

The living room was cordoned off with streamers- what fun!

HAPPY NEW YEAR . . . we say to one another as I walk the chilly beach this morning.
We are in the tropics and it's 50 degrees!
It's suppose to get into the 70s today.
Hope so.

Tonight, after we attend church to thank God for a most blessed year, FIRE WORKS is on our agenda . . .  just a walk across the street and about a mile down the beach.
We hope friends will join us for this grand celebration.
I always knew the entire world was celebrating my birthday . . .  and about half-dozen other friends who were born on this same day.

Just kidding.
It's a nice thought, though.
Celebration is always good.

For one night we don't have to worry about being politically correct.
We don't have to worry about saying the wrong phrase to another.
The universal NEW YEAR'S EVE cannot be denigrated, politicized or crossed off the calendar.
The New Year is coming whether we like it or not.
Time keeps ticking whether we like it or not.
Another year presses into existence whether we like it or not.

After 70 New Year's Eves, I've become very comfortable with this passage of time.
Now to anticipate a new year filled with unanticipated discoveries and wonders from
God's unimaginable blessings.
Can't Wait!

I love this Scandinavian depiction of LIFE
in the tree.  See the birds and deer and snowflakes?
Life goes on as we enter the new year.

And so I end this blog-year still celebrating Christmas . . . through January 6th.
May the Blessings of 2016 spill over into 2017 with much more God-presence to come.

NOVEMBER NOSTALGIA

Nostalgia is a perfect word for November.
Almost yesterday I was basking in the summer sun, enjoying the heat and sipping ice tea.
Separated by a few months, November seems so far away from summer bliss.

Now this is a POP of the last color of the year!

I begin to remember the "good old days of summer" as if I've moved decades away from my favorite season of the year.

Perhaps I have more time to linger in thought as I cocoon in my favorite corner by our large window overlooking fields of gold and brown and beige.
The garden looks dried up as it begins its slumber for the next several months.
My favorite part of the house, the porch, is all tucked away and protected from windy weather.

I now have time to be nostalgic over the past year as I prepare our annual letter to friends.
Ah, November.
It's a grand month  to be still and wander through my labyrinth of memories I've stored up over the past several months.

November 1, 2016
Today is All Saints Day.
The day after All Hallow-ed Eve is always set aside to celebrate the saints who have gone before us.
Those who celebrate the traditions set by centuries of church history take time on this day to celebrate those who died claiming the name of Christ.
Many were martyrs who died for their faith.
Many were 'faithful' to Christ to the end of life, like St. John who wrote the book of Revelation and is suggested to have written the Gospel of John and the other books of John.

Pro-life Art by Nellie Edwards can be ordered from her web site.
Of all her paintings, this one struck my soul.
Mary contemplates the "Light of the Divine" within her.

Emily Cavins writes in her blog post, "The faith of all the saints springs from the faithfulness of the ancients [those in the Old Testament] who put their trust in God, believing in the promised Redeemer."
She is married to Jeff Cavins, a well known theologian but she is a theologian in her own right.

We who try our best to simply remain focused on God in Christ throughout our lives seek to learn from the lives of those who have modeled a faith-filled walk in Christ all their lives.
From Abraham to Job (spoken of in Emily's quote) to St. Mary through St. Theresa . . . all have totally focused their lives on God and have 'died in the faith.'

Hubby and I have focused on Mary, the mother of Jesus, these past two months as we pray the rosary.
I've never done this before but, at my husband's suggestion, decided that it was a good way to pray for our election and remain focused on our very profound prayer that we elect a pro-life president.

There is no one who became more vulnerable in pregnancy than Mary.
She knew she would be killed for being pregnant out of wedlock.
Yet, she knew that the life within her came from God alone and was a precious gift to be carried as faithfully as the Old Testament kings carried the Ark of the Covenant.
Mary was carrying the "Ark of the New Covenant."

It's impossible for this generation to imagine the strict moral boundaries set by devout Jews and their belief that all life, young and old, was a treasure from God.
These devout 'believers in God' lived for YHWH and not for themselves.
Thus, we celebrate Saint Mary today and seek to gain deeper understanding of God through her life and the life she bore as the Redeemer of the world.

11-2:: All Souls Day
There has been some confusion regarding All Saints day and All Souls day.

Mom lived each moment fully and
delighted in beauty and people.
I thought of her on her birthday the other
day.  Thoughts of her automatically
flood my soul each year at this time.
Perhaps she is telling me, "I'm still
with you even though I've long been
gone from this earth."  Nice. 

For protestants, few denominations even set aside such days.
For the 'liturgical' churches these days are important but may not be celebrated on the specific day.
More likely, we celebrate the life of 'souls' on the Sunday after we celebrate Halloween.
Many churches choose to read the names of those who died within the congregation's families over the past year.
I feels sad that we do not celebrate the souls of those who have gone before us, whether they are sainted or not.
It's a wonderful day of remembrance.

On All Souls day I telephoned those widowed this year in families that are close to us.
I have tried to send notes to each widow at significant times during the year such as birthday, Christmas, special dates important to each.
This gives me a moment to remember that each soul never dies.
Our body shrivels away into nothingness but our soul is eternal.
It's our choice whether we spend eternity fully connected to God, who created us, . . .  or not.
Fond memories flood my mind as I think of my brother, my brother-in-law, my mother, my grandmother and my great grandmother.  
Each had distinct gifts which make me smile as I remember.
They are souls who will continue to bring forth wonderful memories.

11-3:: COLOR
It's finally here!  COLOR all around.
My mums are fading as the Maple trees are finally showing their glory.

