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Our Daily Thread 12-19-12

Good Morning.

My internet has been questionable for the last 12 hours.

Still haven’t figured it out, it’s possibly due to high winds last night.

😦

So what’s up with you?

Quote of the Day

“‘The Christmas Song,’ by Nat King Cole, is not only a  masterful performance; to me it just sounds like the holidays. I’ve never sung  it, because Nat’s version is so perfect. I gotta leave it alone.”

Harry Connick,  Jr.

I agree.

🙂

40 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 12-19-12”

  1. Good morning. Lots of Christmas cards to write today. Last Wednesday night Advent service tonight. And a phone call to make to my dad today, who turns 83.

    You all have a blessed day!

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  3. 6 Arrow’s dad is over half a year older than I am.
    I forgot to put the after “The” in the post above. That would have made my point. (Actually, I put a , and that didn’t do anything. 😦 )

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  4. Ol’ Slowpoke still isn’t ready. You say, “She’s your woman, why don’t you make her get ready so you won’t have to be here harassing us all morning?”
    She’s reaing her Bible.
    Can’t you hear me saying, Put that Bible down and get to it!
    😆

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  6. Living in an area known for hurricanes and having known idiots who have hurricane parties as if to mock the very strength of the storm, IF I really thought the world was ending on Firday I most certainly would NOT be planning a parting. I would plan to spend it on my knees at church praying for God’s mercy.

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  7. I was mostly MIA yesterday and see that I missed an engagement, cheesecake, and cussing. And sad work situation, about which I am praying.

    As you all probably remember, we moved from Baltimore to southern PA last month. It was a big move – two housholds (us, son, DIL, a toddler, and a month-old infant) into one house together. On top of that, the house we were living in sold in eight days. While that was a blessing, it also denied us all of the slack time we thought we were going to have to clear out 35 years of living there. So we had to hustle to sift, sort, sell, and give away “stuff.” AND, on top of that, a quick decision two Thursday’s ago that my Dad needed to move from his apartment into assisted living meant that my sister, brother, and I had to get him moved and shrunk down from four rooms to one small room (sift, sort, sell, and give away his “stuff”). AND, on top of that, one of our rental units went vacant this month. We breathed a sigh of relief that we didn’t have to deal with it right now – until the tenant who moved out surprised us with a replacement who wants to move in on January 1. That means painting, cleaning, and making some repairs on an apartment that’s now 50 minutes from where we live. I am NOT complaining, mind you, just sharing what my life is like right now. It was actually theraputic just to type it all out!

    The good news is that due to all this, the whole family decided on no Christmas gifts this year (it’s about time, anyhow, since they’re big kids now) so there’s zero holiday pressure.

    The REALLY good news is that I am now working from home three days a week and getting to get my 22-month old granddaughter up in the morning. She’s a happy and good kid all the time but she’s really special in the morning when she just wakes up. We play puzzles in her room for a while, then read a couple of books, then get her dressed, and then head downstairs for breakfast. Most days she eats Cheerios but one day last week, she insisted on a hot dog. I fixed it for her and she ate every bite (and all of the catsup, with her hands). It sure is a boat-load of fun and puts things into perspective.

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  8. Sounds like you are now an expert on “sift, sort, sell, and give away”. Maybe you should write a book. I could have used one like that a year and a half ago.

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  9. Good Morning, Y’all!

    I agree with Harry…Nat did it really well.

    Last day of finals…yeah!
    I wonder if all of the people who think the world is ending would give me their stuff?

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  11. Linda – There really is something special about little ones in the morning. 🙂 The I-just-woke-up-a-little-while-ago look in their eyes is so cute.

    When Forrest first wakes up, he nurses for a while. (Emily is doing extended breastfeeding with him.) Then he is ready for action. Reading books come a little later in the day. 🙂

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  12. Be certain that if you eat cheesecake at an end of the world party, it’s going to show up on your belly or behind the next day.

    I haven’t finished Agenda 21. Just started. I read in the evenings when nothing else is happening.

