Snowy Thanksgivings

Thou that has given so much to me,

Give one thing more - a grateful heart;

Not thankful when it pleaseth me, 

As if thy blessings had spare days;

But such a heart, whose pulse may be,

Thy praise. 

~George Herbert 

Many many cuddles,

a bit of trekking,

and the best turkey and gravy ever! 

Hours of outside time,

 and hours of sledding =

  lots of smiles.

 Food, more food, and family +

cold sunny sunsets =

wonderful.

A new face in the crowd,

chapped lips and ice skating,

= warm hearts.

 A little sugar, photos, and icy sun =

Advent season has begun! 

    May God bless your family as you draw near to Him this Advent season. While there are no perfect seasons, nor perfect families, there is a perfect Grace holding us close, pulling us close. New beginnings are being birthed about us; let us open our eyes to see. Let us open our ears to hear. 

Be a Mazed

Hope

We watched Charles Dicken's Oliver at the local high school on Friday night. How timely a play. How timely are Dicken's stories today - the evil, the bondage, the sale and destruction of people, and yet the redemption.

So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?  Hebrews 13:6 

We may live with hope, and we are called to offer hope.

I am here this morning, in this space, because I need that hope, because the night is too long and the daylight seems too short. Over and over again, I need to be reminded of His words. He speaks them in the night.

"Do not be afraid of what man can do to the body."

You and I are made of eternal cloth.

The I AM is our eternal hope. 

What is it that you do best? What spheres of love, life, and joy do you hold in your hands? Keeping investing in them, keeping growing them. In the wake of tragedies, and the lies that create them, and the evil, offer a great hope. Because there is hope.

The most powerful thing we can offer the world today is our stories of love and life, of awaking each new day and beginning again, even when night terrors keep us awake. When the cries of humanity ring in our ears, let us rise with renewed purpose to offer joy and embrace each other where love is lacking.

A dear writer friend winged her way towards Paris on Saturday. She headed into the darkness in order to write light. Let us join her in these efforts, exactly where we live, love, and breathe.

What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.  Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Mathew 10:26-28