It's a blustery and windy warm day here in the mountains. We experienced a bit of rain earlier but the sun has broke through the clouds. The sound of today should announce cold weather but the truth is found underneath the sounds of the wind, the temps are in the sixties. I think we will have another round of rain in a bit that is if the mountains don't tear it apart. A couple of outdoor Christmas decorations blew over last night and they were weighted down with large rocks. Ah the wind, it speaks loudly up here in the mountains, in a valley on a hill.
The weekend was rather quiet and that is good. I drank some bad juice on Saturday, well bad for me juice. I am allergic to papaya and I had bought an energy juice that must have included the dreaded papaya fruit in it...probably contained in the description, passion fruits. The sickness and extreme tiredness tipped me off because those are the light symptoms from ingesting that particular fruit. I always wondered why the iced tea at Starbucks made me feel woozy and nauseated until the day I read the contents...oh there is a little bit of papaya in there. Sadly, I had to stay home from a holiday get together on Saturday night. My exciting Saturday night was asleep by 8:30 pm.
Last night I watched the webcast of Celebration and totally got into the experience. Loved the music and stories of Christmas, but as always I love the story of Christmas that Jesus came to earth as a baby in a manger but He didn't stay there, He defeated death and sin and lives in us, The Christmas story always needs to include the Easter story too. Loved seeing friends serving and singing together and I also loved knowing there are friends who are behind the scenes making the production work and run smoothly.
Roy and I both agree that at this time in our lives being a part of a smaller church is life blood to us. We had such a wonderful musical Sunday at Newfound; hand bell choir, both adults and children, the children sang and the choir did a song from the Christmas music we've been learning for next Sunday. The CD for the children's choir skipped around and then stopped, but the congregation joined in singing with the kiddos to help them finish the song. It is a heart tugging moment yet it is a beautiful picture of the Body of Christ. This past week as I recovered from my short stint of Stumblelina, I was also able to see the Body of Christ as friends from Houston called in the midst of busy schedules, like Celebration and work and ministry, and friends here who checked in and encouraged me as I recovered from that slight mis-step on the stairs.
A friend here asked me last night if watching the webcast of Celebration made me homesick? Honestly, no. Now did it remind me of friends whom I love and miss, you betcha! I did miss seeing it all in person but my heart and spirit know, where we are now is truly home for us.
This weekend I began reading Unlikely Saints, Finding God in All the Wrong People, written by a tattooed, wild looking, woman who happens to be a Lutheran pastor in Denver, Colorado. I love this book and author but sadly I won't ever hear her at a "Baptist" women's event because well...she does cuss a bit and she doesn't fit the Baptist women's ministry speaker mode...not only because she pastors a church. I like reading Anne Lamott and there is another southern author whose name escapes me, but she came to know the Lord in an unusual way and her stories of redemption of finding life fits in with these others I have mentioned. Up here, we aren't as polished and we don't look so put together as is easy to do in large cities and in large churches. I see very little of what I call "practiced people" now. Oh they can be here, I just don't notice them like I once did because there were just so many on parade before. I have always said that most times any speaker at WM events are cute, former anorexic, put together, still thin, fabulous marriage, semi perfect children speakers. You never hear a bulimic speaker who in the binge/purge stage always forgot the purge part. I like that this morning on Twitter Beth Moore is speaking truth about what marriage really looks like and going for good. Going for "pretty dang okay" is admirable.
So, wrapping up these last two paragraphs of thoughts, I feel at home here and love living somewhere totally different than what I have ever known. I am happy for friends and family to visit and find this place to be all that I hope I convey when writing a blog post. I am also thankful that the season of guests has come to a close for this year. We are looking forward to just relaxing yet getting things taken care of and of course for me not having to think about what food needs to be in the house. I guess I am feeling like the trees...ready for a bit of rest and then happily welcome spring when produce stands open, flowers begin to bloom and friends and family return for visits.
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