A friend put up and decorated her Christmas tree yesterday. We teased her about it. What? Before Thanksgiving? Why so soon? She said she just felt in a Christmas mood. The definition of a “Christmas mood” can be different for different people. Sometime in September or October our choir director will say in fun that it’s only so many days until Christmas. (He has the exact number.) That’s when a groan is heard around the room. Christmas can be a burden or a joy. A burden if we get too focused on all the stuff we have to do, but a joy if we remember what we are celebrating. In the weeks ahead, we will get busy writing Christmas cards, decorating and buying presents. Why not take the time now to get in a joyful Christmas mood. Read the Christmas story, meditate on what it means for us personally and prayerfully thank God for his greatest gift—his Son.

“I can’t understand why people are so mean to one another when we all believe in the same God,” she said. I was sitting in on our children’s church because no other teacher was available last Sunday. We like to have two people every time. I’m not a regular but with my other volunteer work I had had a background check, so I said I’ll just sit there and keep my mouth shut. The teacher was trying to keep everyone focused on the topic, which was being thankful. So, I opened my mouth. I couldn’t let this pass. “You’re right, we shouldn’t be mean to one another. But, although Muslims, Jews and Christians all believe in God, the Christian religion has something the others do not. We know that Jesus is God; he is divine. We have his grace, mercy and forgiveness. Of all people we shouldn’t be mean to one another.” It wasn’t the time or place to get into a theological discussion, but even children realize something isn’t right when people are mean to one another over religious differences. I wish more adults had that insight.

 

How old is old? If you’re like me you roll your eyes when you hear a 30-year-old moan about being old. People are living to be 100 and beyond today and they’re old at 30! Enjoy your youth, I say. Don’t think old before you are old. Let me tell you about old! I don’t really say that last part, because they don’t want to hear it. I’ve known people who are young in their 70s and 80s and people who are old in their 40s and 50s. Our choir director is 85 and still teaches and performs and composes music. He’s one of those young olds. Some say old is all in your head. I don’t say that (my body says, Oh yeah?), but your mindset does have a lot to do with how you view yourself. Now, I know, early on health problems can make you feel physically old before your time, but don’t let that stop you from doing what you can. You may surprise yourself. And think of this: Your life now, whether you’re 30 or 92, is just a blip on eternity. Even when you are 92 or 100, your life is just getting started. I’m going to stop now and thank the One responsible for that. 

 

A friend just called. We were supposed to go to lunch with some other friends tomorrow, but she had gotten a bad report from her doctor. This friend has had several close calls with cancer and is carefully monitored with frequent blood tests. They took her off a round of chemo about a month ago, saying everything looked OK. But this last blood test was not good and she has to go to a specialist tomorrow for further tests. She is very matter of fact when she talks about her health. Over the years I have known her, she just states the facts about her various surgeries and continues being her positive self. This time she says she’s frightened, a word I’ve not heard from her before. The temperature is dropping. It’s going to be in the low 20s (-6 Celsius) tonight. That’s cold for Texas. I’m in a warm house right now, but I’m feeling cold inside. I hate cancer!

 

Whoa! What? “You have been called to be the look on his face, the tone of his voice, and the touch of his hand” (Paul David Tripp, New Morning Mercies). This is how Tripp describes God’s plan: “A God of grace makes his invisible grace visible by sending his people of grace to reflect his grace to people who need grace.” I believe those beautiful words. They should be foremost in my thoughts as I go about in my world every day. But, reality check. I used to be the calming voice. When my easy going husband got in the car, his personality changed. People cutting him off made Ed’s temperature rise. Now that I’m the one doing all the driving, something has happened to me. I’m morphing into Ed! When I have to hit my brakes to avoid another driver’s bad decision, it’s automatic. I’m angry! I do not have the look of Christ’s face or the tone of his voice. So, I’ve been gritting my teeth, remembering my calling and chanting this mantra: It’s OK. You’re not in a hurry. You’re not in a hurry. You’re not in a hurry. That also works when someone cuts in front of me in line at the grocery store. You can borrow it if you like.

