Hope for Tomorrow

Well, my friends, another year is almost under the belt. It's been a long one, and yet an all-too short one at the same time. It seems like only yesterday that I was drinking a toast to the year 2004 by clinking together two cans of Mountain Dew in my room as the crystal ball in Times Square descended. Okay, so I'm not a party animal, get over it. Anyway, like everyone else, I nurtured high hopes that the coming year would be happy and pleasant.

So, as we count down the final waning hours of 2004, were my hopes fulfilled? Well ... yes and no.

I'll deal with the latter half first. More than any other year of my life, 2004 stands out to me as the year of death. It began early in January when my grandfather passed away from a form of pancreatic cancer. He battled it for six weeks, but his condition wasn't diagnosed until it was too late to help him. Cancer of the pancreas is a real killer and it strikes quickly. Even when treated promptly, once the tumors have a chance to spread rapidly in the bloodstream, a person's condition can deteriorate dramatically. That's what happened with him.

Oh Lord, it nearly killed me to see him like that. He'd always been a man of great character and stature that I had looked up to for all of my childhood and beyond. His sagacity, witticisms, and most of all, his love of the Lord were the characteristics I adored most about him. To see him bedridden, his body wasting away little by little, his memory failing him, groaning in agonizing pain in the room of his house...it was nearly more than I could stand. As I said, it was too late to fight off the disease, so all we could do was make him as comfortable as we possibly could. I can remember my dad, my two uncles and myself setting up a big-screen television set and DVD player at the foot of his bed so he could watch all of his favorite classic movies. Helping him sit up in the bed we had leveled to a more comfortable position so we could give him a shave. The multiple times over the next month that I came over from Furman after classes let out to check on him and talk with my relatives. Bless them, they were over there practically every day keeping my grandmother's house neat and orderly, running errands around town, shopping for food and supplies, coordinating gifts and funeral arrangements, etc. It was so terribly saddening to see him get progressively worse, and when my aunt from Due West called me and asked if I would be a pall bearer at the burial service in York, I knew then that it was the end.

And yet, it wasn't the end. For my grandfather, as a firm believer in Christ Jesus as his Lord and Savior, it was nothing short of a new beginning. Early Wednesday morning, January 28th, he passed away quietly in that bed. His loved ones, wife, sons, daughters and grandchildren (most of them) were there at his side when he died. I didn't learn the news until about 1:30 that afternoon from Woody O'Cain after Political Science class was over. Woody is a close friend of our family, and his inside expertise was instrumental in helping me to enroll at Furman. He stopped by Johns' Hall and gave me the news. After he told me, I didn't break up emotionally. I didn't cry. I didn't get angry or depressed. I just stood there and took it in, and by the grace of God I held my composure. At once, I had to get in touch with my family. My mother was a bit freaked that I had found out before she'd been able to get in touch with me, obviously unsure of how I'd take the news from someone outside of close family. But I assured her that I was fine, did what I could to console her in the brief time we had to talk, and as soon as I could get away from a prior commitment I had made for the next hour, I drove straight to Pendleton. Practically everyone was already there, upstairs in the kitchen with my grandmother. I will never forget that night. We stayed over for hours into the early morning, sitting around and just talking, running the full gamut of emotions. That time was immensely theraputic. I felt like I grew closer to my aunts, uncles and cousins than ever before. We were united in the common bond of having lost a loved one, yet our period of grief was balanced by a feeling of hope.

It wasn't the end, death. It was a new beginning. Yes, we were terribly saddened that the man we loved dearly was no longer with us, but at the same time, we were happy because we knew exactly where he had gone. He was, and still is and forever will be, basking in the glory of God's Kingdom, a place beyond all suffering and sin. He wasn't hurting anymore, no longer bound by the frailties and sickness of his earthly body. He had gone to be with the Lord, and because of that, we grieved with hope in our hearts because we knew that we'd see him there some day, when our time came. His lifelong faith in Christ had earned him the reward of eternal life in Heaven, as will be so for all who believe in Him. He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And my grandfather believed.

In that sense, the good and the bad of 2004 are interconnected. We hope at the outset that the new year is alive with promises of good fortune and positive events. But the fact is, it just doesn't happen that way all the time or whenever we wish it. God blesses us with rewards and benefits, true, but even as believers we are not exempt from the trials and tribulations of daily life. Those things are inevitable and they will happen whether we're ready for them or not. The fact is, times such as these are the real tests of faith in life. They are how God measures our belief to see if it's strong enough to endure the test, and either emerge strengthened or wither away to nothing. I feel that my relationship with Christ grew stronger as a result of the hard times I encountered this year. More than ever, I realized that my own efforts were an exercise in futility, and I felt the need to depend on Him every day for guidance and wisdom, and as a result, my faith was further enhanced as I observed the wonders that He worked in the numerous and yet simplest ways all around me.

I saw my family steadily heal from the pain of loss. I felt myself putting the grief behind me and pushing on with my college life, rebounding from a winter term slump to finish spring semester on the Dean's List. I saw the relationship between my sister and me redefine itself over the summer as we grew closer together. I found renewed confidence in my dreams to teach by participating in Vacation Bible School as a music teacher for the Rickshaw Rally. I felt a new sense of maturity and growth in moving away from home for the first time to live at Furman, with the opportunity to put everything my parents had taught me to the test. I learned to refine my work ethic and study habits in my new environment, as I was no longer surrounded by the comforts and familiarity of home. I took real, tangible steps toward emerging from my comfort zone by joining the Drama and Praise Band associated with Baptist Collegiate Ministries, and finding a family group to engage in a weekly study of the Bible. I formed new bonds with wonderful, godly Christians. Amanda, Ashley, Will, Stephanie, Alan, Chibuzo, Lucy, Rodney, Zack, Elloa ... I can't possibly name you all, but I treasure the relationships we've established this year. I received a stark reminder of God's healing power from my Sanctuary Choir in the aftermath of my mother's appendectomy. It's so wonderful to have a circle of friends to lift you up when your faith slips up now and then.

The real lesson I would take in regard to 2005? Hope for the best, certainly, but be prepared to face the worst. Bad times will come, tests of faith will come. Not all of them will be simple, and some will require a search of the soul. However, the best part about it is: we're not alone. We have Christ on our side. Point of Grace says it best.

"You will never walk alone,
As long as you have faith,
Jesus will be right beside you all the way.

