The Great Separation

I Learned Something Disturbing on Christmas.

When did this happen? - There are times in a person's life when reality will just knock them on the chin and smile a huge grin while doing it.

It's with great disappointment that I find my chin rather sore after taking a shot this past Christmas morning.

The punch from reality came after pulling a gift out of my fuzzy red stocking.

I imagine it could have been much worse. Reality could have knocked me cold or even snuffed me. So I should be counting my blessings.

Still, I find this soreness something that won't go away. You know what I mean? The sort of soreness that you worry at. It's analogous to that baby tooth that hurts when adulthood seeks to encroach upon the magic of childhood.

The sad thing is that the punch took me by such surprise and stealth that I didn't even know I had been hit till moments later while I was smiling and looking at my gift:

A pair of nice dress socks.

Why is that so sad? Well, I was real happy to see those socks. I was like, "Wonderful! These are really nice socks and I needed some new ones!"

It was moments later that I realized what I was thinking and said aloud with solemnity, "You know you're getting older when your happy to get socks as a Christmas gift."

Yes, I learned something rather disturbing about myself that Christmas morning.

/...sigh.../

How I Spent My Saturday Evening: Serving Food.

A humbling experience. - I realize I've been a bit silent on the blog front for a number of weeks. I won't apologize for it, because, well... you're not paying me for it.

Okay, bit of humor that.

I have been rather busy. And with the Holy Day celebration upon us I'm still rather busy and a bit worn out from all that's been going on. So I'm really looking forward to next week being something of a down week for me to just relax and play some disc golf - a sport I've rather recently gotten hooked on, thanks to Jimmy!

But before crawling into bed, I wanted to make note of one of the activities I found myself volunteering for. One of the ministries we work with on occasion called, Take it to the Streets, needed a hand getting some food and delivering it to a shelter tonight because the normal person couldn't make it and the ministry van was in the shop. So they called on my dad and I.

We picked the food up in Tampa and drove it across the bay to a shelter under an overpass in down town St. Petersburg.

There my dad and I helped serve. He put ham on plates and I served the people who came into a large hall and sat at the white plastic tables. We worked with a crew of something like a dozen folk. I didn't take a close count. It was a great pleasure working with the fellow Christians I had never met (with the exception of one family) to meet a simple need of a meal for the homeless. We served something like 93 people.

There were of course those homeless there who were living on the streets because it was a life they seemed to like. But there were also a number of folk who I could tell were either there because of mental illness or, like a young couple, they were there because of some great difficulty. It was humbling to have some of them come up and thank me and wish me a Merry Christmas.

I hope the Lord keeps them all safe and I thank Him for the little I have and the roof over my head. But for the grace of God there could any of us be.

No More "Jesus is the reason for the Season".

I'm done with that. - After Sunday's sermon I will, when given the opportunity express the following statement of precision:

The reason for the season is the Cross.

After all, it is the Cross for which Jesus was born.

Of Mice and World's Largest Christmas Candle.

Your oddity in video format. - Ok. Here's several oddities rolled into one for you. I think what I love the most is Chad Ruble's sense of humor. It's... um... reminiscent of someone I know.

I'm not saying who.

And why would you want to make a mouse genetically unafraid of cats?

So the cat wouldn't have to work as hard at catching them of course.

Winner of the Blog Give-Away: A&E's The Planets.

And the Winner IS.... - Melissa is the lucky winner of my blog give-away.

Congrats Melissa!

And thanks to all who entered the contest.

Stay tuned for more such contests as the Lord provides me with items to give-away.

For those of you who didn't get it and really want it, you should check out A&E's current sales, you might find a good deal on it. At the moment one of their special deals is a buy 2 DVDs and get 1 Free with only $1 shipping.

Feathers Hit the Fan in Florida City.

It's a quacker. - Last month I made mention that it was now illegal to feed pretty much any animal in the small Florida town of Kenneth City.

Well, yesterday my dad made it into the St. Petersburg Times over the whole duck flap.

Reporter Anne Lindberg reports:

Former Mayor Harold Paxton noted the word "mammals." A mammal, he said, includes dogs, cats and humans.

"You're going to have to close all the restaurants in town," Paxton said. "Not only do you have people congregating there in flocks or herds, they're feeding them."

Paxton added, "This covers everything. Everything cannot be fed in Kenneth City."

Well, everything, it would appear, except Muscovies, the only critters that were supposed to be affected.

On the plus side, Paxton said his wife, Peggy, is pleased with the ban.

"She doesn't want to cook (for me) anymore," he said.

Looks like the cops might feel that the ordinance is silly too because the interim police chief told officers not to enforce it.

Small town politics can be just a silly as big city politics. Sure can make life interesting and full of oddities!

Quote of the Week: What God Will Do For You.

What are you worth? - I continue to read from Oswald Chambers's daily devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, because I find that each rereading a new insight is gained into my Father and Savior, and my relationship with Him. Sometimes a reminder as well, something we all need as we tread this fallen world with the hope of the never-ending life that Jesus is preparing for those that believe upon Him.

Posting here on TGS has slacked off of late because my life at this time of the year is crammed full, but this quote I read several days ago has stuck with me and I wanted to share it with you.

Chambers is speaking about giving up our will for God's in our lives.

When we choose deliberately to obey Him, then He will tax the remotest star and the last grain of sand to assist us with all His almighty power.

What God would do that for us? What God would become man and become the sacrifice for our sins so that we could commune with Him untainted from sin having been made perfect by His sacrifice?

None other than Jesus Christ crucified, dead and buried, and then risen three days later as victor, redeemer, and King of Kings.

F.I.R.S.T.: The Minor Protection Act

It is December 1st, time for the FIRST Day Blog Tour! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and his/her latest book's FIRST chapter!

This month's feature author is:

JODI COWLES

and her book:

The Minor Protection Act
Musterion (December 1, 2005)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jodi Cowles caught the travel bug when her parents took her on her first international flight at six months of age. Since then she’s been in over 30 countries. Along the way she’s gotten locked out of her cabin on an all night train to Kiev, helped deliver a baby in Indonesia, taught English in South Korea, gone spelunking in Guam, hiked the Golan Heights and laid bricks in Zimbabwe. Her interest in politics stems from hunting Easter eggs on the south lawn of the White House as a child. For her 30th birthday she ran the LA Marathon and promised to get serious about publishing. Jodi resides in Boise, Idaho and this is her first novel.

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER: