First Sunday in Advent

The waiting begins

The first Sunday in Advent

A day of hope

A day of expectation

Good things to come

Time at home

Time with friends

The waiting of the season

In the beginning was the word

And the word was with God

And the word was God

O Come O Come Emmanuel

Three times today I have heard the words of advent reference the second coming of Jesus. So often I have thought of it as the preparation of the birth of the Baby Jesus ... but no ... it goes much beyond that. The question ... "are you ready?". The response "here I am Lord" ... but it is more than that ...

One reference to the Advent said "During the four weeks before Christmas, Christians celebrate and look forward to both the first and second coming of Jesus. Advent can help us on our spiritual journeys, to set aside time to remember and give thanks for God’s gift of salvation through Christ, to remember how we are to live in the light of this reality, and to prepare our hearts for when Christ comes again."

The other: "The people who sit in darkness are waiting for the light that shines. Happy waiting and hope and expectation as we begin again a new year filled with promise and wonder. Jesus is coming."

So during these four weeks how will I spend my time? ... being busy running around? Gathering more things? Spending money? Getting things for "linen closets" (that was where my grandmother would sometimes put our "gifts".

I'd like this to be a different advent season ... a Christmas of sharing gifts of the heart with others .... gifts of time, of friendship, of love.

What are your plans for the advent season?

Family

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessings

We gather together to give thanks for the bounty

Four generations from 10 months to 89+ years.

I am blessed.

Come to the Table

Come to the table, all is ready. Join in the thanksgiving. There is no application, no processing fee. Come empty handed, come with food in hand. All I ask, is that you bring your list of Thanksgiving, for that which is easy to give thanks, and that which is hard. Through both we can learn and grow. God has given us abundantly ... so that we may give to others as Thanksgiving is really is about GIVING ...

So come to the table.
Give thanks for what you have
Give thanks for what you have received

Now give to others.
Give in thanks ... with a joyful heart.

Stop By Sometime

Do Drop Inn, Barstow CA

Bar, Long Since Closed!

If you are ever in the area of Rochester ... do drop in sometime. I can't promise that the house will be clean ... I can promise that there will be dog hair someplace waiting to be vacuumed , a friendly golden retreiver who throw his 85 pounds at you in a friendly hell0 (abeit a bit overwhelming), a glass of wine, a slice of cheese, something cooked up, a fire, candles, and even an extra room if you decide to spend the night.

Was it Mary or Martha that was the "entertainer". And I have often wondered who I am? Am I Mary or Martha?

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:38-42).

Ahh I wish I was Mary ... but I think I am more Martha ... maybe Martha had a bit of ADD ... heck ... maybe she was just misunderstood. I'm not sure she was worried. Distracted, yes. Wanting to serve, yes. Yet I do hope that I have some of Mary in me.But if not ... "do drop in" so I can serve you ... and work on my Mary "temperament".

Who is more dominant in you, Mary or Martha?

Take a Bread Break

La Farine, Oakland, CA

We come together to break bread ... at the altar, at the coffee shop, in our homes. Together when we sit, kneel, or stand we share this life giving food.

Give us this day our daily bread
Let us break bread together
Manna: Bread of life

The fresh baking of bread
There is nothing quite like it ...
Comforting ...
Revealing ...

In the breaking of our bread ... we break open our hearts ...
And in our open hearts we become vulnerable
And in our vulnerability we live fully

Communicating

As a young child I remember the game "telephone". Very simple ... whisper something simple to the person next to you ... and then they tell the next, and so on. Even after three people the original message seems to be already changed. Next image ... two cans ... one string. You can see them ... two kids talking to each other

Ahhh but I think communication really has become much more complicated. Phone, text, computer, email, skype, video. Wires can so easily be crossed. Did the person want my opinion when I was sent an email? or was it information only. Do I answer the question ... if my name is in the TO line? or the CC line? or the BCC line? And what if I accidently send the "thread" to someone. Then there are the text messages ... did they get them? Or the voice mail?

Ahhhh ... I miss the day of "party lines".

Now if you are reading this ... and don't know what a party line is ... ask your parents. They should know. If they don't, go the next generation and check with grandparents.

No wonder our lines of communication get crossed ...

So in advance, I apologize.

Let's try it again.

Not on the run

Not on the fly

Not via email

Let's meet for coffee.

There's cup of love waiting to be shared.

Dreams

It was a fitful night. Not sure why. Other than a different house, different bed, pillow too big, and a bit too hot. Whine whine whine. Tremendously thankful for a bed, a roof, etc. My blessings have been and continue to be amazing ...

Dreams were weird ... folks from my past ... I even woke myself up and asked why they were all there. Didn't stay awake enough to hear the answer! I know ... chicken!

Our minds are cobwebs of our lives ... some more clear at times that others ...

What are your dreams like?

Bridge

Night to day
Shore to shore
Season to season
Life to death
Fall to winter

We are always connected
We are never alone

Active Waiting

The title of today's post comes from my daily email from the Nouwen society (I strongly suggest you follow it!).