The temperature is in the low 40s and we’re expecting a hard freeze tonight, but strangely enough, when I went out to rake up leaves to put in the backyard compost, there it was. An iris, so dark purple it looked almost black, had bloomed in Jay’s Garden. This is not the time of year for irises to bloom. They are a springtime flower. This year we’ve experienced some weird weather, months of extreme drought followed by record rainfall and flooding. Now we’ve had just a couple of weeks of fall before wintery freezing weather is setting in. Texas is known for its frequent weather changes, but really? Maybe even the plants are confused. Jay’s Garden is a small memorial garden to my younger sister, who died way too soon. I will always miss her. My daughter Shara said the beautiful flower was a kiss from my sister.

 

How that tiny lizard got in the house, I’m not sure, but somehow he (or she) slithered under a door or I accidentally let him in. I don’t blame him. It’s cold and wet outside. When he saw me, he quickly scurried under a living room chair. I lifted the chair and sure enough, there he was, oh so still, hoping to make himself invisible. I lowered the chair and went to find something to capture him. After dismissing several ideas, I settled on a bucket with a lid. I got it over him but when I tried to scoop him up with the edge of the bucket he resisted, and won—temporarily. I caught him again with the bucket and got a spatula out of the kitchen. This time I was too quick for him. I moved the bucket up a little and with one swift move of the spatula lifted him right in. Lid down, he was caught! He frantically scrambled around in that bucket, but no escape. Out the door and into the flower bed he went. What a struggle he put up, and I was just trying to save his life.

 

Her face was flushed and her hand was on her chest. Obviously she was in pain. We were attending a United Way luncheon to honor contributors and to learn the grand total of the year’s contributions. She and I and several other volunteers were at the Home Hospice table. Two of the hospice staff encouraged her to call for an ambulance, but she refused. She was feeling pain across her shoulders, arm and chest, classic signs of a heart attack. Finally, she agreed, but when the ambulance came, she said she felt better and didn’t need to go to the hospital. After about 15 minutes, probably convinced by the EMTs, she did go. Is that you? Or is that me? I hate going to doctors. I’m afraid they’ll find something wrong. And then I’ll have to do something about it! That woman was denying what was clearly happening to her. Her symptoms were similar to that of a man’s, but that’s not always the case for women. Don’t let stubbornness or embarrassment keep you from calling for help if your body tells you something is wrong. (I’m also talking to myself.) There’s such a thing as being embarrassed to death!

 

Well, I did it. I finally let go of my landline. I’ve used only my cell phone for years but kept the other line because telephone reception is so iffy out where I live. But when my landline service was down last month, I realized I didn’t need the extra phone or expense. I did without it for a month; I can do without it. To show how long I’ve had that number, my youngest daughter said it was the only number she could still remember. Which made me think, how much do we have to remember any more. Our smart phones have all the answers, and they’re getting smarter every update. Our county librarian Jennifer told me at the last Friends of the Library meeting that she was surprised how many 20 and 30 year olds did not know their way around a computer. They only use their mobile phones, which automatically do the work for them. (“There’s an app for that!”) I don’t take a Bible to church anymore. For one reason because the scriptures are usually displayed on large screens in front, but also because I can look up the scripture on my smartphone so quickly. But, being the old fogy I am, I still use my regular Bible at home because I don’t want to forget what order the books are in. Quick, do you know where the book of Joel is in the Bible? I do. (I didn’t want to lie, so I checked. Yes, it’s still there.) It’s not that I don’t enjoy the new technology, but I hope we don’t lose our minds in the meantime!

 

“I motion,” Lorraine said. I looked over at her and saw she was smiling at Genevieve across from her who said the same words, only a split second late. Then, after another decision was made, Lorraine did it again. That’s when I realized it was a game. We had a lot to decide at our board meeting as we worked toward closing up our year on the women’s golf board, so thus many motions and seconds. Talk about competition—these girls are competitive even in making motions and seconds. I decided I was going to beat them to it so before the president’s next call for a motion hardly got out of her mouth, I said, “I motion!” It was fun, but didn’t last long because we did have a lot of business before us. Some say they aren’t competitive, but I believe we are all competitive in one way or another. And competition can be OK. That’s why we have these great athletes and many of the wonderful innovative inventions we have. But, as we know, competition can have a dark side. Let’s keep competition fun!