And you, you feel you're far from home,
But home is where He is,
He'll be there down every road,
You will never walk alone."

Oh Lord Jesus, I ask that You fill my heart with the kind of spiritual hope that only You can provide. Don't let me look to the world for answers to life's questions. Don't let me look to the world's influences for help in times of crisis. But let me instead turn my eyes to You, Oh Lord, because You are the only One who truly has all the answers. I thank You for all of Your blessings, and I ask that You help me to keep an attitude of humility and gratitude about them. Help me to be a model of Your hope and love to others, and to effectively bear witness to the good news of You for those who desperately need it. Lord, as this year draws to an end, help me, and help all of us, to remember that this is another year of our time on Earth gone. Your day is coming, Lord, and my only desire is to be ready and willing to embrace You when that day arrives. Fill us with hope for tomorrow, and a passion to live out the rest of our days as servants in the light of Your love. In Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Song of the Day: FFH - "Ready to Fly"

Verse of the Day: "And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies or drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." - Romans 13:11-14

The Best of 2004

And now it's time for one of my long-standing traditions that everyone else with free time on their hands couldn't care less about: the Yearly David Awards! Otherwise known as the very best that the year 2004 had to offer.

These Top 10 and Top 5 lists reflect the media products and other such things that I enjoyed most this year. I should think it necessary to point out that just because one is ranked significantly lower than the rest, it doesn't mean I liked it any less. I took just as much inspiration from a #10 entry as I did from a #1. No bias here, okay? There is some commentary as the lists progress if you're interested in my thoughts on some of the choices.

Now, with the obligatory introduction out of the way, here are the David Awards to the Best of 2004...

Top 10 Contemporary Christian Songs of 2004:
Casting Crowns – “Who Am I”
Bethany Dillon – “Beautiful”
Mark Schultz – “You Are a Child of Mine”
FFH – “Ready to Fly” *
Steven Curtis Chapman – “Fingerprints of God”
Mark Schultz – “Letters From War”
Delirious – “Rain Down”
Steven Curtis Chapman – “All Things New”
Point of Grace – “I Choose You”
Michael W. Smith – “Healing Rain”

* In loving memory of my grandfather. Keep flying, Poppy. I'll see you up there someday.

Top 10 Overall Contemporary Christian Songs:
Mark Schultz – “Back in His Arms Again”
Point of Grace – “You Will Never Walk Alone”
Steven Curtis Chapman – “Magnificent Obsession”
Twila Paris – “How Beautiful”
DC Talk – “In the Light”
Alathea – “Indian Creek”
Casting Crowns – “Who Am I”
Point of Grace – “Blue Skies”
Twila Paris – “Warrior is a Child”
Avalon – “Testify to Love”

Top 10 Contemporary Christian Artists/Groups of 2004:
Point of Grace
Steven Curtis Chapman
Mark Schultz
Caedmon’s Call
Casting Crowns
Avalon
Michael W. Smith
Third Day
MercyMe
Jars of Clay

Top 10 Books of 2004 (excluding the Bible):
Educating Esme by Esme Codell (A peanut-butter sandwich in a black-is-white world.)
A Tribe Apart by Patricia Hersch (Warning: shock ending involved.)
One on One by John Wooden & Jay Carty (Great morning devotions before class!)
High Calling by Evelyn Husband (If you liked Let's Roll by Lisa Beamer, you'll love this.)
Bringing Elizabeth Home by Ed & Lois Smart (Very touching. I'm glad her story had a happy ending.)
The Faith of George W. Bush by Stephen Mansfield (A must-read if you really want to know our president!)
Last Man Down by Richard Picciotto (The events of 9/11 up-close from a firefighter at the scene.)
The Great Adventure by Steven Curtis Chapman (Great devotional based on his #1 hit song.)
The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel (Late entry, but no contest. Excellent book!)
The Art of Interpreting Scripture by Ellen Davis & Richard Hays (Ah, the joys of hermaneutics...)

Top 5 Movies of 2004:
The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson ("Who killed Jesus Christ? WE did." Amen, Mel.)
Spider-man 2 by Sam Raimi (They overhyped the sequel, but still an excellent movie.)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by Alfonso Cuaron (An example of time travel that works.)
Shrek 2 by Andrew Adamson (Charming, funny and much more enjoyable than the original.)
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (Strange plot, but plenty of fun to watch.)

Top 5 Furman Professors:
Scott Henderson – Education 11 (He lets students watch "South Park!" Call the parents!)
Vaughn Crowetipton – Religion 11 (He still owes us a summer get-together at his house.)
David Shaner – Philosophy 20 (He'd better win that Meritorious Teaching Award...)
Donald Aeisi – Political Science 11 (The inventor of the term "weasel word.")
Veronica Yockey – Health & Wellness 10 (Her class is easy if you don't count the tests.)

Top 5 Restaurants:
Mac’s Drive-In (Can't get a better cheeseburger anywhere else, I promise you that.)
Chick-Fil-A (Of course, my restaurant's gotta be in here or my boss will get mad.)
Pizza Inn (A pleasant Sunday outing after church. Bring your bulletin and get a discount!)
AppleBee’s (Plenty of eye candy on the walls.)
Ryan’s Steakhouse (The MegaBar buffet lunch. 'Nuff said!)

Top 5 Benefits of Being a Furman Student:
The Bell Tower (A symbol of silent grace and beauty. And it never rings when you sleep.)
No curfew hours (Provided you’re the all-night party type. Which I’m not.)
24-hour study lounge (A most popular sleepover sight on Thursday nights.)
The Dining Hall (You want healthy food? The DH is the place. You want junk food? The DH is the place. Need to host a hoedown? The DH is the place.)
The color purple (You can be a Furman and Clemson fan at the same time!)

Quote of the Year:
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

Verse of the Year:
"Jesus wept." - John 11:35

And that's my Best of 2004! Here's to another year filled with God's marvelous blessings and treasures!

Song of the Day: Jeremy Camp(?) - "Beautiful One"

Verse of the Day: "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." - Psalm 28:7

Song Spotlight

I don't have very many thoughts to share tonight. So instead, this entry will be another spotlight on a particular favorite song of mine. Enjoy...

Song of the Day: Casting Crowns - "Beautiful Savior"

All my days I will sing this song of gladness,
Give my praise to the Fountain of Delight;
For in my helplessness You heard my cry,
And waves of mercy poured down on my life.

I will trust in the cross of my Redeemer,
I will sing of the blood that never fails;
Of sins forgiven, of conscience cleansed,
Of death defeated and life without end.

Beautiful Savior, Wonderful Counselor,
Clothed in majesty, Lord of history,
You're the Way, the Truth, the Life.
Star of the Morning, glorious in holiness,
You're the Risen One, Heaven's Champion
And You reign, You reign over all.

I long to be where the praise is never-ending,
Yearn to dwell where the glory never fades;
Where countless worshippers will share one song,
And cries of "Worthy!" will honor the Lamb.

Beautiful Savior, Wonderful Counselor,
Clothed in majesty, Lord of history,
You're the Way, the Truth, the Life.
Star of the Morning, glorious in holiness,
You're the Risen One, Heaven's Champion,
And You reign, You reign...

Beautiful Savior ... Wonderful Counselor ...
Clothed in majesty, Lord of history,
You're the Way, the Truth, the Life.
Star of the Morning ... glorious in holiness ...
You're the Risen One, Heaven's Champion,
And You reign, You reign ... ... over all ...

Quote of the Day:
Curtis: "I can ooonly imagine...what my eyes will seeeee...when your face is before meeee.....I can only imagine..."
David: "Curtis, that was beautiful ... but that's not the song that was playing. That wasn't even the right artist."

(I know, I'm a nitpick about such things.)

Verse of the Day: "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who had fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam we all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." - 1 Corinthians 15:20-22

Apprehension

Fear. Anxiety. We all experience feelings like these several times in our lives. It's strange that, in my case at any rate, I seem to feel them at a time when I should be elated and happy.

I mean, it's Tuesday the 28th. That means I have less than one week of Christmas vacation left before classes at Furman resume full swing on January 4th. Now don't misintepret me. It's not that I'm not looking foward to going back, because I am. My strong finish to the fall semester has left me with a sense of renewed confidence that I desperately needed at that time. Spring term earlier this year ended very well, but I had to drop my Math class to get to that point. Now that I've finally conquered Math and maintained (even slightly increased) my GPA, I feel much more secure at Furman. I will readily admit that my decision to live full-time on campus has paid off greatly.

I don't know the real reason. I guess somehow, even when I have a long holiday and there are still a good few days of it left, in the back of my mind I'm already looking ahead to what's in store for me down the road. The day I get out for Christmas break, it hardly registers as a thought in my mind, but now that most of the break is behind me, the rapidly approaching date of my return to Furman is looking rather innocuous. I guess that still incites a little anxiety and fear in that I'll have to disconnect from vacation mode and get back to the daily grind. But I know I'll be fine after a short while. Soon, life will resume its normal course and it'll be like I never left at all.

My mother's feeling a little apprehensive as well, although hers is of a more serious nature than mine and for good reason. She was looking over some website on hysterectomies, which is the type of surgery she will be having in February, when I got home from work. My goodness, it droned on and on about the "lasting damage" that the operation will have on the body, along with the various symptoms of the hormone replacement drug that she'll have to take. That was consistent with the research I did on the surgery; when a woman has her uterus and her ovaries removed, she loses valuable amounts of the hormone estrogen, and so she needs medication to help her body regulate it properly. There's no telling how long she has to stay on the drug; it usually depends on the type of individual. But anyway, she wishes that she'd never found the website; it's pretty clear that the author is biased against hysterectomies; why, I have no idea. She's worried enough about her recovery period after the surgery, and this did nothing to ease her concerns. I did my best to reassure her that everything would be fine, though.

Well, that's about all for today, I suppose. Only three short days left of the year 2004. Enjoy it while you can. :)

Song of the Day: Steven Curtis Chapman - "Fingerprints of God"

Quote of the Day: "I was trying to type "aww" except my finger hit the "s" instead of the "w." Oh geez. I am so embarrassed to say the least." - Amanda ((LOL! Honest mistake, no worries.))

Verse of the Day: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

All Good Things...

I'm sure my friend Amanda was sad to hear that HIS Radio has switched back to playing its regular lineup of contemporary Christian music as of today. I know she's really enjoyed hearing the Christmas music they've been running over the past month. I've enjoyed it also; there are some really good songs mixed in those arrangements. But to be honest, I broke into a big smile when I heard the familiar tune of Avalon's "You Were There" come over the system. I missed the normal arrangement of songs. It provides a sense of familiarity in my daily routine.

Speaking of all good things coming to an end, business at Chick-Fil-A returned to normal this evening. Too bad that "normal" for us means abysmally slow. But as it so happened, we were fortunate not to have a big crowd tonight. Apparantly, our associate manager Trey didn't order enough supplies to keep us stocked for the entire week, and today the peanut oil hit the fan. We ran out of fry boxes, honey mustard sauce, Dr. Pepper (Oh dear, Amanda, I'm so glad you weren't working tonight. You might've had a heart attack...), seasoned coater, the list went on and on. We ended up having to close up an hour early (which we probably would have done anyway) because without sufficient coater, I can't bread any chicken. Oh well. At least tomorrow is Tuesday, which is when the new stock order for the week arrives. It's a good thing that this didn't happen last Monday, for sure.

Song of the Day: Bethany Dillon - "All I Need"

Quote of the Day: "DAAAAAAY-O! DAA-AA-AAAY-O! DAYLIGHT COME AND ME WAN' GO HOME!" - Curtis Forbes (::sighs and covers my ears::)

Verse of the Day: "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth." - Zechariah 9:9-10

Day of Rest

Everyone knows Sunday is supposed to be the day of rest. God set the standard for it when He rested from all the work He had done in creating the heavens and the earth in Genesis. So why do few people actually do it?

In my mind, Sunday should be a day especially set aside to recuperate, and to spend time in celebration and worship with fellow believers in Christ. Believe it or not, that's mostly what helps me to prepare for the coming week. I look forward to listening to God's Word as interpreted by my pastor or Sunday School teacher, sitting in the sanctuary singing praise to the Lord, and enjoying the communion of my friends in church. I look forward to resting from a week of work on Sunday because I see it as an opportunity to refresh my mental perspective and re-evaluate my inner focus in preparation for the week to follow. It's what sets Sunday apart from the week.