COLOR bursts through the skeletons of empty limbs.

Unfortunately, most trees are losing their leaves at the same time.
I've tried to find a brilliantly colored tree that is retaining its full glory but most show empty limbs.
It's still glorious.
I often wonder how much raking some people must do with their majestic Maples taking up most of their front yard.
COLOR is the last glory for these leaves before they drop into oblivion.
The green color of chlorophyll, a sign that the tree is absorbing nutrients, has ceased.
Peel back the green and we see hues, natural to each type of tree, that delight the eye.
It's the last HURRAH 

Isn't this the same story for our lives?
There is a period we might go through filled with energy, zest, colorful adventures, bright ideas and dazzling triumphs.
As we slow down a bit, our Zip has less zing and the colorful life-spots become less abundant.

Blown glass at the Corning Museum is filled with
color and delight.  A gifted glass blower
perhaps giving us a self portrait?

S L O W L Y,  sometimes imperceptible to me, I seek fewer adventures, create fewer of bright ideas and even step back from wearing colorful apparel for many occasions.
I choose comfort over fashion.
I choose quiet times more than wild times.
I choose fewer daily adventures but seem to stretch them through an entire week.

An 'event' might be going to the doctor or visiting a friend.
And then I catch myself.
Wait a minute.
My body might be dying and I may not be soaking in as much 'fuel' that gives me color.
BUT, I'm not dead yet.
I burst forth with a colorful adventure idea that hubby and I can enjoy.
We may not have as much zest in our step but we still drink in the beauty of art at various museums, the colorful sounds of a music at the symphony, the dark-colored intrigue of a mystery movie or the majestic glow of our local gardens that will soon be dressed in winter finery.

COLOR assures us that we still have life in us even if we are in our winter years.

Color is a must-have in my life even if I place a splotch here and a dash there.
COLOR, it makes my day.

11-4:: TILT
I'm still feeling the swoon and swirl of movement when I get up and begin to walk anywhere.

This is the best solution to any problem.

I think I am fine while sitting in front of my computer.
However, trying to walk is another story.

Each time my body goes on 'tilt' I trace through a litany of "what did I consume?"
I could either absorb a toxin through my skin, ingest it or even breath in something toxic.
For decades the doctors have said, "inner ear crystals" but they have not denied toxic reaction.

Each time I have traced my vertigo back to ingesting something that my body rejects as I focus on how to overcome this mystifying tipsy feeling.
There are a number of option so I temper my eating habits, my breathing habits and any other habit I find might attribute to this sense of nausea.

One time I'd been stirring 'silver' paint for at least a half hour.
Toxins filled my body and I was bed-ridden for a few days.
Another time I reacted from a flu shot;  perhaps a tiny dot of 'flu' consumed my body?
Many other times I'd eaten food that may have been 'over-ripe' or sauces that are too rich for my blood.
The reaction is all good.

I think this was done by mordernwords.com
It's hard to read but the scripture is forever.

My body is telling me that I need to love it more, feed it natural substances, lay off the 'artificials' and breath more fresh air.
I maintain my daily workout on the glider and make sure I meet my goal . . . even if I do go a little slower.
I breathe in the crisp fall air a little longer than usual and eat 'clean.'
Oh for a cheeseburger or pizza.
Not to be.
The body needs good stuff so it won't go on 'tilt.'
"Tilt" is not a negative to me but a sign that I need to pamper myself a bit more than usual.

11-5::  FALL BACK
I love these pithy reminders like 'fall back' and 'spring forward.'
I've always wondered why we have to go through this ritual twice each year.
Why not simply save more daylight all year?
Our farmers go nuts trying to keep 'cow time' and standard time.
Why can't "day-light savings time" become the standard time?

ONE good outcome of this annual Fall ritual of changing all the clocks back one hour is we all get an 'extra' hour of sleep!
It's great for clergy who have no choice but to wake too early on Sunday mornings.
It's great for anyone who wants to throw a party on this Saturday night and arise early the next morning for church.
In fact, we discovered so many planned events scheduled on this night that we, who rarely attend anything on a Saturday, had to choose between three different events.
We enjoyed going into the city with lights and action where we enjoyed Broadway entertainment at a fund raising Gala.
I never saw so many people walking, driving and enjoying this wonderful November evening.
I, who hates cold, enjoy strolling back to the parking garage a block away.
We enjoyed sharing this festive evening with hundreds of people who also extended their Saturday just a little longer.
I wonder.
Does it take an hour's change in time for us to get out and enjoy special events?

We think we have trouble during time changes.
These are not hebrew clock numbers as I first thought.
Are these symbols for various branding irons?

We decided, even if clocks never change again (which I hope) we need to get out and enjoy city-life a bit more.
FUN

11-6: Tough Choices
As we near the end of our 'liturgical' year in which we walk with Jesus from birth to resurrection, the bible stories remind us how tough it is for so many to live as Christ called us to live.

We continue to pray for the persecuted Christians all over the world, especially those in the Middle East who are being slaughtered for simply claiming Christ as Lord.

I love this depiction of Jesus in the
National Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Adored and Glorified above All.

Today's story in Maccabees reminds me of the fortitude we must have if we are to live in areas that have called 'jihad' against Christians.

The Maccabees, faithful Jews committed to glorifying God in all they said and did, were commanded to eat pork, which was against God's law according to the Scriptures.

These Maccabee brothers chose to be torchered (hands and tongue cut off) and then killed before they would consume pork.  The Roman soldiers tested their faith but the Maccabeen's knew the only authority that would give them eternal life was God.