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  14. Good Morning! It is snowing and it’s cold here in the Forest…..Christmas instrumental music is playing in the background and it FEELS like Christmas! Everyone is staying home today…Paul is working from home and Hannah’s last final was yesterday….I love these “have to go nowhere” days! Have a blessed day everyone….

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  17. Overheard by 4th Arrow:

    6th Arrow (all of five years old) speaking to 5th Arrow: “The day before Christmas is called Merry Christmas.”

    🙂

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  22. It seems that some things were just meant to happen.
    I have told you several times of the unlikely circumstances that connected me to Elvera Collins.

    In reading Killing Kennedy, I noticed:
    Dallas was hostile territory and everyone advised JFK against going there.
    Oswald failed at an assanation attempt of Gen. Edwin Walker earlier. If he had succeeded, he would have been unable to assassinate Kennedy.
    Oswald (according to O’Reilly) was rejected by Marina the night before and likely would not have carried out his plan had Marina kept him.
    It was raining in Fort Worth, where Kennedy stayed overnight. If it had been raining in Dallas, they would have had a bulletproof transparent shield over the car.
    Oswald was a ‘neer do well who couldn’t hold a job. He just happened to get a job at the book depository, an ideal site for his purpose.
    Some people saw Oswald up there with a gun before Kennedy arrived, but thought he was secret service.
    It seems that some things are meant to happen.

    Unlikely circumstances occurred surrounding my brother’s accidental death.

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  25. Interesting article Donna.
    I know of a man who was dying. An external pace maker was placed on his body when he was admitted to ICU in hopes that he would be strong enough for the doctors to implant one in his chest. A few days later it was clear that his body could not endure such a surgery…his organs were failing. Now what to do….he could not leave the hospital with an external pacemaker….it had to be removed…but, when removed…he would die. He told his cardiologist he was ready. To the family, it felt as though the plug was being pulled…he was smiling, conversing, eating and drinking….it was excruciatingly painful to watch. However, after removing the pacemaker, he continued to live, much to the amazement of the medical staff…he lived five days longer. He was able to be moved to his home, surrounded by his family and friends….hospice nurses caring for him. He disliked the “indignity” of the dying process…but, he was blessed to be surrounded by his family. This happened almost one year ago…and the pain of it remains raw at times…but, I trust this was all under the careful watch of our Lord. I don’t know the answers of one taking their own life in order to avoid the indignities and pain….it’s all so very complex…

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  26. Euthanasia is one thing. I’m against it.
    Mechanical/artificial prolonging of the death process is another thing.
    We have in our health directives statements that artificial means should not be used.

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  27. My parents had in their living wills that no artificial means should be used to keep them alive…that is why the external pacemaker was removed…but, to some of the family…especially my Mom…it feels as though a plug was pulled….the cardiologist had great difficulty in removing it as well…
    I oppose any doctor purposely ending a life…my own family doctor sees this as a real and present danger with Obamacare….

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  28. Chas, I was “unofficially engaged” for a while last summer. We had the date (church and honeymoon cabin booked) and he had the ring (I’d given him the heirloom diamond, he’d had the ring made, and I’d even tried it on) . . . but I hadn’t yet met his daughters (one was out of the country), and he wanted me to meet them before I had the ring on my finger and I was officially his fiancee.

    I know that other people have other circumstances (can’t afford a ring and you aren’t yet sure of a date, or the parents say they’ll give approval if he waits till she has graduated from college to make it official, etc.), but that was our situation. I have known couples who are engaged without a ring, but everyone “looks for” a ring, and it really does make it awkward for the young woman. In one case I can think of, it made the girl feel impatient to get a ring, and I really think he’d have been better off waiting to propose until he had a ring. But to know that she will say yes when you DO get a ring, to basically already be talking about “when we get married . . .” is something more and more couples do.

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  29. Paul and I were never “officially” engaged. We knew one another 6 months before we “ran off and got hitched”! I never had an engagement ring…until 4 years ago….he surprised me with an 1800’s vintage French filagree diamond engagement ring…well worth the waiting for 🙂

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  31. Okay, so I’ve seen some of my Emily’s comments on Facebook referring to “empirical facts”. She has decided over the past few years that there are no empirical facts for Christianity. When she was a teen, she had been part of a youth group studying Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ, & had believed.

