True North

I spent the last 6-8 weeks writing. I love the release that writing gives me; scattered thoughts come together like a compound butter. Elements that are great on their own join forces and take average to awesome. As if that is how life should always operate.

I realized that life was happening to me in a "need to do" basis. And it was happening quickly. If there is one overriding statement for me as our family has grown from three to four is that time has flown through my fingers like beach sand. I found myself getting the necessary done about 60% of the time and berating myself for not meeting the other 40%. But what about the parts of life that are not oatmeal? (If you are RUF schooled, I need not explain). I wanted to be able to delight in the meat of life and enjoy the blessings that life has to offer.

So, I began to write. Mission statements, okay -lists, of what I wanted to partake of. Some of the titles are of books that I want to read, things I want to teach my children this year, Scripture I'd like to memorize, skills to develop (I will learn to applique' by golly!), recipes to perfect, and so forth. All of those scattered thoughts are coming to rest in one 3 ring notebook with scribbly handwriting.

I feel liberated. I've never really allowed myself to enjoy much. I think it's come from way back in college when I found myself putting myself through school during my parent's separation and subsequent divorce. There were weeks that I worked 40 hours, in addition to school full time, and high school youth ministry. I had to just put my head down and go and wait for the season to pass. I remember someone asking me what I was most excited about upon graduation. And my answer? "Reading a book for pleasure at the end of the day."

So that brings me to one of the points in my true north plan. Reading at night before I go to sleep. I have committed to reading one "spiritual" book a month. No worries, there will be pleasure books too, but thanks to many conferences with book tables, I have a spiritual library yet untapped. This month's selection is "The Rest of God - Restoring your Soul by Restoring Sabbath" by Mark Buchanan. I'll leave you with a quote that seems to sum up a lot of my call to a true north.

" It's easy, in other words, to spend most of your life breaking Sabbath and never figure out that this is part of the reason your work's unsatisfying, your friendships patchy, your leisure threadbare, your vacations exhausting. ....Unless we receive time as abundance and gift, not as ration and burden, we"ll never develop a capacity to savor Sabbath."

Here's to savoring the gift!

When a Scotsman comes to your door

it's a New Year's blessing! Our next door neighbor is a Biology professor at UT and is originally form Scotland. On New Year's Eve, all the men go outside and then knock on neighbor's doors. You open the door and find them fully dressed in their family kilt attire and get a traditional Scottish blessing. A piece of coal is given to represent heat, a piece of bread for food, a candle for light, and a hug for the lady of the house. Imagine my surprise when I opened the door! Thankfully, they have a new baby too, and we didn't get the midnight ceremony.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas....

I wish that we sang this more often in the church year. I love this stanza in particular:

"It came upon a midnight clear"

O ye beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
Oh rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.



Jeff asked Madeline if she knew about knock knock jokes.

Jeff - "When I say "Knock Knock" you say "Who's there?"
Ready?

Jeff - "Knock Knock"

Madeline- "Santa Claus!"



I decided to make sticky buns in advance for Christmas Morning. I used this recipe from King Arthur Flour; you just prepare them up to the point of baking, and either freeze them or refrigerate them overnight. .... and I must say, it was wonderful to have the smell of cinnamon wafting through the air as we opened gifts.



Madeline calls them "Sticky bums"

Merry Christmas y'all!