We are blessed in this United States of America with the freedom to worship anywhere we choose but slowly creeping into society (for the past sixty years) are seeds of being 'politically correct' and 'choosing health' over life over the unborn.

Businesses are challenged because they choose to live the way God has called them to live.
Charities might be closed because secular laws, passed by those who do not know the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are deciding that humanism that preaches the wrong message,  'politically correct' is superior to God's message: "Glorify Me in all things according to my Commandments."

We who are devoted to the Scriptures of the old and new covenants are being called to make choices that may well test our perseverance in the same way the Maccabeens were tested.
Think about each choice we make daily.
Does it glorify God or glorify humanism, being politically correct?

11-7: B R E A T H E
I often tell those going through extreme stress to breathe . . . deep breaths.

Last week we had a quick storm and looked what we saw!
 Voila!  A HUGE, BRILLIANT  rainbow!
I could not capture the intensity of color but this
reminds me that God continues to give us beautiful
surprises in the midst of life's stresses.

Breath IN from deep down inside for T E N  S L O W  COUNTS.
Then HOLD that breath for ten long counts.
It's good to have that CO2 rattle inside us for a bit.
Then, very slowly, breathe out counting slowly to ten.
Do this throughout the day at least 20 times.
This little exercise if very healing to the body, especially when it is feeling stress.
Today, at least 50% of America is feeling stress because the ball keeps bouncing between candidates with HC remaining on top most of the time.

Ravi Zacharias wrote the following to the world in his blog today:

I am told that when a pilot in his private plane runs into trouble, he has to live by the four Cs:

Keep calm
Climb high
Communicate with the controller
Comply with the instructions 

Ravi continues:

That’s the code I’m following. I am speaking my heart out to the Lord and am at peace that He will do His will. 

I will put my head down on the pillow that night and wake up with the promise that He is in charge. 

The Cross and the rainbow both show us God's
gifts to us in every day places.
A quick glance out our back window
shows us God's glorious gifts.
B R E A T H E, I tell myself.

He can change the heart of a king. My life is in my Lord’s hands, however daunting the glimpse of what lies ahead.

Years ago, Senator Jeremiah Denton, a one-time Vietnam POW, wrote of the crucifixion of Jesus from Mary’s perspective as she watched in horror:

Her face shows grief but not despair,

Her head, though bowed, had faith to spare.

And even now she could suppose

His thorns would somehow yield a rose.

Her life with Him was full of signs

That God writes straight with crooked lines.

Dark clouds can hide the rising sun

And all seem lost, when all is won!

Ravi adds:

History moves in pendular swings. 

God’s clock is keeping perfect time. 

Let’s be calm, let’s climb high, let’s commune with the Lord, and comply with His instructions. None of us can accelerate the march of history but with His light on the terrain ahead, we can make a safe landing.

My words:  I could never be as eloquent as Ravi so I use his words but I can understand that . . .

Mary experienced the greatest 'stress point' of her entire life when she saw her Son crucified.

The world back then was oblivious to God's power working in their midst.

Jesus rose from the dead . . . BREATHED LIFE . . . and assured those who follow Him that resurrected life, eternal life, is a far greater perspective than what happens yesterday, today or tomorrow.

Let's all breathe deep, climb high, commune with the Lord and comply with HIS instructions.

God is in control of every moment of our lives.

November 8, 2016::National Election but I choose to chat about the word . . .  ENHANCE

Two days ago I was ready to write about Election Day.

BUT, Google decided to ENHANCE the"Blogger" blog site.

Each time Google decides to "enhance" something, I am kicked out and cannot get back in.

Every block in the book stopped me this time.

Hmmmm, election day boondoggle?

I'm sure it was simply bad timing on the part of Google.

I began writing several years ago on Blogspot.com and have done pretty well.

This is my blueberry bush with leaves that turn fire red in the Fall
Not that is a good enhancement.

Then I purchased a web site for 'Women of Worth Ministries' womenofworthmin.org  from Enom but enter information through Blogspot.

Google bought out Blogspot and I've had trouble ever since.

I use the "Women of Worth Ministries" website as a teaching tool so have not added blog notes in a couple of years.

This site dwells on insights regarding the Proverbs 31 Woman . . . Proverbs 31:10-31

I have not written in the "Linger Longer with God" blog for six months.

It's because I seem to write long daily blogs on my 'Daily Graces From God' blog.

Long story short, things need to change.

These ENHANCEments are happening too often and keep me off line too long.

So much for my vote on this one.

BTW . . .   I DID VOTE IN THE NATIONAL ELECTION, which I'll chat about tomorrow.

11-9:: SURPRISE

Back to "normal", at least with the blog.

Working with every possible solution to get back to the blog took all day.

In the mean time, hubby has been frenetic over the election.

I was fully resigned to support whomever the populous elected even if the ideology was far beyond anything compatible with my personal ideology.

Hubby and I prayed long and hard, daily.
We know God is totally in charge of the outcome.
So be it.

This is what we need now
more than ever.
Just love those who are
deeply hurt by the results
of this election.

I went to bed earlier than usual without watching any television.  I knew hubby would stay up most of the night and keep 'vigil' over the TV.
What a SURPRISE when he woke me at about 3:30 am, unable to contain himself.
I thought something had happened and we would be on our way to the hospital.

"WE WON" . . . were the first words out of his mouth.
Surprise turned to astonishment.
I'd been resigned to the choice of one who did not give priority to the life of the unborn child.
I was ready to remain in deep prayer for the next four years in order to keep cool, calm and collected.

SURPRISE is the perfect word what seemed totally impossible.
In fact, I guess the entire nation was surprised.
Who knew!
We now must pray that this administration remain focused on the Pro-Life agenda and select Supreme Court judges who adhere to the Constitution when making their decisions.