Yet quite often I meet people who tell me they go into Monday tired, drained, and generally unprepared for the work they must accomplish over the next five days. And the common reason for it is that they misused Sunday. Either they spent it playing catch-up with all their homework they could've finished Friday night or Saturday, or they avoid church completely because they feel it's a waste of their precious freedom. I truly feel sorry for them.

Now, I'm not saying I've been perfect in honoring Sunday the way I should. Believe me, I've been guilty on more occasions than I care to remember of doing most of my work that day when I could've easily finished it one or two days prior. I've woken up on Sunday mornings in the past without any enthusiasm for attending church. I've had to set my attitude straight about Sunday plenty of times, but I'm grateful that God is there to do it each time.

With that said, today was a very pleasant Sunday. I had a nice Sunday School with one of the associate teachers presenting a lesson on what has become a very inspiring Biblical passage for me: Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. I've taken a lot of meaning from His words to the woman in comparing her physical water with the spiritual water He offers. Even today, we can fill our hearts with the water of the world, thinking we can achieve instant gratification and self-worth, but Jesus says, "You'll thirst again." Everything on this earth is finite and will someday turn to dust and crumble away. Only God's Word and our souls will last forever. That is why we must repent of our sins and accept the healing water that Christ offers to cleanse ourselves in His eyes.

I felt so happy that I was able to respond several times to my teacher this morning. I could never do that in the past. I feel that God is making a new creature out of me, and the best thing about it is, He's not finished with me yet! I can hardly wait to see how He will use me in His will as I continue with the life's work He has given me.

Song of the Day: Michael W. Smith - "Healing Rain"

Quote of the Day: "Dave, your car purrs like a kitten!" - Gran (Heh. I'm glad my good ol' grandmother isn't fooled by the exterior garnet of my car. Behind that wheel sits a full-blooded tiger!)

Verse of the Day: "Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." - John 4:13-14

Joyeux Noel!

Other than the usually exciting morning that permeates this holiday, today was pretty calm and peaceful.

It's funny that no matter how calm an approach I have going into unwrapping the presents, somehow good old Santa Claus always manages to surprise me. Last year it was my laptop. This year, I unwrap a rectangular bag and pull out ... a Furman license plate, a set of keys, and a little yellow sticky note attached. And the note said, "Yes, David, this IS a car. Now go outside and find it! Ho Ho Ho! - Santa."

Okay, now that you're all through laughing at me, this requires a little exposition. Three years ago, when I was still a junior in high school, I was busily unwrapping presents. I get to the last one, and pull out the keys to my old 1994 Infinity along with a Clemson license plate. Now, I was sick at the time with a mild fever and hadn't slept for more than one or two hours, so I was feeling more than a little delirious. My mom and dad are sitting there with the excitement written all over their faces, my sister and brother practically glowing with anticipation ... and I just sit there, holding up the keys. My expression read something like, "Oh, okay, so what are these for?" And then I put them aside and looked to see if there were more presents! I'm telling you, I was really out of it then.

After about five minutes, my family somehow manages to get it through my fevered brain that these were car keys, to a new car, a new car for me! At last, my higher thought processes reasserted themselves and I got the hint to go outside and find it. There sat my Infinity, parked in the garage out of the freezing conditions outside. It was a great scene, once I finally, finally caught on to what was going on. How you can be sick enough not to realize you've been given a car for Christmas, I'll never know. And I've been teased often about it ever since.

Well, today we came full circle with that little inside joke. Thankfully, I recognized the present immediately and even managed to sneak in a little tease of my own as my parents looked up to see what I had unwrapped. "Strange. I feel like I should be sick opening this..." Anyway, in less than 30 seconds flat, we were on the driveway, beholding my new 2003 Tracker parked in the side space. It's a great car that provides plenty more room and comfort, is in perfect working order, and has only about 40,000 miles on it. That's a far cry from the 100,000+ miles accumulated on the old Infinity when I received it. However, it will always bear the dubious distinction of being a predominantly garnet color. Gee, I wonder which of my parents made the final bid on it...

Anyway, a wonderful gift that was, as were all the others. I received numerous articles of clothing, an answering machine, a hand-held vaccum cleaner, and some new contemporary christian CDs. My family and I enjoyed a terrific Christmas breakfast, invited our relatives over to visit and see the new merchandise, took a long overdue afternoon nap, and had another Christmas feast this evening with my grandmother from Pendleton, who will be staying overnight with us. What a great day. Hope everyone else's holiday has been just as wonderful!

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe all of your day! Merry Christmas!

Song of the Day: Julie Andrews, The Sound of Music - "My Favorite Things" (this deserves lyrics)

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudles
Doorbells and sleighbells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into spring
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad.

Quote of the Day: "Yes, David, this IS a car! Now go outside and find it! Ho Ho Ho!" - Santa (big surprise)

Verse of the Day: "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel - which means, "God with us." - Matthew 1:22-23

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

'Twas the Night Before Jesus Came (anonymous)

'Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come in there.
The children were dressing to crawl into bed,
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head,
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.
When out of the East there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment that this must be THE DAY!
The light of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus! Returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.
In the Book of Life which He held in His hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said, "It's not here," my head hung in shame.
The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without sound
While all of the rest were left standing around.
I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight.
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.
In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is soon drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call -
We'll find that the Bible was true after all!

The Christmas Story (Luke 2:1-20)

"In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angel had left them, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

"So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

The Candy Cane

Of all the beautiful traditions of Christmas, few are so ancient in meaning and rich in symbolism as the simple candy cane.

It's shape is the crook of the Shepherd, one of the first who came.
The lively peppermint flavor is the regal gift of spice.
The white is Jesus's purity, the red His sacrifice.
The narrow stripes friendship and the nearness of His love
Eternal sweet compassion, a gift from God above.
The candy cane reminds us all of just how much God cared,
And like his Christmas gift to us, it's meant to be broken and shared.

The Gift of Heaven (Camp Kirkland)

The House of Bread

For God so loved the world that He gave. He gave light to those in darkness. He gave hope to those without hope. He gave life and joy and love. He gave Jesus. In the mystery of His marvelous grace, God spoke through His prophets to a world in need of a Savior. A virgin would bear a Son conceived of the Holy Spirit; the Word would become flesh and dwell among us, and His name would be called Emmanuel, God with us. And in that same mysterious plan, God would choose one of the smallest, most out-of-the-way places for the Savior of the world to be born: Bethlehem, tiny Bethlehem. They called it the House of Bread. Strangely appropriate, for from the House of Bread would come the Bread of Life, Jesus, who would give the gift of life to all.