What a wonderful image as we get close to the season of advent. And yes, I do prefer advent to Christmas (don't tell my folks!).

During advent I am drawn into the darkness. Less lights, more candles. Less noise, more melodies. Less stuff, more space. Think about it ... Joseph and Mary ... traveling with all their possessions and pregnant. Ending up in a stable.

As I prepare for advent the house and office are transformed ... as I am drawn into actively waiting during the season ... the pleading words of O Come O Come ...

Time to Curl Up!

When one is invisible ...

Sometimes it is a good strategy to just curl up ....

Under a comforter of course ... with a good book.

A wonderful pillow (or two or three)

And when possible a fire for atmosphere.

Sleep well, my friends.

Invisible

I've sat beside you several times and call you by name. Yet there is a blank look on your face and I introduce myself again. I feel invisible. Laughter surrounds me I want to join in the conversation, yet when I talk, it grows quiet. Social exchanges. Not sure what to say. Envying those who are so comfortable ... they are people magnets. Yet I am invisible.

Have you ever felt invisible?

Now the day is over

The day is over ... its been a busy one ...

Time to unwind ... quiet ...

Even the tapping of the computer keys seem a bit unnerving.

Candles lit

The warmth of the air

As my breathing slows and I focus

I think of all the things to be grateful for

The warmth of a house

Resources to pay bills

A worship community

Honest conversation

Folks willing to wash the dishes

Butternut carrot soup

Yet even amongst the gratitude the nags approach

Can't they just say thank you

Why are they late again

Please return the message

It gets me nowhere

Back to gratitude

My life

My family

A job

Friends

mmmm life is good ...

That's be to God

52 Sundays Ago

Its been a year ....
I've been keeping this blog "active" ...

sometimes more consistently than others ...
But SUNDAY November 14th 2008 I wrote my first entry:

Return from Exile

52 weeks ago I opened the door

and since then have been wandering .

From mornings to nights

With families and friends

With a camera in hand

A computer on my lap ...

Sunrises sunsets

Making choices along paths

Somedays I've turned around and went back

Other days I have walked forward

I may continue ...

I may take a break ...

Thanks for following

It Has Arrived

No denying it. The leaves are frozen, the frost is on the ground. Old man winter and the snow is lurking in the skies and on the horizon. The patterns of water over the seasons ...

Choices

Every day we are faced with choices. Which shoes to wear (okay not everybody has to make that decision). Which email to answer. Who to call? Which way do I walk the walk ... to the right or two the left. Every choice gives us entry into an experience. And each experience will be a different. The wonderful news ... is we have choices.

Let us go to the door, either one, open it ... and welcome the experience.

Okay, it may not be that great ... but it is an experience!

Knock and the door shall be opened!

Veteran's Day

Today is a day of mixed emotions.

Respecting and honoring our veterans.

Working to care for their children.

Being thankful for my father and others who have served in military.

Yet today I wish that war did not exist ...

I wish that we would be as focused on building peace ...

War does not bring peace

I wish we work end world hunger, poverty, and hate.

A year ago I walked the beaches of Normandy.

I walked past the rows and rows of crosses at the cemetery.

I drove through towns that still fly the American flag in thanks for June 1944.

I was moved by the memorials ... wondering what it must have been like for those that landed on that fateful day ... and those that came in the weeks to follow.

I stood in the town square in Rennes France where my father had stood 60 years earlier in the days following the liberation.

FDR said it best: "More than an end to war, we want an end to the beginning of all wars -- yes, an end to this brutal, inhuman and thoroughly impractical method of settling the differences between governments."

"One cannot simultaneously prepare for war and create peace."

Let us create peace

Whistle While You Work

goodbye

why are goodbyes so dang hard? In part because we are so committed to the concrete ... that which we can touch, hold, feel. Thomas doubted Christ's resurrection. He had to touch Christ's hand to believe. We don't die to eternal life ... we live in eternal life. Years earlier a tree was planted from another from years earlier. Fast forward to fall 2009 as the cold weather comes, colors change from green to brown, then one afternoon a cold wind and rain blow through. Leaves swirl as they blow toward the ground. Soon it will find itself next spring as mulch in a garden. The cycle it is still giving and living. Yes, goodbyes are hard ... touching a place deep within our hearts ... and we too feel a twinge ... shed a tear. But also deep within our heart the relationship which was ... because the relationship which is ... nourishing our growth.

Walk into the silence

What is silence? What happens during silence?

The moon rising from the east ...

floating across the heavens ...

gliding down to western horizon.

The opening of a rose ...

spreading its petals to greet the world.

Leaves falling in the breeze

Water flowing down the stream

The breath of a baby curled up for the night,

snug in the softness of cotton.

Mormor curled in her bed ...

breathing her last ...

moving on in eternal life.

Between birth and death ....

silence connects us to the heart of God.

The deep sounds of the beating heart.

In silence ... we can find God's rhythm

In silence ... is God.

walk into the silence

Grief

War brings tears ....

War brings death ...