Neither candidate was my choice but God prepares the heart that seeks God's best for us.
I'll not stop praying but perhaps my prayer time will be more relaxed?
I think we are in for many SURPRISES during these next four years . . .  hopefully good.
We'll see.
I shouldn't have been surprised.  
God is still in charge.

11-10:: LOVE ONE ANOTHER
It's an affirmation that Jesus repeated throughout his ministry.
"Love one another" continued to be the 'mantra' of the disciples as thousands came to know God through His Son, Jesus Christ shortly after His resurrection and ascension.

So, my heart grieves knowing that a very few, who do not know the love of God, are behaving badly . . . like hurting people that have a different ideology or breaking windows of cars that are not theirs.

None of us, who call ourselves 'humans' were created to behave badly but we do.

We may have a temper tantrum or shout words that are not nice.
Who taught these few to damage other people, other's property?
Where is God?
Over the past sixty years, the schools have slowly taken God out of the classroom.
In fact, we have been taught that 'we' are god.
How is that working for us?
It's not.
Every four years there is a Presidential election.
Every four years nearly 50% are not happy with the results.
This has not changed in decades.

So, who is there to teach the next generation . . .  and the next . . . that we must make sure we, as individuals, do our very best to enhance our lives as citizens of this United States of America.
It's not up to 'others' to make our lives better . . .  it's up to us.

I was among thousands who have been in deep prayer about our country.
I will not stop praying.
This nation needs daily prayer.
But, I also believe in God, our Creator, who is totally in charge, no matter who we, as citizens, decide to elect.
God is the ONE who continues to tell us, "Love one another."

So, those who choose to join me in prayer, let's pray that the Presence of God enter the lives of the thousands who do not know God, who feel there is no hope.
Let's pray that all seek the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who says, "Love one another."

11-11:: VETERANS' DAY
What a day!
There are so many organizations and volunteers who have reached out to the thousands of

This store invited vets and families to send in
stories and pictures of those who have and
are giving their lives for freedom in the USA.

veterans who have returned from the devastation of war.
They need to be honored . . . all of them . . . the scruffiest, the most hurting, the ones who have turned to drugs because PTSD is consuming them.

This is a special day to honor the Vets.
It's wonderful to see flags flying and stories unfolding through various forms of media.

I received several emails today that honor the vets.
The song, "I'm Proud to be an American," cannot say it better.
We should all be proud that we live in this United States of America, no matter what is happening around us.

We are blessed beyond belief.
We are the greatest nation on this earth.
And it's very much because of our Veterans . . . who have fought for this incredible freedom we take for granted.
I pray that each veteran sense the honor given to them.

I GIVE THANKS TO EVERY VETERAN for the service they have offered, no matter what the job.
Veterans should be our heros, not singers, not athletes, not some glitzy TV personality.
VETERANS . . . may every day be YOUR DAY.

11-12:: THE END
I was watching an old movie while doing my daily 'jog' on the glider.
I'm up pretty high on the reps and have extended my 'travel' a bit more each week.
This exercise regimen will never end.

We know that a flag at half-mast tells us that the
life of one of importance has ended.
Perhaps a national catastrophe, like 911, or
one in the area whose life has come to THE END.
We pause, say a prayer and know there is
also a new beginning.

Daily exercise enables me to better digest my food but it also builds up my cardio function.
Unexpected benefits are a trim body and greater endurance along with greater balance.

Back to the movie.
Movies always END.
We know it is the end because each has the definitive words, "THE END."
"Of course it's the end", I tell myself.
The handsome hero kisses the beautiful damsel.
What more could be said?

If I think about it, I experience "THE END" in other parts of my life.
The end of each year brings forth fire works and grand celebrations.
That's the day of my birthday so I figure the whole world celebrates with me as I 'End" one more year of my life.

Our church follows the 'liturgical' year which begins with the Advent of the birth of Christ Jesus four weeks before we celebrate His birth.
We END the liturgical year the Sunday before these four weeks begin, usually in November.   [This liturgical year ends early, Nov. 27.  More on that later]

As we near the beginning of the 'end' of Jesus reign on earth we study scriptures on the 'End Times.'
Every year we read the same stories from different Gospels.
This year the story is in Luke 21.
The sky is falling.
Earthquakes, volcanoes, uprisings, catastrophes . . . and more.

The beginning of the END

Through the past 2000 years we've been through the worst we could imagine but the reign of God has not pulled us into a new place . . . the end.
We are currently in the "end times" that have yet to end.
The 'end' is when Christ comes again but the beginning of the end was when Jesus died, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.

We've managed to survive thus far but in the mean time people's lives begin and END.
I prepare my soul daily, by giving glory and thanksgiving to God so that I am ready for my 'end' on this earth whenever it happens to come.
Hubby and I have experienced the death of close relatives for the past two years along with dear friends.
THE END was marked for them on this earth but their's souls live on.

So, even though the 'movie' of our lives might say, "THE END," God simply wants to make sure we make the choice to live eternally with Him.
The words, "THE END" may signify a pause from year to year, or a pause in the story of our journey but, with God, our time with Him will never END.

11-13:: PURPOSE
We all are called to a purpose in our lives.
That purpose may change as we mature, learn more about the world around us and seek to better

our lives and the lives around us.
Purpose is the motivation behind whatever we say or do.

One of today's scriptures [ Thessalonians 3:7-12] speaks to purpose . . .  or lack of purpose.
". . . if anyone is unwilling to work, neither should that one eat."
". . . some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others."
This letter to the new Christians of Thessalonica instructs those who have not focused on God's purpose for them to get back on track.