The Ways of God

The appointed place was Bethlehem. The chosen parents were a young maiden named Mary and a poor carpenter named Joseph. They were engaged to be married when an angel came to them and turned their world upside down. Mary was with child. "How can this be?" she asked the angel. And the angel replied, "With God, nothing shall be impossible." These were the words of hope that Mary and Joseph would embrace, and believe. And as they followed God in His sovereign plan, surely the words of Isaiah the prophet also rang in their hearts. For Isaiah spoke the words of God, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways." In the midst of the unbelievable, still Mary and Joseph believed.

When Hope Was Born

So Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem, and while they were there, she gave birth to her firstborn Child. She wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger. On a cold, winter's night, to a world without hope, the gift of hope was born.

Repeat the Sounding Joy

The Christ Child was born, and the joy that filled heaven spilled over to the earth. There were shepherds near Bethlehem keeping watch over their flocks of sheep that wondrous night. Suddenly, without warning, an angel appeared to them. They were terrified, but the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid. I have good news that will bring you great joy. Today in Bethlehem, the Savior you've been waiting for has been born." And the world was given the gift of joy. Joy to the world! The Lord is come!

They Came to Worship

God, in His marvelous grace, gave. In His mercy, He gave a Savior. In His love, He gave the most precious gift of all - His Son, Jesus. How could we ever repay Him? What gift could we possibly give that would be worthy of the King of kings and Lord of lords? We can give Him our heart. We can give Him our life. And like the magi of old, we can give Him our worship.

From the Cradle to the Cross

As we bring Jesus the gift of our praise, we remember the wise men and their gifts - gifts worthy of a king. The gold represented deity, and the frankincense purity, but perhaps the most significant gift of all was the myrrh. For as a spice used in burial, it symbolized the very reason this King was born. He was born to die. This infant King who lay in a manger would one day hang on a cross as our Savior, and all who believe in Him will receive God's greatest gift of love. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!


These are just a few ways I reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. I have a wonderful network of friends and relations, and their message of God's truth and love has influenced me in countless ways. I wanted their voice to be displayed on this journal entry, my last one before Christmas, the day that marks the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I owe them a great deal for the person I am today and will hopefully become in the future. But most importantly, I owe it to God for creating me, and for loving me enough to send His only Son to die a painful, agonizing death on a cross for my sins, and then rise again after three days so that I might be redeemed in the light of God's grace. This kind of mercy can never be earned; it is only made possible by the unconditional love of God. He gave Jesus, the gift of Heaven, the gift of eternal salvation for all of mankind.

Merry Christmas, everyone! May God's joy and peace warm your hearts throughout this holiday season.

Song of the Day: Chris and Diane Mechen - "When Hope Was Born"

Quote of the Day: "You'll shoot your eye out, kid. Merry Christmas. Ho. Ho. Ho." - Santa Claus, "A Christmas Story"

Verse of the Day: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6

The Joys of Gift-Giving

Tonight was certainly far from uneventful. And before I delve into it, yes I am fully aware that this entry is coming hours later than I originally promised. Oh well. Who worries over deadlines on Christmas vacation?

My night shift at Chick-Fil-A morphed into an afternoon-and-night shift as our manager called and asked me to come in a couple hours earlier. I quickly found out why. We had the biggest rush of the year thus far, with a near unrelenting flock of customers keeping us on our toes all night long. Amazingly, it almost reached Cherrydale's rush level, and that's saying something for our mall. Maybe we should arrange for the North Pole to be moved to center court. I don't want Mr. Santa to leave and take all the excess customers with him. We need the business.

But anyway, enough about that. The real highlight of my night was having the opportunity to exchange gifts with my good friend Amanda. She did a wonderful job on her end. She baked a whole batch of tasty oatmeal raisin cookies for my family and me. I haven't had those delectable delights in over a year's time, and they were great. Also part of her present were a Spider-man ball, a beautifully-drawn picture of her and me as our alter egos - Silent Star and Noble Tiger (our quirky nicknames for each other), a Bible verse that I will add to the collection in my wallet, a Barnes 'n Noble gift certificate, and a nice long-sleeved grey Clemson shirt. Splendid gifts, all.

We stopped at my old high school, Shannon Forest Christian, to exchange our presents. Sadly, the school was locked up for the holidays, so we couldn't devote much time to looking around the place. But that's all right. We still had a wonderful time sharing small talk about our lives and other such topics. If you're reading this, Amanda, I hope you know how special a friend you are to me and the people around you. A true kindred spirit, you are.

Song of the Day: Camp Kirkland - "Mighty King"

Quote of the Day: "BRIAN! WHAT'S REALLY GOOD?" - Curtis Forbes

Verse of the Day: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." - John 15:1-2

Double the Fun!

Because Blog Land just can't get enough of my long-winded chatter, I am going for two posts today - one in the morning and one later tonight! Either I'm feeling especially inspired to write or there's a lot going on in my life. :)

It's been great coming back to work at the Chick-Fil-A in Greenville Mall. I've been there for more than 4 years, since 9th grade summer, and business has steadily declined with the loss of our anchor stores such as Dillards, Profitts, and Montgomery Ward. Our food court could hardly pass for the term now, as it's just our unit and the fine folks of Oriental Express. Seriously. But the arrival of the holiday season coupled with regular nightly visits from good old Santa Claus has spiked business up nicely. We've actually had rushes of customers the past two days, something that we used to take for granted but has become rarer and rarer with the passage of time. I will personally make certain that jolly old St. Nick receives a little token of our appreciation tonight during my shift. I'll bet he'll enjoy our golden-brown chicken nuggets and lemonade more than the same old cookies and milk. :P

Nice to hear that HIS Radio, 89.3 FM, will be running 48 consecutive hours of Christmas music commercial free on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I guess that means the anchors will get to spend time with their families. :)

Christmas Eve is going to be great. We'll be sticking close to tradition again this year. We'll head to Whitmire by about 4:00, which is about an hour from Columbia, to meet up with my grandparents, or my mother's family. I want to catch the early Christmas Eve service at the local church in Whitmire so that we'll have the evening hours all to ourselves. Last year was excellent, and I have no doubt this year's service will be just as good. I've wanted to catch a Candlelight service at my church in Simpsonville often, but I suppose that won't happen this year. But anyway, then we'll have dinner at my aunt and uncle's place, where I'm sure he and my grandfather will have on display their proud catch of deer meat. They're deer hunters, and they took my little brother with them in the fall. We'll exchange gifts soon after that, and I believe my aunt, uncle and cousin from Spartanburg will be coming up to join us. I would've seen them last Sunday, but we canceled our luncheon because of my mother's operation.

