a few of my favorite things [people]

Merry Christmas Everyone! I got to sit next to Mom & Dad today [1st service, sorry I wasn't with you Mel & Bubb] Mom came without some thing! -her wheelchair!!!! [got my gift] And a BIG thanks to Pastors Steve, Brian, Rob, & Aaron. THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!! Loved Connie up singing too! and as my friend Donnie said, people are the best gifts!

a photo to go with that last line. [it sits in my pc room above the monitor on a shelf] From left, a painting by a friend [thanks Jenn Harvey!] I thank God for art. Melanie & Rick [aka Bubba] & the girls: Kenzie & Payton [nieces] A very small nativity. Jesus, it's your birthday -but WE got the gift!! Thanks. a copy of a pic on here already [Dad, Mom, Mick & me]. Mick & her Dad [his graduation], & Mick's Mom. Just a few of my favorite things!

Merry Christmas to all of you out there.

Thank you Jesus, for the unfairness of life. You, who lacked nothing. Came to us, who lack everything. Unlike Santa, you came to give a precious gift, to all the bad kids of the world. In order to make them good. [because sooner or later, we all are one]
It's not always comforting, that life isn't fair.
But Life wasn't fair to it's author, so I guess my odds aren't good, huh?
At least, I can rejoice about 1 unfairness.
I'm not going to hell. ...even though should.
Thank you for going through hell
so I don't have to live there.

Jesus, it's your Birthday,
but we got the gift,
YOU.
thanks for wanting me [us]
so much!
Love,
B

a Christmas playlist, & Count your blessings

I mentioned a few songs the other day. So I'll start off with a song from the movie I grew up watching on Christmas Eve with Mom & Dad every year.
The movie? White Christmas
Snow
Bruce Cockburn - Cry of a Tiny Babe
GLAD - In The First Light
Glen Campbell - It Must be Getting Close to Christmas
[from 1 of "the Christmas Records" played for me as a child]
And thank you Michael Buble for being a guy singing this next one!
Michael Buble - All I Want for Christmas is You
After December Slips Away [couldn't find the original singers, First Call. Donny is close though]

this is also from White Christmas, the movie...
"...when your worried,
and you can't sleep,
just count your blessings,
instead of sheep,
& you'll fall asleep
counting your blessings..."

Thank you Jesus,
for my many blessings
thank you for...
Mickey, I don't think I'll ever forget her
setting under the tree
with a green bow in her hair
my best gift
[besides you]
Mom & Dad
vacations
learning to drive
bake
live
love
love you
I love them loving so many
Friends:
Donnie, Joe, Doug, Sean,
Shelby, Beth, Jenn & Linda,
Cindy, Randy S., Matt F., Matt S.
Heather & Matt, Mel & Carol,
...
In-laws:
Mom & Dad A, Mel & Bubb,
Mare [& Ben], Maria
Kenzie & P [nieces]
Cousins...
Aunts & Uncles
[thank you that Uncle John Williams will be celebrating @ home!!]
ART:
Roger Dean, P.J. Crook,
King Crimson, Rich Mullins, Iona, Kemper Crabb,
U2, ...
Thank you for being you & loving me
Thank you for LWCC:
Worship Arts, Pastors Steve, Aaron, & Brian,

Thank you for inventing music...
Thank you for rest...
Love Always,
B

The best gifts aren't under the tree...
but they do tend to put stuff under it.

a Christmas post

hello all.
I haven't even been on facebook much over the last few weeks. No news on the job front. Mom is back & forth right now. Going between an upset stomach, & pain from not taking pain med.'s. Got to do something new last Sat. Dad, Mom, Mick, my niece [Kenzie] & I baked Sandtarts together. That was fun. [a new tradition?]
This Christmas seems like a "Deconstructing Christmas". A lot of old traditions seem gone. Which has an element of sadness to it. On the other hand, there is excitement at new traditions that crop up. One that isn't really new, this year anyway, is that LW does a Christmas Eve offering that is different. They give it all away. Every penny. Locally, Globally, to all kinds of places. Pastor Steve says: "you can't 'out-give' God."
... try anyway. make it an inside joke between you & Him. After all, everything started out as His anyway. Isn't He the best gift we ever got? I set up my little porcelain tree, made by my Dad's mother, in my computer room. I've done this before, however, this time I put a manger under it. Then I surrounded it with pictures of family, & a painting a friend painted. This way it reminds me of the real gifts I have. God THE artist, gifting us with the ability to create art. The blessing of relationships. The tree we had when I was growing up was decorated with mostly red spheres, multicolored lights, & gold garland. To me it meant this:
Evergreen tree = tree of life
Red sphere ornaments = the blood shed so I can eat from the tree, & that blood becoming fruit that saves & nourishes
Gold garland = the streets of gold that I will one day walk on

I thought I'd post a few songs that don't get played on the radio very much...
here's one...
Christmas is Jesus
by Bryan Duncan
...
Christmas is Jesus
a child
for all men
gone
from the manger
and tomb
he lay in
Christmas is Jesus
God's love
coming true
a star
from the heavens
has fallen for you...


Jesu,
that you
for giving yourself
for showing the world
that you love me
us
you gave up
what no one could ask you to
so that you could make a way
to take me there
you came here
so I can go there

that wasn't enough,
though
they told me
I would be an only child
that I would never have
brothers
or sisters...
they lied.
they did not realize
that nothing is impossible for you
you first gave me an army of cousins
this
[typical you] was not enough, either
for tomorrow
I will eat supper with my brothers
"brothers from different mothers"
they would say
...we have the same Dad, though
YOU
thank you dear Jesu,
for being beyond my wildest dreams
[only you know just how wild they are]
love,
beyond the end of the sky,
B

news, changes, etc.

sigh. Where to begin.
My wife has not only lost her job, they have denied her unemployment benefits. She is appealing this, however, it could take some time. She is looking for work. During this time, I am also looking for a new job.
Over the past few months I've been looking into simplifying life. For the time being, with all that is going on, I will mostly be posting here. When, in fact, I post. I would love to do a follow up to last year's Christmas poems. I just do not think I have it in me.

I was planning to do a photo thing. However that has been put on hold. I had won a coupon for a T-shirt. However, I have not received the shirt yet. When it comes I'll explain the whole "nifty" idea. However, till then, I have changed my photo on everything I have my hands in online. The photo @ the top of this post is my photo on: facebook, blip.fm, & here. In case you're interested. As I move forward, & things settle again, I'll get back to posting regularly.

Till then, Have a wonderful Christmas & New Years.

Life is often desperate, but never hopeless - Robert Fripp