I landed my first international client. These handmade trackable gemstones are on their way to France. oui oui and wee wee
They will serve as Christmas gifts and the recipients will get to see all the places the stones go as they trek the globe.
This was a fun project.
If you’d like some for you, your kids, for geocaching, or for gifts, visit this page. 100% free shipping in the U.S. puts them well under $2 each. Or, just go to Geotrackable.org to start your own project!
Yes, this is the start of a Blog Moratorium in Tribute to the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary Massacre , but for personal refletion too.
It doesn’t get past me that just as I gear up to spend 13 weeks teaching about the Problem of Evil a horrifying massacre of 6-7 year olds and their teachers and staff occurs.
I have a lot of information about how Evil works right on tap. But, I just can’t go there.
I know that we all react in shock about events such as these. We ask, “How could Evil be so close and innocence shattered so senselessly?” There is rage, anger, hatred. Emotions aplenty. And I know too that Evil runs right down each one of us too. It’s never merely “out there” or far off. If so labeled it shifts, it seeps, amorphous and eludes being so easily understood or classified.
The pain is so raw. The horror so near. The terror so frightening.
A nightmare.
Too soon people have started barking about gun control, and mentioning mental illness, and our crumbling society …all looking for reasons to make it all go down easier. But, right now, I’m just heartbroken. The weight of the brokenness of the world is here and present. Christmas is coming, and yet we lie ruined. Truly ruined. Hope feels like a faint whisper barely intelligible. A wisp.
I’m taking off for a few days. No blog posts. I’m going to reflect. Quietly. By myself. Away from it all and on the interior. Before the year is out, I’ll make another appearance. Thank you for your prayer for me at this time too for things I won’t mention at this time.
In the meantime, join me in prayer for the community and families of those affected by this violence.
Dear God,
Soothe our broken hearts.
How much pain, O’ God!
We cry out in agony…undone.
Have mercy on us
Bring us peace.
Bind up our wounds
Wash us with your Grace.
Grant us the strength to carry on
And the resolve to not give up
Renew our hope in you and grant that we may forgive
So we ourselves are spared more pain.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen
“It’s Christmas, lighten up! You’re such a ‘Debbie Downer‘!” someone said.
(Not to me, but I was in the throes of lament and just stared in shock wondering what would happen next. Would someone throw a punch, or would the named just wither in shame?)
Well, that’s my point.
I see a lot of pushiness to “bring Christmas back” and be glad because it’s the most wonderful time of the year, but that feels like a choke hold to me.
I need what I need. God will comfort me when I need it, and be in my Joy when that’s where I am. I’m not sure how I’ll feel today or when family pours in and presents go flying.
That’s what time of year it is!
My Debbie Downer Prayer:
Oh, Lord,
Thank you for the gift of your Son in a manger.
Be with me when I don’t feel this joy in my salvation,
Give me the comfort of your steadfast love.
For those who are tormented, for those who have sorrow or grief,
For those whose burdens and hope deferred are strong enough
To keep under wraps amidst the cheer, be their hope in trail.
Hear their cries and laments
Salve them with your good Spirit
Be their Shepherd and Deliverer
Show them you love them, whether they feel happy or not.
Amen.
Here’s some Debbie Downer for you.
2 More Things of Note:
THE CADRE. For those of you who’d like a friendship upgrade or a small group of people to help you through your next project, please check out the section above that reads “The Cadre” to find out what’s coming February 2013. It’s already in the works and promises to be 12 months of blessing. Spots are limited, and just a few remain.
To get the heads up about free download days of all my books and other nifty news, once in a while, sign up to my newsletter in the right column.
December is the month of expectation. It’s ‘full of promise,” right?
And expectation seems to be defined by its connection to promise.
When you are old enough to not want to baubles and tripe on 25th of the 12th month, you want what is just out of reach and can’t be found at a store. Oh, that it could. Life would be magic and simple. But, no.
You want other things…sustained contentment, family harmony, a faith that banishes worry–once and for all. Other things.
You want to scream out, “God, promise me!” When it seems he’s not really tuning in, you try to yell it to the universe. Evidently, it appears that Twitter is a good stand in.
And sometimes, you get a to a certain point where you realize that you have to make and keep some promises. To yourself, to others, to the universe. And the universe starts to seem personal again. Like God. And you wonder if you’ve failed. Well, you know you have, but you wonder what the consequences will be.
Peace and solace don’t take up residence in Christmas and Christmastime. It starts within. That’s the problem really. We keep looking in other places, avoiding that nasty work. We keep thinking it’s our circumstances or someone else’s fault. We keep waiting. Anticipating. Expecting.
We are what makes this promise kept. We are really saying “Promise Me,” to ourselves.
Jeremiah 9:20
But if I say I’ll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!
“No! Honey, take little baby Jesus out of your mouth and put him back!”
“Yes, he looks like candy, but keep him in the hay. That’s his bed.”
“No Jesus didn’t eat ham for Christmas dinner, I’m sure of it.”
“I wonder why Santa smells like that.”
“That’s garland. It looks tasty, and yes it’s pretty, but it’s not for eating.”
“Yes, if our house was made of candy we might have more cavities.”
“Does that costume ever get washed?”
“No, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph never rode a train.”
“If I see another man wearing mistletoe on his belt, I think I’m going to freak out.”
“Honey, I don’t know why the girl elf has almost no clothes on when she’s from the north pole. It is weird.”
“No, we won’t be using Raisinets to show that reindeer were nearby.”
“Yes, the woman singing Santa-Baby sounds like a cat. I think that’s on purpose.”
“Santa wasn’t one of the wise men, and he didn’t get anything for baby Jesus’ birthday. That came later.”
“No, The Three Magi is not a group Nikki Minaj was in.”
“Why does that elf look like he’s in the mafia?”
“There was no Round John Burgeon at the stable. He wasn’t a shepherd . It’s ’round yon virgin’, not Round John Burgeon….”
“I don’t know why candy canes stick to the backs of sweaters so much.”
“The angel wasn’t named Harold, and he didn’t have a harp. It’s “Hark, with a “k”, which sort of means “listen”, and it’s “herald” which means “a messenger”…oh nevermind.”
“Yes, sweetie, I know a lot of people do smell like cough medicine at Christmastime.”
Feel free to add your own in the comments section!
(If you had a chuckle, will you please tweet it up? Spread the good cheer.)
