greater things

I really don't want to write about

post-modernism and how it's

changed our church (that's church

as in all of us.) But, I do want to

say that it's been on my mind.

In our generation, everything is

based on personal experience,

and with good reason, but it's so

self-centered and quite a faulty

method when used alone.

We decide things better in

teams, with a collective

knowledge and history.

At the core of things, it just

saddens me to think that

people can have such different

experiences of church and it

alters their experience of Jesus.

That is all.

Now for a round-up of the third

week in Advent/first few days of

break!

1. Isn't this too pretty? This is the start to a pie/cobbler I made for a party on Friday night. We had a great time at the party but the best part of the evening was truly the ride there and the conversation with our friends who gave us a ride. And as they wouldn't accept gas money, please read #4 to learn what the consequences of their generosity were.

2. For anyone who knows me and how compulsive I am, the sights of our place Saturday would have shocked you. I actually enjoyed tearing the place up. Everything is so well packed into our tiny place that when you really get a few projects going at once, everything else falls out around it. Please observe: laundry drying on the rack and the couch, art station involving a record and a suitcase at the bottom of the picture, guitar on the desk... and oh yeah, we splurged on the electricity because the grey day was really getting me down and Jake remedied that with lights and windows.

3. What a man, truly serving his wife by giving up his time to take part in what she likes to do!

4. Saturday night, a change of plans. Or, as I like to remember, God only has a plan A, and we just didn't know what it was until it happened. You see, on our way to a little gathering, Jake and I found out the dinner was cancelled and we quickly got off the train to decide what to do.

The rest of the details aren't as important as this: we met Jackie. We walked by her at first, arrived at our own cozy destination and immediately turned around to give her the cookies I had in my purse. Jackie reminded me that I am far better off than I even know. Jake and I believe in not only serving people the food they need but also the friendship they need. We listened to Jackie and we did what we thought was best helping her get a room for the night. Talk about plan A, or what some people sometimes call coincidence, the money we saved on gas Friday night was still in our pockets and available for Jackie.

5. And today, in a desperate attempt to make vegan fare for a few friends, I made pancakes from churro mix, water, vanilla, cinnamon and a banana.

Friends, Jesus will be born

in just a few days now, what

are you doing to prepare?