Like a child, Jesus comes.

This is one of my very favorite advent songs.  It reminds me that Jesus came to us as a child, runny nose, dirty feet and sticky hands.

Like a ChildDaniel Charles Damon

Like a child love would send to reveal and to mend,

 Like a child and a friend, Jesus comes.

 

Like a child we may find claiming heart, soul, and mind

 

Like a child strong and kind, Jesus comes

Like a child we will meet, ragged clothes, dirty feet,

 

Like a child on the street, Jesus comes.

 

Like a child we once knew,  Coming back into view,

 

Like a child born anew, Jesus comes.

Like a child born to pray and to show us the way,

 Like a child here to stay, Jesus comes.

 

Like a child we receive,  All that love can conceive,

 

Like a child we believe, Jesus comes.

For the joy of these days!

Come surely, Lord Jesus, as dawn follows night,

 our hearts long to greet you, as roses, the light.

 Salvation, draw near us, our vision engage.

 

 One candle is lit for the hope of the age.

Rollin' Down the Highway

 

 

On a mini-vacation trip this weekend, I found myself behind a truck.  This was particularly annoying to me, because I wanted to make sure not to miss an exit. 

 

So, when a break in traffic allowed, I moved into the passing lane, pulled in front of the truck, and found myself.....behind another truck.

 



Blast!!

 

It was almost funny, because I realized that life is somewhat like that.  And sometimes, life is very much like that.  Much as you want to see what's ahead, you just have to trust that you will find out in good time.

 

 

Patience is a virtue.

 

And good things come along.

 

 

Interesting things.

Weird things.

 

 

 Delightful things.

 

And afterall, the exit comes soon enough.

Boc, boc, boc, boc

When I was a child, back in the day, there was an evil custom of selling baby chickens to children as pets.  This was around Easter time.

And, if that wasn't bad enough, the little guys were dyed a rainbow of colors before being put into an incubator-type box and displayed in a dime-store or whatever, well within the reach of tiny hands.  Hopefully, this no longer occurs.

I had one of those chicks.  I carefully selected him from among his fellow fuzzy friends.  I took him home, made him a nice warm bed, and named him Chirp Chirp.  (As a child, I had great imagination).

Against all odds, Chirp Chirp not only survived, he thrived.  Over time his pink fuzz gave way to white feathers.  He graduated from the little box in the kitchen to the run of the garage.  Eventually he left us to live on the farm of some acquaintances.  I am sure he still lives there today, happily pecking away at the plentiful seed tossed his way.

I thought of Chirp Chirp today because today (May 14) is.....

NATIONAL DANCE LIKE A CHICKEN DAY!!!!

This is true - you can look it up.  Since I believe it is totally impossible to do the chicken dance and NOT laugh, I think we should all celebrate by kicking up our heels. 

In honor of Dance Like A Chicken Day, here are few fun chicken facts...

There are more chickens living on earth than people.

Chickens can run at a speed of 9 mph.

In the chicken capital of the world, Gainesville, Georgia, it is illegal to eat chicken with a fork.

A hen can lay about 300 eggs each year.

So that the yoke does not stick to the egg shell, a mother hen turns it egg about 50 times each day.

So....

 

 

have a laugh

and always remember to

What's with the crazy hats?

Practically anyone who knows me, knows by now that my family had two graduations this weekend.   On the same day.  In two different towns.  However, fortune smiled and due to the times of the ceremonies, we were able to attend both.

 

Mindy graduated from St. Catharine's College in Springfield, KY with a degree in Sonography.  Andy graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in Pyschology.  We are extremely proud of them both. 

 

 Countless blessings have come to pass during these last few years.

 

 

Friends made

 

 

 



Love found.

 

Making it to this point has, of course, been a series of celebrations.  And, as any parent knows, the time between these pictures.....

 

 



 

and this picture...

 

 

well, it flew.