    But since being involved with R & his atheist parents, she’s discovered (don’t know if she’s read it) there is a book (or books) rebutting Strobel’s claims, as well as those of Josh McDowell.

    Anyways, I know this kind of thing has been discussed here, but I can’t remember specifics. My question is…

    What are some of the things people know/believe to be true that are not empirically proved (or is it “proven”?)?

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  32. Karen O: That’s a great question. Parenthetically, I think it’s noteworthy that in Scripture, apologetic exposition was seldom based on evidence as the ultimate authority for proving whatever argument was being made. There are good and interesting reasons for that, although it’s a bit of a different discussion.

    But some would suggest that things like love and gravity can’t be seen, yet we believe in them. Those are OK as far as they go, but I think there’s more to the argument. *Any* discussion makes use of things for which we have no *empirical* evidence. Perhaps the biggest elephant in the room regarding that is the existence of LOGIC. We use various aspects of logic in any discussion, but no law of logic has material existence. A syllogism doesn’t exist in the material world. Deductive reasoning has no material existence. There is no empirical study that can be done to yield belief in laws of logic.

    But the empiricists most glaring vulnerability is her insistence that things be empirically verified to be believed. That requirement *itself* cannot be empirically proven or demonstrated. I would want to ask such a person how she has come to hold to the requirement–to believe in it–based on empirical proof.

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  34. I explained to Random that it’s called “faith” for a reason.
    God reveales himself to those who seek him. Sometimes he appears unexpected and initially unwelcome, as in Paul’s case. But that seldom happens.
    I would pray for her, but not argue. As you have noticed with Random, it’s impossibel to convince someone who doesn’t want to believe. Use opportunities as they occur; but don’t think you’re going to cinvince her by logic.
    I, and I’m sure others, will continue to pray with you.

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  35. Chas – Thanks. I don’t plan on trying to argue or debate with her, but wanted to have something in mind if the subject comes up.

    Solarpancake – Thanks for your input.

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  36. Cheryl, I saw that yesterday, so poignant. 😦

    God chooses, God calls, then we respond and seek after Him. His sheep hear his voice (but at the appointed time, we can go years not hearing until then).

    It’s in God’s perfect time. Keep praying for Emily, I sometimes think when someone like that is surrounded by God’s people within the family that they will be along with us shortly. 🙂 But it’s hard to wait and watch and see the resistance, I know.

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  37. Husband has taken eight of them off to the winter concert for the school. Son number eight will be playing his trombone. But the younger three are all in bed, early of necessity, too wired up. Anyway, here is a day in the life of mumsee:

    Rise shortly after five for morning prep, including time with God. Get breakfast out for the public school child and then bring in some firewood while waiting for my helper (the five year old) to get up at seven. Off we go to do the chores. Feed goats and sheep and chickens and turkeys and cats and rabbits. Then bring in more firewood. By then, all of the others should have finished their breakfast and sat down for schoolwork. We came in for a leisurely breakfast of omelets and toast and kiwi and tangerine and hot chocolate on Grandma’s china dishes. Then we baked Christmas cookies together until time to start dinner with the help of number six son. Ate and then entertained my brother and niece for a very pleasant couple of hours. Then back to chores with my lovely five year old, after which we sat down for tea together. We had one of her Christmas cookies, a cup of hot chocolate, mixed nuts, another tangerined and kiwi on the fancy British cups and plates. Off to my chair where I was inundated with hugs and kisses and conversation from a bunch of happy voices. Son fixed supper and I put small ones to bed as they prepared for departure. Is it any wonder at all that I love my life?

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  38. Mumsee, I ordered and am reading Dandelion on My Pillow. Whew. (I know a lot of adoptive parents, and have had reason from time to time to love troubled kids, so I try to understand relevant issues.) I’m about six chapters in. My husband was a little surprised at the book title until I explained, though. . . .

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