Instead of sitting around all day waiting for others to feed us, we should seek some sort of way to earn what others are giving us.
Instead of minding other people's business, holding disorderly rallies that fight the current stream of order, we should call upon God to help us become part of the solution.

Too often we see small groups of people disrupt our lives, dangerously, instead of finding a creative way to find a better solution.
The greatest PURPOSE we could have is to pray daily for God to stimulate our hearts and souls in order to love our neighbor as our selves by doing for others instead of doing for selves.

What a grand world this would be if we "purposed" to seek God's way in all things . . . to glorify God instead of ourselves.
Purpose: a wonderful way to live.

11-14:: My Little Room
I have a little room all my own.
It's called a 'study' and is filled with books and memorabilia that remind me of my life journey.

A long distance shot.
The meadow was filled with wild flowers.
We did not go all the way to the top but got pretty close.

I have a photograph of 'Key Hole' . . . a destination in the Colorado mountains that is thousands of miles above sea level where I hiked with my sister on her birthday, decades ago.
It was mostly a gentle stroll that began high above the mile-high city. 
Part of the hike tested my endurance but my body was very ready to meet the challenge . . .  which I did.

Other momentos, especially schooling certificates, mimic that climb.
I've chosen to face too many challenges to count.
Most have been a steady walk but, as I near the end of each 'journey' marker, I have faced many challenges.
When I sit in this tiny room, filled with memories, I feel affirmed of my decisions.

However, I don't sit in this room often enough.
I take my work out to the dining room table or a comfy chair since most of my work is on my portable computer.
Isn't that the way with with much of life?
I forget to surround myself with positive moments of overcoming challenges.
I forget to focus on God's purpose for my life that I actually grasped and accomplished and continue to accomplish.

Instead of dwelling on missed opportunities or 'empty life-spaces' or woulda, shoulda, coulda moments, all I need to do is sit in my little room.
I look at the shelves filled with memories and future possibilities.
I look at the walls, covered with pictures and documents of purpose-filled life-changes.
I love my little room.
I need to sit here more often.

11-15:: A Pleasant View
That's what the place is called.

Indeed they do have a very pleasant view from every window.
We live so near to this place that we never seem to think about what it offers.
So, today we decided to ask a few questions and take a tour.
We are way too young . . .  famous last words . . . to move into a 'step-community' like this.
We have at least 15 more years to consider alternative living.
Or do we?
Since we have not children to 'pick up the pieces' so to speak, we have to think ahead.
What if one of us has a stroke and is debilitated for life?
What if one of us develops server dementia due to some injury or early onset brain disfunction?
We have insurance but sometimes, when devastation of a soul-mate happens suddenly, the mind is spinning too fast to make sense of anything.
It's a good idea to have some idea of 'next steps.'
So, we took the tour, as we did in another place being built as we speak.
We like the expanse of this place that has been here for several years.
The people are great and the sense of 'living on one's own in cottages' seemed to speak to hubby.
We 'know' we will stay where we are until a life-change forces us to move.
Our 'pleasant' view is totally too amazing for words.
But it's nice to know that there is another place one or both of us can reside if this place becomes too difficult to manage.
God is always directing our paths.
All we have to do is be prepared for anything and move ahead as circumstances direct.
Wherever we end up, we know we will always have a pleasant view.


11-16:: A little clean-up
I thought it would take a few minutes . . . perhaps one hour at the most.
I've been cutting back the gardens around the house and cleaning them as the foliage died back.
It looked like there were just a few snips here and there and I'd be done.

I did not realize  that my eye scans the panorama without identifying the quantity of work involved.
I forgot that, due to a complex commute to my job, I have not taken enough time to 'clean' the garden in three years.
That's right.
Three years.
The vines look like the sort that hid Sleeping Beauty.

Summer blooms hid the old foliage as new beauty burst forth.

Now that cold temps and several frosts have turned vibrant color into grays, tans and browns, it was time to really cut back, dig out leaves caught by bushes and get into the dense parts of the gardens.
Nearly four huge bags, filled with shriveled masses of whatever, currently sit out back patiently waiting for hubby to gather them on the next garbage day.
One hour in the garden turned into three.
I only stopped because drips and drops made their way from the sky onto my head.
Almost as soon as I put everything away for the day the rain stopped.
What I thought would be a "little clean-up" turned into a greater challenge than I thought.
 I have little left to clean up so that the garden will be super ready for Spring blooms.

It's that way with our lives, isn't it.
We look at ourselves and think that a little learning here and a little attention to self there and we become totally complete, ready to embrace the world.

My life-garden has needed much cleaning up over the years.
I think I spend more time pruning plans, gleaning information for decision making and raking up experiences that might apply to my teaching.
Just when I think I have 'bloomed' in one area of my life I realize that some of my hair brained ideas are now a tangled web of weeds.

Just as a garden bursts forth with life each Spring and dies back to what looks like nothingness in the Fall, we know that the flora is simply hibernating for the winter.
In fact, after several years I find that some of my blooms are exceeding all expectations.

As I mature in my own growth I am slowly realizing that I also have matured.
Knowledge and experience are actually turning into small surprises of wisdom that I'm able to share with others.
I will forever clean out old 'garden' of habits.
Many have died and many have re-bloomed with extra 'color' each year.
Just like my garden, I continue to bloom, grow, die back in parts of my life and keep repeating the cycle as long as I can breathe.
A little CLEAN-UP is always a good thing.

11-17:: Whirl Away
This was a term my parents used when the entire family was 'called into action.'
The 'action' was cleaning the home, inside and out.
Not that it was ever that messy.
It was just mom and dad's way to get us all working together to make sure our rooms were really clean and common areas of the house were sparkling.

