DarjeelinGirl

Who could resist building a snowman today?

I realized that this

only happens in cartoons.

It was a lot of work to build this

.

Which quickly devolved into this

.

See more here.

Over at ZoZo’s. They start so young these days…

Thanks to Melody, I have found a way to make my New Year’s Resolution:

Well, that’ll be interesting since I own the company. Let’s try another one:

That would be better for the guy over here. Try again.

That’ll work.

Someone say something. I’m starting to wonder…

with a good laugh. Watch this.

(Thanks to Breathing Shadows via Vineyard Aggregator)

Check out this site: PostSecret. It’s “an ongoing community art project where people mail-in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.” New ones are posted every week.

Some are crude, others are fun, some are inspiring and others are heartwrenching. All are true. I hope the exhibit comes to Minneapolis.

This one breaks my heart. So does this one.

New postcards show up ever week, so you will have to visit it directly.

I think someone from this house sent in this one.

HT: Pereiraville

This is the purse I have been searching high and low for:

But if I buy it, I won’t have anything left to put in it!

God took human form; and he took it not simply as a baby, but as the tiniest of all human beings, a mere biological speck, so small and so undeveloped that it could be mistaken for a laboratory artifact, a research specimen, an object for human experimentation. But this speck was God; this complete genetic human organism, in its primitive and undeveloped form, was so much “one of us” as to bear the existence of the Creator. He dignified humanity by taking the form of this creature he had made in his image; and he did it at the most inauspicious and feeble point in the human life story. At the heart of the Christmas celebration lies the fact of all facts, that God became a zygote.

Read the whole article by Nigel M. de S. Cameron here.

HT: Amy Wellborn at Open Book (thanks again, Amy!)

Aren’t they cool?

HT: Stacy at Mind and Media

With my kids gone this year, my heart has recently been trying to ponder some deeper meaning of Christmas. I was having a hard time shaking the “happy, happy, joy, joy” image of the season that left me depressed without any children around. As wonderful as they are, I knew Christmas had to mean more than just that. Michelle Malkin led me to this. I present it here in its entirety (fully linked to National Review, I hope that’s ok) because it needs to be published in as many places as possible.

This is it.

A Sword Will Pierce Your Heart
The dark side of Christmas.

By Amy Wellborn

About a year ago, my husband and I traveled across the chilly cornfields of Indiana to the frigid cornfields of Ohio to have our younger son baptized.

It was not quite, but almost, spur of the moment. A bishop, an old friend of my husband’s, would be visiting his mother for a few days after Christmas, and yes, he could certainly squeeze a baptism in. The parish church was available, the bishop’s sister and mother would be witnesses, and there you have it: insta-baptism.

Perfect timing. A baptism is a happy occasion centered on a baby. Christmas is another happy time centered on a baby, and a fine opportunity to focus ourselves on the vaunted Real Meaning of Christmas. Babies, love, and family. Comfort, joy, and peace.

But perhaps not so fast.

The discussion about Christmas in our society is endless and loud. The self-proclaimed defenders of Christmas go about daring salespeople to wish them “Happy Holidays,” boycotting businesses that sell “Holiday Trees,” and reminding one and all that Jesus is the Reason for the Season.

Which he is. But I say that many of the Defenders of Christmas have it almost as wrong as the secularists. Their vision of Christmas — centered on words, a rather generic baby, and nostalgic visions of families and fireplaces — actually gets no closer to the real Real Meaning of Christmas than do generic wishes for peace and joy in this holiday season.

What they forget, neglect or conveniently ignore is what we can not-too-dramatically call the Dark Side of Christmas.

The really traditional Christian remembrance of the Nativity is not about sweetness. It is about awe, fear, and trembling, and it is shot through with hints of suffering to come.

Mary, with a scandalous pregnancy. Joseph, courageous enough to take her on despite it. A birth among farm animals. The threat of death, from the very start, necessitating flight. Mary, told by the prophet Simeon that because of her son, her soul will be pierced by a sword (Luke 2:35).

We view the elements of the story in a nostalgic haze — how sweet to be born with the goats. But is it? Is it sweet? Would you want to give birth among goats?

How charming that Mary and Joseph had to wander before and after the birth of the child. Charming until you remember the reasons why, the doors shut in the face of a heavily pregnant woman, the threat of death from a jealous king.

Look at it closely, with clear eyes. At every turn in this story of this baby there is threat and fear and powers circling, attempting to strike at the light.

We might forget, we might wrap up Christmas in good cheer, but Christian tradition doesn’t. It’s striking that the next day — the very next day — after Christmas, the Church remembers not glad tidings, angels, and shepherd boys, but a bloody death by stoning. St. Stephen it is, the first Christian martyr.

