Spring!

I was at home this weekend, and there were tiny buds on my mom's apple trees. It reminded me that spring WILL come, and God will not let it be winter forever.

I'm so glad!

Happy New Year! etc.

I hope your Christmas and New Year's was as wonderful as mine...

And voila! More excuses.

Another Christmas.
I love Christmas, and I'm glad for the joy it brings, and the good times with family. I was at the Christmas Eve service at church tonight, and it was wonderful! Candles, songs, and cookies in the foyer.... We opened gifts today, and it was fun to see a good gift received.

School wrapped up for me in a whirlwind of activity -- Preschool Christmas Crafts at Heartland, 2 days of exams, watching the Nutcracker Ballet, and going to Michael W Smith...

In all this, though, I've had trouble resting.

I don't mean dozing on the couch, or watching tv.

I mean resting. Really resting.
Resting in the silence and the presence of God, and being still before him.

I use so many excuses: it's so hard when classes are wrapping up -- all the papers and assignments. It's so hard during exams, there's so much studying and not enough time. It's so hard when you're working two jobs.

It's so hard during Christmas because all the family is around, and there's so much action.

It's so hard.

blah blah blah.
It's basically just an excuse. I was struck today how I want to "rest" and "take a break" from the stuff I usually do, but I rarely deliberately take the time for the rest that will heal me on the inside. Ironically, I find that when I take time away from my day to spend with God, suddenly, there seems to be more time for other things.

This dichotomy has got me to thinking:
I don't think we're made for frantic activity.

I've been reading through John lately, and Jesus was really deliberate about people, and doing the will of his father, which at times, required that he take time away and hide himself from his disciples, and pray.

My prayer for you and I over the Christmas season is that we'd take time for the things that matter. For people.
and for God.

and that we'd take time for the rest that matters.
Cheers!

Merry Christmas

let us, therefore, subsist on TUMS

So, in the last 3 days, I've completed a group presentation and two term papers. One of which I'm proofreading now. (two hours before class -- don't ask how late I stayed up to finish it...)

For some reason, this time around, staying up late and being stressed has given me a need for TUMS.

and so, I'm enjoying my mint flavoured TUMS.

which sounds strange.
except that when I was small, my Grandma used to let me eat TUMS like candy.
I've developed quite an affinity for them.

so, let us, therefore, subsist on tums.

and pretentious words. (I've been trying to use as many as I could.)

Incidentally, today's word of the day (according to dictionary.com) is tarraddidle, which can be defined as pretentious nonsense.
which may apply to today's posting...

draw your own conclusions.

The Grinch

I was walking through the snow this morning, watching a little boy run around wearing swishy nylon snowplants, and this song from How the Grinch Stole Christmas! kept running through my head.

In honor of it (almost) being Christmas, and in honor of the snow, and the gloriousness of Dr Seuss's The Grinch, here it is:


Welcome Christmas

Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas,
Come this way!

Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas,
Christmas Day.

Welcome, Welcome
Fah who rah-moose
Welcome, Welcome
Dah who dah-moose

Christmas day is in our grasp
So long as we have hands to clasp
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!

Welcome Christmas
Welcome, welcome Christmas
Bring your cheer