The 'whirl away' did not happen often but was always met with groans by us teenage siblings.
Once our rooms passed inspection [bed made, clothes off the floor, closet in good order and desk and shelves given some semblance of order] we were each given a 'family' chore.
We could opt for inside or outside.
It seemed like the chores took forever but actually, after two hours, everything was spic and span.
Mom usually treated us to a special lunch which added to our sense of satisfaction for a job well done.

That's how hubby and I live now.
We make sure the house is in good order at the beginning of each day and try to take time for a whirl-away weekly.
We have been doing extra 'whirl away' chores all week to make sure everything is in order for our long winter.

Up early, we looked at our long list of 'chores' from phone calls to more yard work to running errands, doing laundry and completing tasks necessary for some semblance of order in the house.
We are 'chipping away' at a list of long overdue projects that are slowly being completed.
After a very long day we 'whirled away' ourselves . . . into bed . . . far earlier than normal.
It's a great feeling to check several more projects off the 'list.'
We have about two more weeks to 'whirl' and then we will be done.
What a wonderful sense of accomplishment.

11-18:: Away we go!
Didn't Jackie Gleason say, "And away we go . . . " as he went forth on another crazy adventure?
Our plan to take one adventure weekly seems to have derailed.

So, we decided to turn one complex task into an adventure.

Hubby loves, and needs, a specific IKEA pillow.
But IKEA is a 1.5 hour drive from our abode.
The beautiful weather and glorious foliage invited us to enjoy the long drive.
Fresh air, vibrant colors, pristine skies and easy traffic drew us into another world.
Walking the expanse of IKEA and dining on Swedish food was an additional delight.

We checked off several other items on our 'whirl away' list as we enjoyed another very long day.
We felt less tired and enjoyed a lovely evening.
Perhaps we need to make having a weekly adventure just as important as our 'whirl aways?'
We are refreshed: mind, body and soul.
We already have our next week's adventure planned.
It's a hum dinger.
"And awayyyyyy we go!"

11-19:: Surprise!
Today was suppose to turn sour with cold temps and rain.
I was surprised by the balmy, sunny day.

The berries are full ripe and ready for winter!
I'm keeping St. Francis, made of metal, outside for the winter.

It reminds me of a very old saying I learned: "Plan for the worst and expect the best."

I try to do this each day.
Hubby lives by lists.
'Just in case,' he usually says.
Let's get this and that done just in case we can't do it tomorrow.

So, having completed all our outdoor chores, we were able to actually enjoy the day.
We walked, raked the extra leaves and took our time with the few chores we needed to complete.

By 'planning for the worst' we did not panic when the wind picked up and a late afternoon storm swept in.
Did it ever blow!
We were ready.
We enjoyed reading by the fireplace, sipping tea and giving thanks for a cozy home that has been well prepared for winter.

11-20:: Christ the King!
This last Sunday of the liturgical year celebrates the greatest sacrifice God gave mankind.
Christ crucified.
King of the Jews.
King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

In the Old Testament, King David, who became king after Saul, was what the Jewish people wanted.

They wanted to have a King with 'skin on.'
They wanted to have a human leader like all the pagan tribes surrounding them.
God warned His people that a human king would take and take and would give little in return for what the people would give up.
But, they did not listen.
Judah had a few good kings, like David, but even David grieved the Lord with sinful behavior.
Yet, it was David's heart that kept him close to God.
Israel, the northern part of this tribal nation, where ten of the twelve tribes resided, had not one good king.
In fact, God's 'Promised Land' was a divided nation.
Sin was rampant.

God seemed to be a mere convenience to pray to when the Jewish nation ran into trouble.
Yet, the Jews were and still are God's chosen people.
God never gave up on them.
After hundreds of years God provided the Jewish nation with an eternal king, One who is both human and divine . . . born of the virgin Mary . . . suffered under Pontius Pilot . . . was crucified, died and was buried . . . is risen from the dead and ascended into heaven.
We celebrate the cycle of life of Jesus twice in twelve months.
Today we celebrate the second cycle, the life of Jesus, as we give praise and thanksgiving for the risen One of God . . . our eternal Christ the King.
O JOY!

11-21::  Blown away!
For days wind has whipped against windows and swooshed down vents.
I could feel a cool breeze pressing down the chimney of the dormant fire place.

Our neighbor's tree emptied it's leaves.
It now stands nearly bare a day after I
took this picture!

Hubby spent quite some time tracking down the newspaper that had been carefully placed in it's plastic wrapper yet was blown a block away.
We know it was ours because we are one of very few in the community who subscribe to the Wall Street Journal.

The sound of wind puts me on edge for some reason.
I tense up and it seems as if my bones become stiff.
Perhaps it's a natural reaction to plummeting temperatures and 25 mph winds?
I was actually brave enough to open the front door for about ten seconds to chat with hubby who, BTW, loves this kind of weather.
Good for him.
As much as he loves this weather, I marvel at how bundled up he was in scarf, hat, mittens and a thick layer of clothes under his windbreaker togs.
He will only have a couple more weeks to be 'blown away' so he might as well enjoy it.
As for me, I choose to stay inside and bake hubby a blueberry pie.
He was not only surprised but he was 'blown away' by my kind deed.
You see, it is the very first blueberry pie I've ever made.
There are many ways one can be 'blown away' and baking a pie seemed the easiest.
It was FUN and far more inviting that warring with the wind.

11-22:: All Alone.
Today I was all alone for at least four hours.
Before I retired there were many days when I never saw hubby until the evening.
With retirement came this unspoken 'pact' that seemed to say to hubby, "I will be with you wherever you go and in whatever you do."
Hubby has delighted in being with me all day, every day . . . after day . . . after day.
I also enjoy being with him as we run errands together or study or whatever.

So many options today.
I love symbol of choice.

Most people might say, "How sweet that they are together 24/7."
Yet, we all need a break at some time.
Today was our 'all alone' day.
Hubby was thrilled to take the car for an inspection and sit for hours.
In the back of his mind he had already rewarded himself with a Chinese Buffet.
He ran a couple errands, ate his favorite foods and took a few detours from his planned chores.

I had empty space . . . to do anything I wished.
Of course all my girlfriends were preparing to leave town to visit their children.
So, tea with a friend was not gong to happen.
 I could choose to read one the three books I have not yet finished,
OR finish some projects.
I decided to finish projects as they really needed my full attention, without the distraction of "honey, look at this  . . . honey, what about this . . . honey, can you help me with this?"
I could not believe how much free, uninterrupted time I had.
I was in heaven!
Don't get me wrong.
I adore my hubby.
But there is nothing that beats 'being alone' for a few hours.

In fact, we actually had fun stories to tell each other over dinner.
It seemed like the 'good old days' when we only had time to share our adventures every few days.
We both felt refreshed, invigorated and filled with tidbits to share with each other.

11-23:: What About This?  
After several years of 'sitting' on STUFF, we began making drastic decisions.
Keep, Throw or Give Away.
Those are the options.
Of course, I am the little packrat who says "We might need this some day."
Hubby is the 'tosser' who tends to throw out any piece of paper that sits in one place for more than a day.

I am reminded of the ditty, "Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean. 
 And so between the both, you see, they licked the platter clean."
This is true for us in many ways.
First, he hates frosting and I love it.

I'm even gleaning pictures.
This one is a little fuzzy but I love the sense of Fall.
It is even hard for me to edit pictures

He eats one cookie and I finish the rest.
Fortunately, we are both trim due to my daily work-outs.

In the same way, hubby's frequent tossing and my resistance has worked out quite well.
Hubby reminds me to purge as often as possible and I remind hubby to keep things at least a week . . . perhaps longer . . . if it is an item I know he will want to use later.
We have found that we use certain items in cycles.

If, indeed, we have not touched a piece of paper or an item for a few years . . . out it goes.
I use to purge my office of piles of papers every six months but I have not done so for three years.
One reason is my job was so consuming that used spare time for gardening or taking adventures with hubby.
The other reason is that I am trying to use less paper so use 'digital' filing as much as possible.
I have thrown volumes, saved little and have piles of clothes and trinkets to give away.
We have kept some lovely items far too many years.
Now we pack to go south for awhile so our same questions is:"What about this?"

It's a great question to ask our souls if we hang on to negative emotions or thoughts.
Do I keep it or toss it or give it to the Lord who can take care of it nicely . . . if I don't relinquish it and stuff it back into my soul.  "What about this, God?"

11-24:: THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS!
We are filled with THANKS for so much God has given to us.
In fact, this entire blog is about Thanks-giving as I praise God for our daily abundance.
We still have our health and ability to go on wonderful adventures so, today we are off on a special jaunt.

As we enter the garden from the
information center we see a small
rendition of the main theme of this
year's garden.

The light rain in the morning has turned into a beautiful day, perfect for walking through acres of gardens.
 Longwood Gardens is a long drive from our house but we manage to visit this glorious delight every Thanksgiving to see the first of the winter decorations.
(We also make sure we visit in Spring or Fall to enjoy a completely different view of the gardens.)

I loved this year's display because they used more natural colors for the season: Green, Red, White.
A picture says a thousand words so enjoy!   I'll add pictures here and there over the next several days.

Close up of hubby's favorite tree . . . filled with rose buds.
Each is tied so it will dry nicely over the next several weeks.

Here is the tree.
Notice the ball of white flowers and the grass.
We are inside the Conservatory.

11-25::  LINGER LONGER      lingerlongerwithgail.blogspot.com
Today we move slowly, trying to identify tasks that are absolutely necessary as we complete our long list.
I sit by the fire on this murky, drippy day . . . so perfect for catching up on writing.

I have another blog I have not accessed in since April: 
Linger Longer with Gail  
I'm realizing that this 'daily' blog (Daily Graces from God)  is getting much too long for my daily musings.
I ought to use three sentences each day at most.
When I feel long winded, and have plenty of time, I can LINGER a little LONGER on my other blog.

I'll take a bit of a break at the end of this month and then begin again, in December, with another format.
In the mean time, I'm going to finish reading my four books and do some hand-writing in my notebook.

Here is a tree in its natural setting.

I delight in seeing ink on paper.
I add color by highlighting words or phrases or by drawing simple pictures.
There are so many ways to linger a little longer with thoughts that overflow from my soul.
We are changing many routines so I might as well change writing habits.
All in all, I love to linger longer with so many delights beyond writing.
Perhaps I will discover new ways to linger a little longer each day.
It will be interesting to see what unfolds.

11-26:: Birds of a Feather
I looked out the backyard window where I see the great expanse of meadow where birds can feed to their delight all year.
Much to my surprise I saw well over a dozen Robins feasting on our Winterberry bushes.
Every spring I wonder why no bird has even pecked at these ripe red morals of delight.
But today, after seven years of watching these bushes grow, birds were in a frenzy.
Two of the three huge bushes had already been consumed!
What's going on?
A couple hours later I figured it out . . . after temps dropped and chill winds swept in.
Not a bird to be seen.

These bushes lasted through last winter's huge
snow storm without being eaten.

It's like they knew . . . deep down in their senses . . . that they had better consume as much as they could while the day was warm and bright (warmer and brighter than most November days).

Birds know, deep down, when it is time to prepare before they hide in the warmth of a fur tree.

They prepare themselves, almost automatically, for those times when they must hunker down . . . at least until those northern gales slow down to a breeze.

Are we prepared?
Matthew 24:44 reminds us that we must be prepared . . .  prepared for the coming of Christ . . .  prepared for a major change . . . from life on this earth to life eternally with God.

We never know what will happen in our lives and we do not know when God will send His Son back to us to take us into His everlasting arms.
The least we can do is fill ourselves full with God's glory, with affirmations that will sustain us through challenging times, with words of hope and expectations so we do not fear the unknown ahead of us.

Closest I could get to a robin.
Plenty of food here!

If we practice the precious 'presence' of God and believe in our hearts that God raised Christ from the dead, only to 'come again,' we are well on our way to being prepared for the unexpected.

Just like the swarming birds, we also can swarm around and consume the food that feeds our souls . . . the Word of God  . . . the stories and affirmations that remind us that God is with us . . . always . . . forever . . .  if we choose to believe.


11-27::  A New Beginning
It's ADVENT.
It's time to begin another 'liturgical' year as we prepare for the Coming . . .  the Advent . . .  of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
John, the baptizer, proclaimed to all the Jews to "prepare the way for the Lord," before the advent of Christ Jesus as he began his ministry.

Advent brings changes in light, sound, color and so much
more to stimulate the senses.  Purple: majestic and prayerful,
is the color of this season.

Every year people make grand preparations for the celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus.
Is the celebration really focused on Christ?
Christmas has been smothered by political correctness.
We now hear of a 'holiday' tree.
Brave Christians now wear pins to remind people that they can say Merry Christmas.
We can also say, Happy Hannukkah.

There are many celebrations this time of year and they all point to giving and goodness and LIGHT.
This very dark time in our lives, and very dark time of the year needs new light.

We prepare for the Light of Christ by lighting the FIRST CANDLE of ADVENT.
No matter where we are hubby and I take a moment each Sunday of Advent to remember the new beginning. . . Genesis 1:1, John 1:1  "In the beginning . . . "
We prepare for the Light of Christ to enter this world . . . as we prepare for the Christ - Mass.

11-28:: Be Prepared
And so we begin this season with many preparations.
Hubby and I spend dedicated prayer time together each day.
It's a time to stop the computers, slow down, breathe deep and take a moment to give THANKS to God.
Eucharisteo!

Another photo from Longwood Gardens
The music theme reminds me of the
sweet songs of the season pointing to
the 'coming', the Advent, of Christ.

We not only prepar our souls for the 'coming of Christ' but we also are preparing the house for winter and for the season that brings many festivities.

I pre-prepare a meal for guests who will arrive tomorrow.
The house is clean, the food is purchased, the table will be set with care and we will linger a little longer in conversation and sharing of memories.

We also prepare for a move to a different abode for a few months.
All these preparations, in the midst of changing weather and less light, make for busy days.
Yet, if my soul is prepared for change everything seems to fall into place.

My daily schedule of early up, a quaint Amish phrase, quiet time with God and my exercise regimen make me ready for whatever surprises come our way.
It also helps to remember to, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Prov. 3:5-6 is my life verse so I repeat it often . . . sometimes many times in a day.
This verse helps me 'be prepared.'

11-29:: We Gather Together . . .
"We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing . . . "  one of my favorite hymns that is sung at

Thanksgiving services.
Our 'thanks-giving' meal was moved to today so that we could enjoy two other couples who also work in churches to spread the good news of Christ's love and redemption to all who choose to listen.

Non-stop talk, laughter, hugs, great stories, uplifting affirmations, and just being together lifted our spirits high.
Hubby and I are blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful people but when the six of us got together we were able to share theology and discuss doctrine that might be difficult for many.

We used jargon that pertained to our denomination, which is confusing for the many 'plain' denominations surrounding us.
Sacrament, saint, alb, ambo, corporal, purificator,vestment, pix, burse, cotta, surplice, cassock, stole, chasuble etc.

Husbands and wives, all with different gifts, serve the Lord with gladness but too few times do we gather to share experiences, both happy and sad.
Three are preachers and pastors, one is an organist, one helps teach bible study and theology and the other leads the children and youth.
We gathered together to enjoy a simple feast of bread, soup and salad but left feeling full to overflowing.
It's amazing how gathering together with the Lord's blessings can lift our spirit for quite some time.

11-30:: Rain, Rain, Come . . .  and Stay.
Usually rain is a major inconvenience for me.
I dislike sloshing around in wet.

This is what our beautiful Leland Cypress
should look like but it is basking in the
fullness of a good soak.

Yet, on a hot summer day I relish the cool down that rain and wind bring.
But, it's not summer.
It's almost December.
Rain?
We have been blessed with somewhat balmy temps the past few days.
This two days of rain could have been mounds of snow.
We should be shoveling right now.
Instead, I'm cleaning out every single cupboard, throwing ingredients I've had too long, re-arraning the kitchen so that less is on the counter and thoroughly enjoying the sound of water running down the spouts as it flows off our roof.
It's a perfect 'work' day . . .  inside.
I love rain when it should have been snow and I'm glad the flora is receiving a deep drink before winter ice sends them into dormant sleep.
I also love that the rain is now instead of a few days from now when we will be traveling.
God's is looking out for His Creation . . .  and us.