Luggage and Christmas

Before I explode with pictures and

reflections on the past two weeks,

I just have to tell you something.

I have this thing for writing around

the house ... I put verses and notes

absolutely everywhere. And I came

up with this phrase while packing.

If I believed in jinxing, then I'd say I must have

jinxed myself. This was ironic to read as we

entered home for the first time, returning one

bag lighter. Yes, the airline lost my luggage.

I just have to keep reading and rereading that note.

We had an incredibly snowy and blessed Christmas.

The family even elected me to place the angel on the

tree, as it was my first Christmas being one of them!

As far as resolutions go...

sometimes I have to hold back from them.

I recognize that lists and goals find a

playground in my mind of compulsions and

a semi-fear of failure.

But here are some loose ideas of what I would

like to do in 2010:

1. Eat more colorfully!

2. Get to know God better.

We rung in the new year in Querétaro, Mexico!

The photo above is from the 10 p.m. mass at a

Franciscan church downtown. Simply breathtaking.

I hadn't actually thought prior about how cool it would

be to celebrate new year's eve while abroad.

However, it was fantastic!

We adored Mexico.

We wandered, relaxed, spoke a lot of Spanish,

explored, made friends and climbed a mountain.

Christmas and our reception with Jake's family

were also wonderful and I want to write so much!

But perhaps the only thing I can say now is that we've made it home safe... 7 airplanes and 6 airports later.

I realized something while packing for Iowa/Mexico (...oh, you didn't know they were so close to each other? Go take a look at... just kidding, of course. Our official honeymoon is going down after Christmas!)

Anyway, what I realized is how important it is to not only pack the necessities, but also their chargers! What a funny age we live in. So here's my list of what's in my bag and what charges it:

"All Scripture is God-breathed

and is useful

for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training

in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped

for every good work."

2 Timothy 3:16-17

"... and the sword of the spirit,

which is the Word of God."

Ephesians 6

"My soul is weary with sorrow,

strengthen me

according to your Word."

Psalm 119:28

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?

The holidays are...

for listening to Christmas music? No.

for hibernating inside and baking? No.

for giving gifts and being nice? Wrong again.

for spending time with family and loved ones? No.

How odd that every year at this time

people ask the question, "What is the

true meaning of Christmas?"

Let's break it down,

Christ = Jesus!

mas = a church service/feast.

I may be stating the obvious, but it dawned

on me the other day how difficult it must be

for those who celebrate Christmas without

celebrating the birth of Jesus.

No wonder people become so weary and

jaded of the season.

Even Christians tire of the holiday, and I

think it's because we put too much weight

on the accessories of the season (the lights,

the music, the goodwill to all.)

Christmas, after all, is only one day. And

we often try to make it last for a month.

Advent, however, is the ancient season

that truly leads up to Christmas day.

Advent is a time to recognize our dire

need for Jesus to come. We meditate on

the joy that He will come. Then, when

Christmas day arrives, we can welcome

it and be glad because we've longed for

that day for four weeks.

I am learning a lot about advent this

year. I recommend it to everyone.

Now, incase you thought I was a grump

and that I don't like any of those things

that I first listed:

And it just wouldn't be right to end this post without giving credit to Luke, because without his story of Jesus, we wouldn't even have Christmas to begin with. (None of the other authors mentioned how or when Jesus was born.)

"So the shepherds hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told to them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

Luke 2:16-20

Thank you, Luke!