A Christmas Poem

I happened upon an Ideals Christmas book of poetry at a going out of business book sale. It's filled with pictures, stories, poetry that call to mind the era of Norman Rockwell or Charles Dickens.

Amid the pages was nestled a poem that I would like to share with you. It's titled: Let the Stable Still Astonish and is written by Leslie Leyland Fields.

Let the stable still astonish:

Straw–dirt floor, dull eyes,
Dusty flanks of donkeys, oxen;
Crumbling, crooked walls;
No bed to carry that pain,
And then, the child,
Rag-wrapped, laid to cry
In a trough.

Who would have chosen this?

Who would have said: “Yes,
Let the God of all the heavens and earth
Be born here, in this place?
Who but the same God
Who stands in the darker, fouler rooms
Of our hearts

And says, “Yes,

Let the God of Heaven and Earth

Be born here –

In this place.

----Leslie Leyland Fields

Hope

This week I listened to a Devotion about Advent Week. This was a pretty new concept to me since my church doesn't especially celebrate this. But I really like the ideas of focusing on hope, peace, joy, and love throughout December.

Hope is the first week of Advent. I hope you enjoy this short video clip about Hope.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-pZYNv8pRQ&feature=related

Never alone

This is a picture from our summer trip to Vancouver. We had a great time experiencing nature in such an incredible environment. The verse is a great reminder that God is always with us, no matter if we journey through rivers or meadows.

Let Light Shine

TIme travel

Tonight we magically gain an hour! Though I am less than thrilled with the darker evenings, I am looking forward to a longer weekend.

If I determined to be responsible there are many things I could do with this extra hour:

• Exercise
• Write
• Finally organize my pile of mail/coupons/random paperwork I'm not ready to throw away
• Clean my tile floors

Of course, I could do these things within a regular day also. I could also enjoy shopping and this entertaining anime that my husband and I found on Netflix.

Here's to a productive and enjoyable time traveling weekend!

The End of an Era

When I hear this phrase, it often calls to mind the scene from Friends when Monica announced that she was moving out and would no longer be roommates with Rachel. "Its the end of an era!" They exclaim somewhat sadly for even though Monica was really happy about her decision, it's still hard to say goodbye to a good time period of life.

This weekend my church said goodbye to our senior pastor. After 20 some years of pastoring he is retiring from pastoral care and moving on to another opportunity which should allow more time with his family. It's a good thing for him. And as a church community we can be grateful for the many years that he spent with us. He's a great leader and someone I respect.

But when he walked off the stage for the last time as senior pastor, it was in a sense, the end of an era for us. A really great era. And I can't help but feel a sense of loss at its departure.

But when one era ends, another begins.

And you can learn from the past as you walk to the future.

So as we move forward, I appreciate one of the closing thoughts shared in the church bulletin by our pastor regarding one of his favorite texts John 10:10.

"The text says that the devil--'The thief' has come for no other purpose than to 'steal and kill and destroy.' But Jesus has come that we might 'have life and have it to the full.' In other words, God only wants the best for us. He wants the real thing. No counterfeits. No short-changing. No 'so-so.' No half-way measures. That's what I talked about in my first sermon here. And that's a theme I've tried to weave into all my preaching. The Christian faith is all about living he best life possible. Its about having the right values. A balanced perspective. A sense of certainty that God is not only good but also wants good for us. It's about being positive and upbeat. It's about seeking joy. It's about experiencing grace. It's about trying to make the world a better place because we're here." Jim Coffin

Happy Fall

Fall has finally come to Central Florida and its a welcome change in temperature. Crisp cool air is flooding our mornings and evenings and the afternoons are pleasant and breezy.

I wish our palm trees would turn red and orange like their northern counterparts, but I'm grateful for the beautiful weather despite a shortage of fall color.

I have already made apple cider, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin bread. Now I need some pecan pie!

Isn't it interesting how we associate different foods with different seasons. We think of watermelon, sweet tea, and corn on the cob for summer. Egg nog, peppermint and sugar cookies at Christmas. And in the fall we enjoy warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg in cider, and all things pumpkin.

Perhaps as the days grow shorter, time spent with loved ones will grow longer. Enjoy the food and traditions of the season, the beautiful weather, and the constant variety of the changing seasons.

Hope

Hope resides in the first rays of dawn

Erasing the dark, it's memories gone.

Hope falls sweet a gentle breeze

When the rain is gone, and the sun shines free

Hope breathes in a newborn child

Full of life, with her mother's smile

Hope is true, hope is strong

Hope inspires our hearts deep song

And sing we must, full of light

Until the day true hope is sight.

-Kristen Harmon

Genuine Faux Leather

I was at T.J. Maxx browsing the purse aisle when I came across a purse that boasted: Genuine Faux Leather!

I'm not sure how this phrase made it past their marketing department, it seems so ridiculous. Imagine if any of the slogans below were used?

Genuine fake pearls!

Real false teeth!

True forged checks!

It's interesting that even a fake reproduction is still a real product. So just because the word genuine proceeds the noun, doesn't make it something of value.

Similarly, we all spend our time, money, thoughts, and words, towards something. The question isn't whether or not these efforts are genuine, but rather, do they lead to something of value?

Island life- vacation or home?

My husband and I were driving home yesterday when we heard an intriguing song called Knee Deep by the Zack Brown Band.

The part that really makes me laugh is this line. "Wrote a note, said be back in a minute, bought a boat and I sailed off in it." And he keeps sailing until he reaches an island where he hangs out knee deep in the water sure he's found paradise.

Unless he's part Swiss Family Robinson, I'm not sure how he plans to survive on this island. Perhaps he has tree-house building skills and has found an island of endless fruit...regardless, the long term situation is blissfully left out of this song.

Maybe that's why the song is so appealing. Its audaciously ridiculous to imagine renting a boat and sailing into the ocean until you land on an island that you deem your new home. But there's something a little appealing in the thought, nonetheless.

I imagine that while some listeners may be inspired to go on a cruise or plan a trip to the beach after hearing the upbeat ode to the waves, few if any would actually attempt what the song suggests.

But perhaps what could be attempted is a bit of self reflection. Do I enjoy my life? Would I be tempted to sail away and try again elsewhere if I had the chance? Is something missing? If so, what? What steps could I take to add more meaning and joy into my time?

Perhaps instead of sailing away to an unknown island, we need to simply sail ahead, adjusting to the winds, enjoying the clear waters and the bright sun, and living with gratitude for those sailing with us.

How is your personal screener?

This week I had the privilege of speaking at a recruitment vendor conference about ways to screen information to get to the best candidates faster.

For example, there are certain questions you can ask to understand if a candidate has the right skills for your particular position.

While this is helpful in a business setting, I wonder if a similar concept can be applied in a personal setting. Are there questions that we can ask to help screen the activities that we allow into our lives or the thoughts that we allow to dwell in our minds, thus yielding better decisions and better outcomes faster?

Philippines 4:8 says

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

This sounds like a pretty good job description for a positive outlook.

Full of Grace

"Tuesday's child is full of grace." The inspiration for my blog's title comes from a nursery rhyme published 19'th century. While I don't subscribe to the belief that your personality or life destiny is determined by the day of the week you enter this world, I do find this phrase captivating.

Wouldn't we all like to be full of grace? How much would we enjoy the ability to see more grace and beauty in the world?

Psalms 27:13 says this: "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."

Let's look for footprints of goodness, grace, and beauty as we go about our days.

p.s. To read about this poem you can visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monday's_Child