St. Stephen is followed by St. John on December 27th, who may not have met a violent death, but who, the tradition tells us, died in a prison of sorts, in exile for his faith, far away from the “civilized” powers that had sent him there.

December 28th brings us back to babies, but with no relief — it is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, remembering the children Herod ordered slaughtered, according to Matthew’s gospel, in his rabid fear of the rival king.

The message is clear and hard: Following this baby, as he reaches to us from the resin manger, looking out at us with the soft-eyed cattle and docile sheep, comes at a price.

There is an edge to Christmas, a harshness, and a different kind of promise than that implied by the easy words of peace and glad tidings. It is a mystery, all of it. The Word made flesh indeed, but into a world that was from the beginning set against it, that sought with every bit of strength at hand to stay in the darkness.

So it was that our baby’s baptism was on that day, December 28, the Feast of the Holy Innocents. The heart skips a beat now. Not so fitting, perhaps, as we contemplate the lovely soft living baby being washed, but in the shadow of sorrow.

My baby’s baptism in Ohio was, according to earthly judgment, a disaster. The weather was miserable, icy, and cold. No one’s cameras would work. The bishop decided we might as well immerse the baby fully, which was okay with us, but turned out to be not okay with the baby, who commenced screaming his lungs out at the unexpected bath, and not okay either with the bishop’s elderly mother, who was quite horrified. And circling around us the whole time was our three-year-old, who seemed to have absorbed the demons driven out of his brother during the exorcism part of the rite, and who would not, in the face of many and varied threats, be still. He raced like — yes — a demon, in and around the church, constantly, through the whole affair. I’ve helped out at many baptisms in my work in parish ministry but this one was, I think, the worst.

But perhaps it was more fitting than it first appears. Trivial problems, yes, but still an apt metaphor for the Christian life begun there, and yet to come for Baby Michael: not the warmth of a tidy, neat manger scene, with everyone gathered in comfort, calm, and peace, but something startling and new, a shock to the system, entered upon in a world of frustration and discord, circled by forces intent to disrupt.

Glad tidings of comfort and joy, and Merry Christmas indeed. But without awareness of the risk of discipleship, and the reality that the baby in the manger ends up hanging on a cross, those words have about as little power to change the world as “Happy Holidays.”

Amy Welborn is the author of 12 books, most recently of The Catholic Woman’s Book of Days. She blogs at http://amywelborn.typepad.com.

Steve Russo has one of the most compassionate hearts for today’s teens that I have ever seen. Having spoken with hundreds of well-meaning kids who have been deceived by what Wicca promises, Russo is evidently and deeply concerned about these young adults and wants the rest of us to be as well. The book What’s the Deal with Wicca? is primarily written for teens who are involved with witchcraft.

Much is packed into this small voume, but to summarize, Steve explains the many facets and variations of Wicca. Essentially Wicca is a create-your-own type religion that offers the ever-appealing power and control over ones life. It opened my eyes to how prevalent elements of witchcraft are in our consumer society. As benign as they may seem on the store shelves, those t-shirts with “goddess” printed on them are quite meaningful to certain consumers. I also now see why those magnetic “power bead” bracelets are everywhere. To some, they are more than just trendy jewelry. The popularity of crystals, pretty stones, herbs, candles and so on are not just due to their tranquil beauty. There is a large spiritual demand for these items in our culture, much of it stemming from the practice of Wicca.

Steve briefly explains the history and clearly details the various practices within Wicca. He addresses how Wicca claims to promote the value of women and the environment. He acknowledges the human hunger and thirst we have for control and power over the circumstances in our lives. He explains the appeal of being able to build your own gods and goddesses and practice a religion that fits your personality/lifestyle. But he quickly aims at the heart of the matter when he asks,

If we design and make our own gods (deities), they are actually smaller and less powerful than we are. So if we think logically, they are no real value or help to us. We need a God that is bigger than us, one that we can turn to for guidance and power to deal with the difficult issues of life. How big is your God?

Steve does a lot of comparing and contrasting Wicca with Christianity. He covers the many reasons that people are attracted to Wicca and provides Biblical responses to each. This book hopes to cause followers of Wicca to double check their hearts and motives, ask deeper questions, and lead them to the Lord in an evangelical model. Obviously that does not answer all their needs and desires. Those involved with witchcraft are searching for so much more than just the basic biblical answers to to life. They need a relationship with their Creator that only a lifetime of relationship with Him can give them. They need that relationship and discipleship, healing prayer and growth.

