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Christmas- words fail me

So it's Christmas Eve 11:18pm CST. In most of the world it's already Christmas day. And as I sit here I cannot help think of Christmas Eve's past.

If you ask my family I have been the resident "wake everyone up before the crack of dawn cuz it's Christmas.". Even if I had to wake up a younger sister and convince her to go wake up the parents... I have always had a love hate relationship with the expectation and the waiting and the wondering. But o the joy of Christmas morning!

Well, I'm 35. No stocking to be filled. But I have realized the expectation remains. I can't sleep. I know I'll want to be up early. To see the kids in my family. To see my family and a couple of good friends open some pretty fun gifts. But the expectation isn't really about that.

I think of my Christmas 2 years ago in China. To be able to share about the Prince of Peace with a house church. To be away from family and friends for Christmas and truly realize what it's about. The joy of Christmas because Christ has come! And I think of my friends around the world who are far from their families today and I pray for them. To experience Christmas with new joy today.

I don't know if heaven takes note of our yearly celebration of Christ's birth. I think that's probably a "daily" thing there. But oh how I imagine what that looks like. And oh how I feel like my heart is there. I just can't explain it. The way my heart is suddenly content. That at this point I would almost rather have no gifts and just celebrate. To give the gifts I've bought, eat, laugh, and just spend time with those the Lord has sent my way tomorrow.

I often say my life is ridiculous. That I get to live in America with our overabundance of EVERYTHING. The luxury that exists. The random carziness that occurs almost daily in my life. It is ridiculous. And I love it. I love Him for it. Today I celebrate the arrival of what seemed to many a ridiculous life... Christ, my Savior. In a manger. Come to set men free from sin by his death on a cross and resurrection from the tomb. Glory!
Merry Christmas!

traveling tips

I headed to TX this past weekend to see my Faithie Booty. For those of you unaware- she's kind of like my child. She's 8. She's hilarious. And she's drama. But she has my heart. I'd post pics but sadly didn't take a one. Even when she was an angel sunday morning. Oh how mad I was for leavin the camera at home...well at Faith's house Sunday.

Just want to post a couple of traveling tips for those of you who might be inclined to pass them on. I'm OCD when it comes to processes. I'm always trying to tweak and think of how something can be done better. Faster. Easier. More friendly. It's a terrible fault of mine. Especially when it's something I'm doing. I want to improve it...

Well. You can imagine while on a trip that involves airports, planes, and people there may be some tweaking opportunity. I shall just mention one.
Baggage claim.
If everybody would stand back from the conveyor belt about 2 feet we can ALL see the luggage coming. And when your bag comes you can step up, get your bag, and walk away.
Kind of like at a museum. If everybody is close up on the wall that describes something then only one or two people can see that thing. If everybody stood back some, then more folks can see.
Here's what happens- I tried it out in Dallas. I stand back about 2 feet. Others who walk up stand by me. But as the crowd gets closer somebody has to walk right up to the conveyor belt. This makes the other folks waiting nervous. So they start inching up. Closer and closer. Next thing you know you are completely blocked out by the nervous close up folks. And when the aforementioned close uppers to the conveyor belt get their luggage they then take out those of us waiting a little way back because they are too impatient to say "excuse me" and they shove through the folks desperately trying to see their bags by peering over and around the close uppers before their bag goes by. Or when you see your bag coming and say "excuse me" trying to get to the conveyor belt around a close upper or two they tend to look at you like you're from the wrong side of the tracks... So sorry... Just wanted my bag before it goes back behind the veil to the land of slowly returning luggage.

Make sense? Short version. Next time just stand back and be patient :) and if you are a people watcher- just watch folks at baggage claim. It's pretty interesting.

And the other tip- fly Southwest. Love them. They have the waiting to board thing figured out. Love the new numbers and letters signs. So much easier and my section randomly lined up in numerical order... Go figure.
And the flight attendant told us that the button with the picture of a person on it above our heads (the flight attendant call light) didn't really do anything other than eject our luggage if we pushed it. Hilarious.

Safe travels this holiday season. Need or want more tips!? Just let me know. Haha

tribulation... really? do I have to?

Romans 5:3-5
 
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

I've been getting the VOTD from Ann Bailey for at least 13 years that I can remember. The "verse of the day" includes birthday wishes, prayer requests from email list members and other need to know info. I got the above verse today. I've read this passage tons before and even passed it on to others at times. Today it's something I'm chewing on.

See, I don't want the tribulation. Even if it brings perseverance. Or the character. Well, I do want character- His, but not if the tribulation has to come first. But I am all about that Hope part! And so thankful for the pouring out and Holy Spirit part!

I think I finally blogged about my dislike of the MD- as in me going to the MD. Well, I've gotten into a situation that has required some MD visitation. A couple of simple things- a crazy mole I've had all my life finally gone (soon followed by some funkiness associated with the healing) and a stubborn wart on my finger. Let's just say Dr. Holmes and I are bonding- and my wallet is gettin thin. Too bad my deductible is about to be reached at the end of the stinkin year.

But the other thing that's taken me to visit the ol MD is a little more bothersome. They think it's occular migraines. We're still in process on figuring it out. I'll say the experience of said possible occular migraine is completely disconcerting and freaks me out. Enough that I finally caved into goin to the doctor last week. And to gettin an MRI. Let me just say a word of thanks to my sweet peeps who volunteered to sit with me at both. You do my heart good. For literally sittin in my corner.

Anyway- so I'm waiting for the call that says "the MRI showed you have a brain and there's nothin wrong with it. So learn to live with your funkyness." Or the alternate call. Either way there is still somethin else I gotta go back for. You might not call it tribulation. In the big scheme of things it's not. But to me it's distraction enough. Minor tribulation that at times looms large in my crazy heart. And I'd rather skip it.

And at work, the things that add up to tribulation for my friend. For students I know in the midst of finals- some that dictate the next year of their lives. Tribulation. For my friends overseas praying and working to share the gospel in dark places. Tribulation.

But I'm thankful that the Lord does use it to develop perseverance, character, and HOPE remains. The Hope of glory. Eternal life in Him. If nothing else we gain that when it's all said and done.

So I pray that where we encounter tribulation we turn to Him. To see His face and trust Him. To see that (as the good word says) it's light and momentary compared to eternal glory. Easier said than done. Like when I'm sitting at the MD trying not to throw up when I'm talkin cuz I'm so worked up about bein there :) or when the big wigs show up to go over everything you are doing at work. Or death comes. Or pain comes. Or when our trust in someone is shattered. Or whatever we may face.

So, I pray. For those who face those things today. To be reminded that HE is in control. That HIS plan prevails. That HE knows what's best- even when we aren't even sure what to ask for. That we would simply trust Him. And I'm thankful for those who pray for me- when I don't know how. When I forget how to pray for the things I need most. And I'm thankful the Lord created us to be a body. For the different parts that do what they do. I'm thankful for my fellow bodyparts- keep up the good work.

I love you and I love Him for putting you in my life. That includes you too....

Still kickin

Soo... For the 5's of you out there... Still alive. Still in process. Hopefully I'll check in this weekend when I have something blogworthy. Like maybe my Iron Bowl story. Or Patrick coming back to the U.S. Or Christmas coming. Or how ironic my life is.

We'll be in touch.

Thanks for your patience.