December 20 – “Five Days”

 

 

Five days until Christmas.  Just trying to instill some of that holiday spirit, that anticipation, that excitement.  Didn't use to be that hard to do back in the day, back when we were kids and all we had to think about once the Christmas holidays started was how many days were left until Christmas.  I guess children have always "gotten it" when it comes to the whole Advent season.  Maybe that's where the idea of Advent came from.  Some guy hundreds of years ago was watching his kids get excited about anticipating something, and he decided to use that to reignite in people the idea of anticipating the coming of Christ.  Then again, maybe not.

 

Chris went to Bay City yesterday to wish her two Dads a Merry Christmas.  Everything went well for her this time.  She even got to go to lunch at some Chinese food all you can eat buffet with one of them.  The total bill for the two of them was only eleven dollars.  That's pretty cheap for any all you can eat place.  Glad she was with him and not me.  All that Chinese food makes me queasy.

 

While she was gone I went to a funeral.  A long funeral.  The pastor seemed like a very nice guy, and he obviously had a close relationship with the guy who died, but he preached two separate sermons.  Just seemed to last a long time.  Three of the guy's nephews did eulogies, and they were pretty broken up.  All of them cried quite a bit as they made their way through the presentations.  It was heartwarming to see how much they loved their uncle.  I just wish there had been more of a sense of celebration.  They guy was a Christian, so he's doing fine, but he was just 48 years old.  It'll just take some time for his family to get over the shock.  Tough way to spend Christmas.

 

I also spent a lot of time on sermons, since I have to put together two this week – Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Then I spent some time working on Chris' Christmas present.  Not the carving.  I finished that already.  This was a last-minute brainstorm.  We'll see how it pans out. 

 

Headed over to Texas in a few hours for a doctor's appointment.  Actually it's just a blood test, but it looks like I'll be able to pick up some samples of Celebrex.  That's been the only medication that seems to work at all with my rheumatoid arthritis.  Problem has been that it's not covered by insurance because it is not generic.  But maybe it'll be a relatively pain free Christmas, anyway.

 

Isaiah 40:9 says, "You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain.  You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, 'Here is your God!'"

 

Father, I guess Jamaica Beach is my Jerusalem.  Help me communicate those good tidings to them as well.  Amen.