My mother's getting along really well. She still gets a little winded after putting in a good day's work, but she's fully able to perform her daily tasks again with relative ease. Now she'll have a month's good health before the next operation in early February. Eep...

I finally managed to sneak in a workout this morning. With my exam schedule last week and being on vacation for this past week, I've allowed myself to fall behind on my exercise routine. Can't have that. Still, I kept things fairly light with a good jog interspersed with some power-walking intervals, and some resistance training in the middle of everything. My church gym isn't the Physical Activities Center at Furman, but it was good enough.

I'll have my usual Song and Verse of the Day sometime later tonight! Until then, excelsior!

Breath of Heaven

Song of the Day: Amy Grant - "Breath of Heaven" (Mary's Song)

As I wander in this silent night
Cold and weary with a babe inside
And I wonder what I've done
Holy Father, You have come.

And chosen me now to carry Your Son.

As I ponder in a silent prayer
I am frightened by the load I bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone?

Be with me now ...
Be with me now ...

Breath of Heaven, hold me together
Be forever near me, breath of Heaven
Breath of Heaven, light of my darkness
Pour over me your holiness for you are holy
Breath of Heaven.

Do You wonder as you watch my face
If a wiser one should have had my place
But I offer all I am
For the mercy of Your plan.

Help me be strong
Help me be ... ...
Help ... me ...

Breath of Heaven, hold me together
Be forever near me, breath of Heaven
Breath of Heaven, light of my darkness
Pour over me your holiness for you are holy.

Breath of Heaven, hold me together
Be forever near me, breath of Heaven
Breath of Heaven, light of my darkness
Pour over me your holiness for you are holy.

Breath of Heaven...
Breath of Heaven...
Breath of Heaven.

It's hard to imagine what must have gone through Mary's mind when the angel came to her and announced that she would bear God's Son. Her life was perfectly commonplace, and she was engaged to marry Joseph the carpenter. Everything seemed to be perfect. Then all of a sudden, her world gets turned upside down in the most unbelievable of ways. Naturally, her initial reaction was disbelief and confusion amongst a multitude of other emotions, but the angel reassured her that with God, nothing shall be impossible. Mary made a great leap of faith by trusting God to give her strength and peace of mind during the long months of her pregnancy. She understood that it was not about her own will in life, but God's will for her. All she had to do was follow Him every step of the way, and He would look after her with compassion. And she did, all the way through the long journey to Bethlehem and to that dark, cold manger in the hay in which the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, was born.

Are you willing to step out on faith as Mary did? To let go of what you want and allow God to take the lead?

Verse of the Day: "And Mary said, 'My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me - holy is his name.'" - Luke 1:46-49

Keep Christ in Christmas

Dr. James Dobson addressed an issue tonight on "Focus on the Family" that has sadly become a topic of much debate and the source of most conflict this time of year. He discussed how several public schools, institutions, and work places all over the country are trying as hard as possible to eliminate God and Jesus Christ from the Christmas holiday. It ranges from simply not mentioning them to threatening legal action if the request is defied.

An elementary school in California issued a document to its entire teaching and administrative staff banning the mention of and reference to Jesus among themselves. A six-year old child got into trouble with his teacher, his principal, and the school superintendent for handing out a Christmas card that mentioned Jesus to one of his friends. A high school band in Chicago was barred from performing any music this year having anything to do with the Christmas Story, Jesus, or any sort of religious connotation. The state capital in Wisconsin goes so far as to issue an attack against Christianity by publicly claiming religion to be nothing more than a fantastical myth.

Is there a problem here? You'd better believe there's a problem.

But why is it still happening, and in fact getting progressively worse every year? The problem is that more and more, people are being intensely persuaded to conform to the standards of political correctness. Abide by what is socially acceptable and avoid coming off as being intolerant of others. We see these standards in public schools where teachers embrace the concepts of values clarification, affective education and multiculturalism. In reality, these are kinder ways of saying the Christian doctrine is wrong and that these "mentally sick" children must be educated to renounce the beliefs "programmed" into them, and to properly adapt them for society.

But why Christianity? Why Christmas? Why Jesus Christ? How could someone have it in himself to willingly deprive another person of something that he treasures so dearly in his heart? Why can't they understand? Why won't they at least try to understand?

Jesus must have been thinking the same thing 2000 years ago, when he addressed the disciples' lack of faith in trying to drive a demon from a boy in Matthew 17:17. "O unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?" This was sheer exasperation on Jesus' behalf. He had given them the Sermon on the Mount, teaching in parables, going all throughout the synagogues, and the disciples had followed him during these teachings. And they still didn't get it. They still thought their own methods could work.

The truth was right there in front of them, in the Living Flesh. Yet they still wouldn't understand. We have the Word of God at our disposal today, and we are surrounded by the beauty of God's creation. Yet there are still people who turn a deaf ear. There are people who prize themselves as self-appointed champions of wisdom and righteousness, who believe a politically correct society has no room for religious faith. They eagerly point to the separation of church and state as a prop for their arguments, and the First Amendment for their right to protest.

Unbelievable. Nothing has changed today. Faith is still the missing piece of the puzzle. The world demands proof, but God calls us to have faith. Why is that such an issue, especially during the Christmas holiday when the call for faith in our Lord and Savior should be at its zenith?

In fact, the division isn't as sharp as these radical liberalists make it out to be. According to a recent Gallup poll, 98% of Americans support the Christmas holiday, religion and all. Now, it should be pointed out that not all of these people are Christians, but the point is, where's the overwhelming majority seeking to ban the spread of the Christmas message throughout the country? The support certainly seems to be on the other side, if you ask me.

