Joyeux Noel...

...and Feliz Navidad, Buon Natale, Nollaig Shona Duit--Merry Christmas!
"...that the hands that had made the sun and stars were too small to reach the huge heads of the cattle." Chesterton

What Your Child REALLY Wants for Christmas...

Parent me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEfIBrzRZeM

It's not the school's job; it's not the community's job; it's not the pastor's job; it's not the daycare's job---it's your job. If God has blessed you with children, he expects you to raise them, to train them up, to teach them and to model integrity for them. You are the one to show them love and affection, to give them the gift of listening and caring, to create for them the safety of boundaries and consequences. Fine clothes and the latest gadgets are nice to have, but they can never ever replace YOU.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayh6og49uDo

The Ballad of the Christmas Donkey

Ed Ames

Long ago, in another day,
A donkey cried in his donkey way,
"I'm not beautiful, I'm not beautiful,
what good to anyone am I?"

"Other animals are big and strong,
or rare, or filled with an animal song,
but I'm not beautiful, I'm not beautiful,
what good to anyone am I?"

Heaven cried,
"Donkey, you can carry;
will you carry Mary?
Angels for your guide..."

On Christmas morn', in the stable hay,
The donkey smiled in his donkey way.
"I feel beautiful, I feel beautiful,
as beautiful as anyone am I...
as beautiful as anyone
am I."

photo courtesy The Green Wall

Cold

Good-bye leaf lettuce and collards; the cold has snatched your pretty leaves and crumpled them. Now we must wait for spring...

Thanksgiving 2010

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."
Psalm 107:1


Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, as it is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen







Our family had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner a little early, on Tuesday instead of Thursday, so that all of us could be together. I count the chance to be with one another as one of the greatest blessings we could receive. None of us is guaranteed a tomorrow, so the time we have together is precious.


And this is a great mystery of life,so brief and bittersweet. To be thankful for this heartrendingly beautiful broken world and our crooked sojourn in it.

Spring and Fall: To a young child

Márgarét, are you gríeving

Over Goldengrove unleaving?

Leáves, líke the things of man, you

With your fresh thoughts care for, can you?

Ah! ás the heart grows older

It will come to such sights colder

By and by, nor spare a sigh

Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;

And yet you wíll weep and know why.

Now no matter, child, the name:

Sórrow's spríngs áre the same.

Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed

What heart heard of, ghost guessed:

It ís the blight man was born for,

It is Margaret you mourn for.

Gerard Manley Hopkins

photo courtesy of Magnolia House

November 22: Justin Matthew

In memory of Justin Matthew, who would have been 27 today~

HE’LL TAKE CARE OF YOU (Mother's Lullaby)

Words & Music by David Meece

Hush little child -- wipe that tear from your eye

Don't you be scared of the dark

For someone is watching to guard as you sleep

Protecting each moment you grow

Chorus:

He'll take care of you, my darling, he loves you

He'll take care of you, my darling, for me

He'll take care of you and love you forever and ever

He'll take care of you, my darling, for me.

Moonlight casts shadows on warm summer nights

And the winter wind whispers through the whistling brush

There's no need to worry; He'll stay by your side

And nothing can touch you but love

photo courtesy of highschoolconfidential