2nd Week of Advent 2015

With a sigh, Yehoshua shifted his position. It looked like a comfortable position wasn't going to be possible tonight. If you moved one rock, the Judean hillside would grow two more in its place. Tonight was his night to be on the exhausting second watch, and he was only halfway through it. No one liked second watch. First watch and third watch weren't too bad because at least you got your sleep in one large cluster.  On second watch, you only got a few hours of sleep before you were prodded awake with a staff in the ribs, forced to stay awake for four hours listening to the contented snores of those fortunate enough not to be on second watch. Once you finished the shift, you had to try to get what little sleep was left before the sheep started waking up. With a grunt of exasperation, he dug under his leg, pulled out the offending stone, and hurled it down the hillside in angry satisfaction. Oh well, it may not be the most coveted of jobs, but at least shepherding put food on the table which was more than some people had.

1st week of Advent 2015

The doors swung shut with a loud thud, and the world went from light to dark. Standing just inside the threshold of the temple, Zechariah could hear the prayers of the worshipers gathered outside the walls. As a priest, he had served many times at the temple as his family worked their allotted time, but he had never won the right to serve before the Lord in the Holy Place. Some priests waited their entire life and were never chosen. After years of cycling on and off, his name had finally been drawn; it was his turn to offer the incense to the Lord. He overcame his awe and walked reverently through the dimly lit Holy Place, watching motes of dust meander through the shafts of light. With piousness, he measured out the correct portions of oils and spices, spreading them out over the glowing coals that had come from the altar of burnt sacrifice in the courtyard. 

The Semicolon and the Soul

"He restores my soul;
He guides me in paths of righteousness
For His name's sake."  -Psalm 23:3 NASB

I have been  granted a new title in the past few months, Communications Guy. Anything that leaves the church office in an official capacity is supposed go through me for approval/editing. My internet history tab used to be filled with potential Bible studies, youth games, and the like. Now I bookmark my favorite grammar websites that I use to help me wade through newsletter articles and bulletin advertisements. All this proof reading has changed how I read. I used to be rather reckless in my reading, skipping over punctuation and carelessly structuring the sentences and phrases especially the more familiar passages.  Now I read with intent and my proof-o-meter always seems to be on even if it is a bit faulty. You won't have to look too hard to find grammatical errors in this blog. Anyway, sometimes this is not so good; it is difficult to read text messages from teenagers and from some adults now. Other times this is good; my Bible study is richer than before. I know why there is a semicolon instead of a period. I see how it radically changes the meaning of the sentence.

Phoebe and the Security Blanket

Phoebe is our 64 lb. doberman...

Phoebe is our 64 lb. Doberman. It came as a shock to some when we got her, probably because our two previous dogs were miniature dachshunds. When I'm asked why we got such a big dog my reply is, "I wanted a dog that wasn't allergic to truck tires like dachshunds seem to be". For all her perceived viciousness, Phoebe is actually one of the most "loving" dogs I've had. She is always wanting to be right up under one of us. It's a regular thing for the kids to spread out a blanket  on the couch so she can sit with them, for Beth to holler at the dog to "quit standing on me" while she sits in the recliner, or for me to gripe about having no where to put my feet because the dog is curled up at the foot of my chair. There are constant wet-nosed hand nudges, push you off your feet leg leanings, and sad-eyed food beggings at our house. But her favorite place to be is in our bed. This silly dog rolls over on her back in between us with her feet up in the air like a dead bug and proceeds to fall asleep. The term "goofy dog" comes out of my mouth quite often.

Forsaken Son

Easter is nearly here. On Sunday morning, my family will wake up, get dressed, and join with countless others around the world to celebrate Christ's resurrection from the dead. We will sing praises to God that are filled with barely containable joy. We will listen, with enraptured hearts, to a sermon proclaiming the wonders God has done for us through Christ Jesus. But now, in this week leading up to Easter, we remember the awful things that lead up to our Easter joy. As we read the events found in the Gospels, we come face to face with pain, suffering, grief, and unimaginable love.