According to these people, I'm being intolerant if I wish someone a "Merry Christmas" or say "Jesus loves you." They would say sending a message with that kind of overtone is wrong. Please. Their own argument is inherently flawed and in itself a paradox. I wonder if it bothers them in the least that they're being intolerant of my views? They claim to be advocates of the First Amendment that guarantees free speech until someone disagrees with them! Furthermore, some of the examples I made earlier would support, in keeping with multiculturalism, ideas and symbols such as Hannukah and the menorah being publicized in schools and other institutions as part of the educational process? Pardon me, but aren't they also symbols of religion, the same so-called "myth" that they're trying so hard to eliminate from the minds of children? How would you justify that? Hey, you might as well go so far as to say I can't hand out candy canes to friends if you know what the original meaning of the candy cane is!

Separation of church and state? Correct me if I'm wrong, but this clause was NOT originally a part of the United States Constitution. Those who claim otherwise need to go back and re-read their U.S. history texts. At the time of the Constitution's proposal and ratification, several states among the original 13 colonies openly practiced their own distinct religions. Not to mention the fact that the thesis of the document, according to Thomas Jefferson, is that we are a nation "governed by Our Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." You have to wonder if Jefferson would get his head bitten off today if he said that.

A popular talk show host made this suggestion on Dr. Dobson's broadcast that I would just love to see happen. In referring to one of those schools that doesn't allow the performing of Christmas carols promoting the spread of Christ, he suggests that the band have an interlude during the production where they all stand up and start singing "Silent Night." They would invite anyone in the audience who wants to sing join them. In theory, one has to admit this would invoke a huge response. Frankly, I'd be surprised if 90% of the audience wasn't standing and singing by that point. Now, what are they going to do? Expel the entire band? Rush into that auditorium and terminate the production on the spot? What are they going to do? "You're outta here! How dare you sing Silent Night! How dare you publicly promote religion in here! How dare you..." How utterly ridiculous does this sound?

That's how Dr. Dobson characterizes this: it's ridiculous and unacceptable the lengths people have gone to deny and squelch the spread of the meaning of Christmas throughout the American society. I am proud of him for the things he has done to outright oppose such actions as these through boycotts and public speeches. That's how we as Christians should respond. God doesn't want us to keep quiet and go with the flow when His truth is attacked, be it subtle or blatant. Jesus had to be on his guard all throughout his earthly ministry against attacks from the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. He confronted them in public, stood them down, and told them to their face that their philosophy of life was empty, bankrupt. And we are called to follow his example.

I hope anyone who reads this will take God's words to heart. It's not my message, it's not my call to action. It's God's, and I give Him all the credit and all the glory for it. Look for ways to keep the true meaning of Christmas present in the home, the school, work, business, wherever you are. Don't just ignore something you know in your heart to be wrong based on political correctness. Keep Christ in Christmas this year, and the years to come.

Song of the Day: Point of Grace - "O Holy Night"

Verse of the Day: "For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is proved right by all her children." - Luke 7:33-35

Sunday School Insanity

You never forget the simplest little quirks of your Sunday School class.

Take this morning for example. The staff of Sunday School teachers had (apparantly) rehearsed a Christmas production of sorts to put on for the kids. So it began with some very pretty music featuring guitar and violin solos. Nothing harmful or unusual about that, right?

Well, then we move into the real meat of the production: the drama. I wasn't surprised one bit to see my former Drama instructor, Brenda Stephens, at the helm once again, headset and all. She just can't stay away from things like this. But anyway, she masterminded a skit featuring four kids that I remembered from my class gaining a new perspective on the Christmas season, approaching it from a poor man's point of view rather than assuming that all of their belongings will always be there. A very good moralistic story. But it was beset by a few problems...

Now, none of this goes back on the kids. Their line delivery was great and very believable. Mrs. Stephens does better as a director than an actress herself (but that's merely my simple-minded opinion, so don't hold me to it), but she also performed well. The problem was the sound system, specifically the microphones. It seemed all too obvious that they hadn't been properly trained on microphone etiquette when onstage. For one thing, you never, EVER, tap or brush your hand against the microphone pinned to your shirt (especially while speaking) unless you want to have one extremely LOUD, clanging backlash of sound blasting its way through the audience's eardrums.

Needless to say, we got those backlashes ... pretty frequently.

Thankfully, someone on the sound board wised up and just got rid of the microphones for the second half of the drama. This one was a "David Letterman" style parody that featured The Innkeeper's Wife and a Shephard being interviewed by Mr. Letterman, who actually made the effort to dress for the occasion. Of course, without the microphones, we had a new problem: how were we supposed to hear what they were saying (our gymnasium has really poor acoustics)? The kids had been trained in vocal projection by Mrs. Stephens herself, but this was all adults, older folks who were inclined to speak softer and project less. That alone hurt the premise of the play.

Oh well. None of that matters. The real highlights of the film were the short clips played as commercials between the drama skits. Included were clips from "Christmas Vacation," and my personal favorite, "A Christmas Story." But what made me enjoy it even more was the fact that they really hadn't prepared for this production at all. If you watched it for yourself, it's pretty clear. But that's what made it fun. The kids and adults all kept a casual attitude about their scenes, so you just couldn't fault them for it. Besides, I knew their hearts were in it together.

Now, I must be off. One final gift to pick up for a close friend of mine. Excelsior!

Song of the Day: Chris Rice - "Welcome to Our World"

Quote of the Day: "Unfortunately, Simeon won't be joining us today. He said something about building canals in the Sinai." - "David Letterman"

Verse of the Day: "For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." - Hebrews 2:17-18

With God, All Things Are Possible

Song of the Day: Amy Grant - "Grown-Up Christmas List"

Do you remember me
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you my childhood fantasy.

Well, I'm all grown up now
And still need help somehow
I'm not a child, but my heart still can dream.

So here's my lifelong wish
My grown-up Christmas list
Not for myself, but for a world in need.

No more lives torn apart
Then wars would never start
And time would heal the heart
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end...
This is my grown-up Christmas list.

As children we believed
The grandest sight to see
Was something lovely wrapped beneath our tree.

Well, Heaven surely knows
That packages and bows
Can never heal a hurting human soul.

No more lives torn apart
Then wars would never start
And time would heal the heart
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end...
This is my grown-up Christmas list.

What is this illusion called?
The innocence of youth?
Maybe only in our blind belief
Can we ever find the truth ...

No more lives torn apart
Then wars would never start
And time would heal all ... hearts ...
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never ... end ... no ...

This is my grown-up Christmas list
This is my only lifelong wish.

This is my grown-up ... Christmas ... list ...

