#67 Keep the Change, You Filthy Animal

Last night we had a youth group movie night at the parsonage. We watched Home Alone, which is the greatest Christmas comedy ever for three reasons:

A. The pizza delivery guy (and later Marv) running away because he thinks he's being shot:


2. Harry's face when he's under the blowtorch:

D. Uncle Frank's response to the huge mess Kevin creates:


Such a classic movie.

Grace and peace,
BMH

#66 Christmas Wars?

Only two weeks are left before Christmas! Most, if not all, of us are busy getting ready to celebrate the holiday and enjoy some time off from work. It's been common around this time of year to hear about a "War on Christmas." There's debate about whether department store employees should wish customers "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays." There might even be complaints about seasonal coffee cups or some other special promotion. Personally, I'm sick of hearing about all of it. I think we Christians are missing the point. I'm pretty sure the devil must sit and laugh at how Christians get all bent out of shape about greetings while we're totally comfortable with all the materialism and busyness of Christmas time. If we Christians want to be worried, we should worry about if we're thinking more about presents than about the meaning of Jesus' birth. We should worry about if we make ourselves so busy at Christmastime that we neglect to reflect on God's love or make our worship just another thing to do. If we've made Christmas a competition to have the best decorations or give or receive the best gifts, if we've made Christmas a time of stress or self-absorption or distraction, then we've already lost the real war.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#65 Stranger Magnet

My life has changed in a lot of ways since Lanie's birth. I spend a lot more time on the floor than I did before. I read the same books over and over and over. (And we still haven't reached the point where she can tell me which book she wants. Then I'll read an even smaller group even more often.) Things like leaving the house and getting into the care have become time-consuming processes. And strangers talk to me much more often.

I'm definitely still adjusting to that last one. Going out and about used to be a pretty quiet experience. Other than some polite chit-chat with cashiers and waiters/waitresses, I would shop and run errands without a whole lot of human interaction. Since I'm an introvert, I was happy to go about my business on my own. But when I bring Lanie to the grocery store or Walmart or out to eat, other people love to say hello to Lanie and ask me how old she is and tell me that she's very cute or sweet or happy. I know that Lanie loves the attention, and I enjoy the conversation, too. But I feel bad for the people who stop and talk to us. Most of my errands are run on Mondays, my day off. If you've ever been around me on a Monday, you've noticed that I can be pretty nonverbal. It's my recovery time. So these poor polite strangers often don't get a whole lot more than a startled look and a short answer from me. Hopefully the more Lanie and I get out, the better at replying I'll be. And if I remain awkward, well, at least I won't see most of these people again.

Grace and peace,

BMH