Tonight I will light 12 candles

12 candles for those that died today at Ft. Hood

I do not have enough candles to represent all the loss.

There are not enough candles in Rochester to commemorate all the tears that are shed

The children who cry at night

Tonight's shooter ... a wounded helper

A wounded helper that broke

God be with all of use

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Peace be yours this night.

Waiting for you!

There something special about dogs. They lament when you leave and love it when you come home. We've all read those lists about why dogs are so much better than ....

But I am pretty clear that

dogs are animals first ...

dogs second ...

this one a golden retriever third

and Teddy fourth.

But is it the fourth that says ...

I'm glad you're coming back!!!

Walking in the presence

Living and walking in the presence of the living God.

Have you noticed that nothing in this world is stagnant? As people we are constantly evolving. Who we are today is different than yesterday and we will be different tomorrow. The neighborhood I walk in the morning is different than when I walked it 12 hours earlier. There are less leaves on one tree, and different colors on another. The tree that changes colors first is now barren. The people who live in the homes, the babies, the children, the grandparents have changed. The animals that wander during the night, those I see and those too small to see, they to have changed. The moon has changed ever so slightly … it is in a different place and I see less of it. The clouds … the stars … the trees …. the creek. All are different. Each of these touched by the hand of God.

Yes … we live in the presence of the living God.

Living in the Present

The screen read 32 degrees. The first morning when the temperature hit the freezing mark. This signaled a need to pile on the clothes ... a turtleneck, sweatshirt, vest, real gloves, and icelandic hat. All that was missing was heavy pants and wool socks. What was I thinking 20 minutes into the walk ... it was just 32 degrees. Too early for the woolies .... there would be plenty of time to wear them in the months ahead. Instead it was time to live in the present.

As I headed out the moon was glowing like a new silver dollar ... the dense clouds had formed a V shape welcoming the moon to come in and let the sun have its glory. In the present the crisp air hit my cheeks, Teddy went straight to the pile of leaves that I built yesterday sniffing around to find the right spot to leave his mark. Finally we were ready. The neighborhood has changed the past 24 hours ... it seemed as though everyone was preparing for the Thursday leaf pick up and piles abounded block by block. There was a odd sense of starkness crossing some property lines ... homeowners that decided deciduous was not for them ... as there was only deep green grass. (I'll take the glory of the trees ... and the shade they provide any day!). Suddenly what seemed like the sidewalk was filled with leaves ... clearly no raking had been done here. But it gave the child in me a few minutes of glee as I shuffled along and heard them crunch.

Living in the present ... not worried about the day ... enjoying the sounds of the morning.

Living in the present looking ahead and watching the deer begin their morning retreat to safety of Ellison Park for the day. Even Teddy took a break from sniffing to see them up ahead.

Living in the present ... and discovering the clouds to the west a gentle pink ... the sun must be coming up behind me ... or perhaps the moon is casting the glow this morning.

I realize that the hat was a bit much this morning ... that 32 doesn't mean winter. My head is hot. I wasn't living in the present I was thinking January past and future. It is still fall. And there is still a lot of living get to do before winter. Remember what I wrote yesterday I do know that one can still hold onto the memories living in the present ... it is the memories that form the present.

So today I'll start fresh ... mind, body, attitude, hope, grace and forgiveness.

Please join me in the journey.

Live your present today.

Memories of Tuesday

Dinner at the "Pancake House"

Le Petite ... best salad dressing in town

Mormor and grandpa

"I'm surprised that house hasn't fallen down"

"Let your grandpa open the door"

Combat

Rolling tennis ball down the hallway

The Red Skelton Hour

Instant coffee: Sanka

Blue station wagon

Broiled grapefruit

I learned about how to order at restaurants.

I learned that the man was supposed to open the door.

I learned that my grandpa drove with one foot on the gas and one on the brake!

I learned that he drove too slow on the freeway.

I learned that you could build a house on the side of a hill ... and it wouldn't fall down.

I learned that dinner with family was important

I learned that Tuesday was a special day

I learned that grandparents help families

What do you remember?

Transitions

This morning as I opened the curtain and looked it ... there was a spotlight ... what appeared to be a circular glow from the moon. The first thought that came to mind ... was "ah the moon is so perfect". But wait ... the moon is the moon ... and today at 5:30 AM the moon had a special look ... and perhaps at that moment it time it had reached its fullness. Now it is 6:12 and I look west ... there is an orange glow rising behind the trees and soon the sun will come up. I looked east, the moon has set.

I am in the time of transition

night to day

life to death

weekend to workweek

sleep to wake

We are in a constant state of transition ... of life ... of change.

But the moon is not perfect in its fullness ...

Nor is the sunrise is perfect in its hues ...

They too are in transition.

Perhaps we need to remember that it is the present in which we need to do justice, to serve, rejoice, love, and live fully.

Enjoy your day of transitions!

For All the Saints

For all the saints who from their labors rest.

For all the saints who this day still labors.

For all the saints to come ...

Thanks be to God.

I love this day in the church ... remembering those who have departed ... smiles, tears, memories, love, grief.