 

In honor of these special events, I thought it would be fun to share some thoughts on graduation from a few sources....

 



Tom Brokaw

You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world.

 

Sydney Harris

The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.

 

Garry Trudeau

Commencement speeches were invented largely in the belief that outgoing college students should never be released into the world until they have been properly sedated.

Incidentally, The square academic cap is called a mortarboard because of its similarity in appearance to the hawk used by bricklayers to hold mortar.  (Or so Wikapedia says)

 

Blessings on all graduates tonight. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magical Monday. Or this is the day that the Lord has made

Here we are again.

Another beautiful weekend come and gone. It was a really good one, too, for me and my family. 

But Mondays tend to roll around and I thought it would be fun to share a fabulous story from the GoodNews Netword.

 



 

An employee from College HUNKS Moving and Hauling service in Florida proved that the company's motivation "to make the world a better place" is more than just a slogan.

A student from the Art Institute of Florida was performing a move for College HUNKS at an assisted living facility inside a 10-story building when the elevator got stuck.

"We were riding with a very nice elderly women," said Cesar Larios. "As soon as it got stuck the lady said she could not stand for extended periods."

So, what did Cesar do? He created a human bench for her.

"I offered to serve as a chair," the 23-year-old told his boss, who contacted the Good News Network. "She was so thankful."

For a full 30 minutes he sacrificed himself for her comfort, as shown in the photo taken by one Larios's workers.

"I thought this was a great example of old-fashioned service and helping your fellow neighbor," said Co-Founder & President of College HUNKS Nick Friedman in an email to us. "Our company mission is to Move the World both literally and emotionally, and this is an example of our brand coming to life."

HUNKS, which stands for Honest, Uniformed, Nice, Knowledgeable Students, has 52 franchise locations and is based in Tampa, Florida.

This motivated company doesn't simply employ "clean cut" college students, their training program, "HUNKS University." teaches them how to embody a leadership mindset and provide WOW service to keep the client stress-free.

Certainly Cesar Larios must have graduated Magna cum laude

 

http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/inspired/individuals/man-volunteers-to-be-human-bench-for-old-lady-stuck-on-elevator.html

Sunday

“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”
― John Paul II

Saturday

Remembering

 

 

Thursday

Friday

The Light

 

 Once there was Someone who said such amazing things and did such wonderful things that people began to follow Him.  But they didn't know who He was.  So one day, they simply had to ask Him.  And He said, "I am the Light."*

 

Last night at Ash Wednesday service we had an opportunity to light prayer candles for people or things that we wanted to lift up.

 

Steve and I lit three candles (OK, we lit four, but that's because we are uncoordinated).  One for each of our children.  It is a time of new beginnings. 

 

Our son and daughter will both be graduating from their respective schools in May - on the same day, 100 miles apart, naturally.  My soon-to-be daughter-in-law will be returning to college in the fall, after the wedding.

 

We prayed for their futures.  For the right doors to open.  For good judgement.  For joyful days ahead. 

 

We prayed.  Now we wait.  Ugh.  I am the kind of person that needs to know things NOW.  Uncertainty is not my friend.  I want to know what jobs are waiting, what housing will become available, what classes will be offered. 

 

There are things to do, of course to help get ready.  Courses to sign up for.  Finals to study for.  Wedding clothes to buy.  Parties to plan for celebrating these occasions.

 

And, I suppose that is the essence of Lent.  We pray, we get ready for Easter by observing the disciplines of Lent.  And we wait.

 

But we don't wait alone. 

 

After the service last night, someone extinguished the lights.  The flame from the Christ candle was replaced by curling tendrils of smoke, and "the Light is changed so it's not just in one place anymore. It can be in many places at once."*

 

The essence of the Christ candle swirls into the air and becomes part of the world.  It will never be contained in one place again, but is in all places at all times.  Thanks be to God.

 

  

 

*Purple text is from Children Worship & Wonder program.