STOP Rushing!

As I rush to take Chuck to physical therapy and then drive to San Antonio to meet MJ and her boy friend flying in from Salt Lake City, this reminder is very good for me:

It is also a good word for Advent!

Lean Into the Darkness

Advent Longing

In the darkness of the season, in the silence of Mary’s womb,

          new life waits and grows.

          Hope is shaped in hidden places,

          on the edges, in the depths

          far from the blinding lights and deafening sounds of consumer frenzy.

In the darkness and silence of my own life,

          I wait,

          listening for the whisper of angel wings,

          longing for a genuine experience of mystery,

          hoping for a rekindling of joy and the establishment of peace.

I lean into the darkness

         and silence.

         Expectant.

                                                            ~Larry J. Peacock

I need to remember to TARRY!

"The season of Advent means there is something on the horizon the likes of which we have never seen before. . . . What is possible is to not see it, to miss it, to turn just as it brushes past you. And you begin to grasp what it was you missed, like Moses in the cleft of the rock, watching God's (back) fade in the distance. So stay. Sit. Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. Behold. Wonder. There will be time enough for running. For rushing. For worrying. For pushing. For now, stay. Wait. Something is on the horizon."

~~Jan L. Richardson

Mea Culpa!

Despite committing to blog two weeks ago, I did not come through. Helping Chuck get ready for his knee replacement surgery plus Christmas preparations kept me busy the first week. Then one week ago today, Chuck's right knee was replaced by an excellent orthopedic surgeon and his staff. So this week has been even busier than the first one!

Although not true, I have been feeling overwhelmed by all there is to do. In fact, I cried and fell apart last Thursday when Chuck was released from the hospital. Getting him home, out of the car and into the house, I forgot that the car had been parked by the back door for easiest entry for him. However that meant the gate was NOT closed, and forgetting that, I let the dogs out--who streaked off.

Cisco, the older German Shepherd mix, came back when called, but crazy Maisie (Lab and hound mix) had disappeared. She does this at any opportunity and that's when my tears let forth. . . .as I went off to drive the neighborhood, trying to spot Maisie.

Somehow Chuck felt sorry for me in his own pain and called me up to tell me to come home. After I did, someone called to say they had found Maisie and would walk her home. Even though Maisie bolted again, this kind young woman ran her down and brought her back. People are so good.

I have not noticed Advent as much as usual, with Chuck's surgery. He had some rough days at the beginning, but has been doing better since the weekend. His mobility is increasing, and he has cut his pain meds way back.

I still have to drive him places, because his right knee was replaced. We've heard stories that it will take a month before he is able to lift his foot and leg quickly enough to drive. Only three more weeks! But it's easy to take him around, especially because he is so cheerful.

Center Oneself

From Shalem on Facebook

Our Granddaughters

Avery and Emma

Thanks to our son and these girls' daddy DC, here is a picture of our beloved granddaughters in Austin this past weekend. I am glad that they will spend Christmas with us!

Advent Is A Time of Creation

"In the beginning, the Spirit brooded over the face of the waters and God spoke and there was Light. Likewise, in the fullness of time, an angel announced to Mary and the same creative Spirit visited her and she conceived the Son of God. This Advent, our Advent, is equally a time of creation. God's same Spirit abides in us--brooding over our waters--shaping and forming us, being formed and shaped by us. We are God's creative works in process. God alone knows what we shall become. What might God have in store in the fullness of our time? In the beginning, God created Light. In Mary, God became flesh. What will God become in us this Advent? Is there room in us for God's seed to take root and grow? God has visited us with grace and favor. Are we ready to become Light?"

~~by Thomas Hoffman

Slow Down. Quiet. It's Advent!

Some years ago, a friend gave me this Advent poster that has been taped on the inside of my pantry door ever since then. Every Advent, I look at it again, even though the suggestions could be used daily!

AND this year I finally ordered some of these from Forward Movement. If you want one, it is entitled "2014 Slow Down. Quiet. It's Advent." The cost is $12 for 25 copies.

Sorry I am so late with this thought--or at least in sharing it.

Below you'll see what suggestions are given for the first three days of Advent.


And here's how it looks: