Christmas Thoughts :Advent 1st week

the question of the day.   Have you finished your holiday shopping? 

well I listened to this on NPR (My favorite radio staion of all time.) this morning.     and got this little nugget on the way to work.


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6580388
Morning Edition, December 5, 2006 · Officials from St. Albans, W. Va., wanted to avoid a conflict over separation of Church and state. So they banned the baby Jesus from a Nativity scene in a public park. The manger included shepherds, camels, and a guiding star, but not Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Then the complaints starting pouring in and officials relented. Call it a victory for popular opinion.


it makes me happy for that little town, and for the Nativity characters who will be together again after a hiatus.  I was about to start singing "don't they know its christmas time at all'  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_They_Know_It's_Christmas
(talk to my friend Heather about how much she dislikes this song. )


i am really excited for Christmas this year.  I have put up the 4 foot christmas tree, ( Oh wee  tenenbaum, Oh wee little tenenbaum, how lovely are your branches...  ) whats great about a four foot tree is well, that it's four foot tall.  its small and sits the front picture window.  its small, that means it takes about 45 minutes to decorate.   Growing up we had a full size artificial tree that took a whole saturday afternoon to install.  tree, lights, ornaments, more ornaments, tinsel, ornaments that were hiding in a box behind the sleeping bags on the shelf and finally the star.  Well it was a plastic star, but then my Grandma made, or bought, I can't remember, a macrame angel that stands looking out over the Mailand living room.   a labor of love, torture holiday style. 


But i am getting ahead of myself.  its still only the first week of Advent.  there is much waiting, much much more waiting to take place.  Waiting for what we know will enevitably happen.  waiting for what we know happens every year.  The Shepherds hear of the news,  then the wise men, then Herod, and on and on and on.  things fall into place.  right on time, whether we are ready or not.  They came to worship and not to expect holiday gifts.  they worshiped Jesus, the God who was now among us.  Its good to anticipate, its good to wait, and to prepare, and to sing, and to come to the nativity scene and see for yourself what is about to take place and to, look and touch, and to,  oh its almost here, are you ready?



we will be meeting this sunday night at 5:00 pm at my house for dinner.  please send me an email with your suggestions.  Camy will be bringing a 'special'  gooey carmel nut pie.
Hope you can make it.  please let me know in advance if possible so that I know to expect you.

take care,  Joel