Therefore, I am thankful for the way that Russo addresses the young Christian reader specifically. My experience with non-Christian teens and young adults these days tells me that they’ve already heard the basic Sunday school anwers to life and found them lacking in the lives of those who claim to be Christ’s followers. The author is an excellent model of respect and compassion as he provides 12 practical tips to reaching someone who practices witchcraft. Foremost, he reminds Christians that being used by God to rescue someone from any sort of darkness takes commitment, patience and sensitivity. He encourages friends to find common ground, be knowledgeable about Wicca and the differences in Chrisitanity, be open and honest about their faith and to be bold in talking about what Jesus has done in their lives. His advice reminds me of 1Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”

Russo ends his book with group discussion questions and a glossary of terms for equipping believers to reach out to those involved with Wicca. One criticism I’ve heard about this book is that it could have been better organized. Steve does seem to switch back and forth between addressing those involved with Wicca and those trying to help. However, I’ve heard Life On the Edge - Live, and my theory is that Russo has talked to too many kids who claim to be Christians and witches at the same time. Despite any organizational challenge, in that light, the contents of this book is an invaluable resource for teens, youth workers, parents or anyone concerned about witchcraft.

Note: This book was given to me free of charge by the publisher through Mind and Media for the purpose of this review.

‘Tis the season for snowmen!

And finally, an Alaskan man worthy of Calvin’s honor:

The Nativity, Legostyle.

The kids left this afternoon for Christmas in Ohio. It sucks.

I thought I’d do a little surfing for distraction and found this.

Reminds me of Deep Thoughts with Jack Handey, only better.

My favorites:

Fear, adversity, ambition, apathy, bitterness, and loneliness were good too.

Ahhh. Just what I needed.

I was just getting to know that tall girl in Wednesday Hour 1 with the constant joy and earnest enthusiasm. I was finally at the point of knowing exactly where to hand the papers with her name on them. She was related to that lovely Bethany who I had in class a couple years ago. And after the type of news you never want to hear, I realized that charming young man named Ben in Tuesday Hour 1 was her brother.

Hannah and her sister, Bethany, and their friend, Angie, were returning from the Narnia movie last Friday when their car was t-boned by another at an intersection. Hannah died at the scene. Bethany and Angie were critically injured and are both facing a long road of recovery.

Although YEAH, Youth Educated At Home, is large as far as homeschool co-ops go, the community itself is small enough to affect everyone, especially when it comes to times like these. The Academy held a prayer service before classes on Tuesday. The pastor of a congregational family who lost 3 in a car accident last year was present to counsel with kids. Each one of my 7 classes prayed with me for Bethany, Angie and their families at the start of every class.

I have realized this week how blessed I am to serve these kids and families. My heart aches at the grief these young hearts must bear, especially for who were close friends with Hannah. But the ache causes me to pray that they will seek Him ever deeper. He loves us because He created us. Hannah’s empty seat reminds me that only He knows the number of our days. Her unedited papers in my folder remind me that our days here are His, not ours. Hannah’s death during this Christmas season reminds me that Jesus came to shine through the darkness and how much His heart longs for this generation:

Isaiah 61

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

His glory and presence is evident through the honest and faithful responses of the girls’ families as well as those who are reaching out to them. Please keep Bethany, Angie and their families in prayer throughout the Holy-days and into the new year.

CaringBridge is hosting websites for them - Hannah’s, Bethany’s, Angie’s.

Question: What do you want for breakfast?

Answer: Cinnamon toast.

Question: What do you want for lunch?

Answer: Toast with cinnamon on it.

Question: What do you want for dinner?

Answer: Cinnamon toast.

Can you tell we bought new toaster?

6 year old Anna: Mom, where was Jesus when He had a dictionary to write the Bible?

Mom: Dictionary?

Anna: Yeah, you know the thing He used to write the Bible with?

Mom: A dictionary? How did He use a dictionary to write the Bible?

Anna: You know - they hid the books and then wrote in them on the pages and stuff?

Mom: Do you mean a scroll?

Anna: Yeah. Where was He when He wrote the Bible in His scroll? Was He still in Bethlehem?

Possessing a rare combination of wisdom and humility, while serenely dominating your environment you selflessly use your powers to care for others.

Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.

Local Bakery Trumps Krispy Kreme In Winona

Krispy Kreme has taken its products off store shelves less than two years of trying to gain a foothold in the area. Locally owned Bloedow Bakery now has the Winona doughnut market cornered.

I believe it - I grew up on those doughnuts. My grandparents’ house was just a couple blocks away from Bloedow’s. mmmmmm… Maple Long Johns… I’ve never tasted one yet that compares.

Oh, and it’s pronounced “blay - doe”