Think about the words in this song carefully. Then ask yourself. Are these merely hopes? Nothing more than childhood dreams and fantasies? Is this a world that is so unreachable that we can't even hope to fathom it?

Then remember the words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to his disciples...

Verse of the Day: "Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." - Matthew 19:26

What is your lifelong wish for the world? Does it include the presence of God?

Home Free

Words fail to describe the feeling of liberty associated with the end of my fall semester. But then again, I guess I get this feeling every year then. Oh well. That doesn't tarnish it a bit.

Oh yeah, just in case anyone cares, what happened with my Health exam... I have to say, that was without a doubt the most difficult of all three of my tests. And yes, that even includes Math. Surprising, no? I fear that I seriously underestimated this one. It delved far back into the earliest chapters we studied from the first couple of weeks in the course, with only about a third of it focusing on the last six chapters of recent memory. So that kind of surprised me, and I made sure to say so when she gave us a yellow sheet for the purpose of giving feedback about the exam. Wasn't that nice? You never know; things like that can only help you if you're sincere about it.

I had all my luggage in my car ready to go late this afternoon. It felt like I was lugging my entire apartment along with me, that's what. When my car took three seconds longer than usual to crank up, I feared for a laughable moment that the sheer weight of it all was bogging down the ignition. Strange; I normally tend to travel light.

I made a quick pit stop at my local mall to give my hours of availability for next week. Except for Christmas Eve, I hope to accumulate a good amount of hours next week and the week after. I checked the prices for textbooks in my winter classes at my online bookstore, and the amount for Theatre Arts alone is staggeringly high. So yeah, I need the work to make money for those books. Bonus: Ariel complimented my mother when she visited. :)

This evening was just grand, especially when compared to the blurry nights of exam study that have characterized my last few. I went out on two shopping trips with my father to pick up groceries and some pain medication for my mother, and we stopped for dinner at Burger King, something I haven't been able to do in a pretty long while. Sound pretty mundane? Hardly. This was nothing but pleasure on top of pleasure, topped off with untouchable feelings of warmth and goodness. My father and I got to catch up on a lot of things, like my Bible Study lesson I directed at Furman with his help, ideas for future lessons, upcoming visits with relatives, Christmas and New Year's plans ... Compared with the last three or so nights, I felt almost like I was in Heaven, it was that good.

My little bichon Isabelle is just as adorable as ever, if not more hyperactive, which I didn't think was possible. Until you've met my little Izzy, you haven't seen hyperactive. Trust me on this one. Anyway, we got a new plush red bed for her to use indoors. She got a little too excited about it when we showed her, or maybe that was just her usual insane greeting for us. She jumped over to the side table next to the sofa and knocked the lamp over. Eep ... Fortunately, all it led to was a broken bulb. Easily replaced. Hehe, she's all curled up on my bed now.

It seems the tradition for outdoor Christmas displays this year is the standing reindeer with moveable head and neck decked out in all Christmas lights. That's the case for Hampton's Grant anyway, and we're following suit. The only problem is, we can't get one of the shifting mechanisms at a reindeer's neck to crank right. The built-in screw always pops out after about two shifts. But other than that, it looks great. Especially in the strobelights.

Argh ... my mother overdid herself again today. She got pretty sore late this evening and started running a slight fever. Well, now that I'm home, she better stay in that bed and rest until she can walk painfree. I'm taking over command now. Hehe. Not that I blame her, of course. I'd probably do the same thing were I in her position. Heck, considering my father and grandfather had to have their appendices removed, I might very well be in that position sometime in the future. Whatever God has in store for me, I suppose. For now, I'll see that she rests. :)

Long story short, I'm exhilarated right now. I'm thrilled to be home with my family, back in my room, under the soft glow of my little Christmas tree in the corner. Bonus: all of my family Christmas shopping is now complete. Amanda, you are the greatest. Mr. Knickerbocker should consider itself blessed to have you. Signing off now!

To quote Stan Lee, "Excelsior!" Oh, and Season's Greetings! :)

Song of the Day: Alvin, Simon, Theodore, and Jaci Valesquez - "The Chipmunk Song" (Nothing's changed, I see. Alvin and the boys still can't take their eyes off poor Jaci long enough to get through the song. *sigh*)

Quote of the Day: "ALLVIIIIIINN!!!" - Jaci Valesquez (Cute. She's not Dave, but it still made me chuckle)

Verse of the Day: "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." - Matthew 7:24-25

Keeping the Faith

Two down, only one to go. At one point, I seriously considered going "The heck with it!" and taking the Health exam today to get it over with. These all-night study sessions are becoming monotonous, and I'm running out of creative ways to manage them. That was before I remembered the only times to take it were 9:00 this morning and 2:30 tomorrow afternoon. And wouldn't you know it, I had a prior engagement early this morning. Oops.

Anyway, said prior engagement was none other than the Math 15 final. I have to say, without running the fatal risk of sounding overly optimistic, I thought I did okay. At very least, I finished the whole test, and even had sufficient time to look over some problems, fill in the gaps, and correct a few errors. The good thing about a two hour final is that you have more flexibility than, say, a regular test in the normal time format for the class. It means you can bounce around between problems if you get stumped, move on to something you can solve and then go back and fill in the blanks later. I never had that luxury with my regular tests, so I was glad to have it this time.

Amanda, you're right. Nothing feels more relieving than the moment you step out of an exam. That is, unless you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you choked big time, but I seriously don't think that was the case here. For the first time in longer than I can remember, I'm optimistic about Math. I want that B grade. I need it badly.

Even more positive news. I nailed my term papers and made an A in Philosophy 20. Yay!

My mother continues to be sore. She's just now finding the increased difficulty of simple things like walking around the house and just doing normal household business. Not surprisingly, she told me she overdid herself today. But that's my mother. She hates bitterly to be confined to a bed when there's work to be done. With the kind of "roll-up-the-sleeves, let's-get-it-done" attitude she has, I have no doubt she'll be back on her feet in no time at all. I can't wait to return home tomorrow afternoon and see her and the rest of my family.

Well, only one more exam to go. I'm sure I'll feel more like my normal long-winded self 24 hours from now. Until then, I'll wrap this entry up right here...

Song of the Day: Chris & Diane Machen - "They Came to Worship"

Verse of the Day: "When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other." - Ecclesiastes 7:14