Not So Much News

Thought it was about time to post something.

I've been depressed (and so, so tired).

I am depressed, only less.

Better news soon.

My Valentine's Day Gift

A few days early, but Little Sprout made this for me:


Make your own Glitters

A mesmerizing trick, but I already loved her bunches and bunches!

Hmmm, Not sure what is going to happen when she discovers boys.

Super Bowl XLIII

That time of year again.

No Packers. No Brett Favre. Little Sprout is elated on both those counts as she is anti-spectator sports. She'll play a bit, just don't ask her to watch. The rest of us lean more toward indifference when it comes to football, even when the Packers play.

But the Grapevine Faith Christian School football coach in this news story has been invited to be there. And that excites me.

I saw him on ESPN this morning...yes, I watch ESPN frequently. Then I had to find out more about the story...

Can't Stop Smiling

Watching television...

Exciting!

Nothing more I can say.

He Started It

I remember those words well from childhood squabbles with my younger brother.

This post started when Kievas posted his weekly music video.

Then Little Sprout, who has developed an obsession with robots and all things requiring batteries...many batteries, decided to take advantage of a half-price sale and add to her collection.

It culminated here when we found this video.



That is not me. Sounds like me. Not me.

To All Our Blogging Friends

Advent Simplicity, light and beauty-Friday Five

This week's RevGalBlogPals' Friday Five comes from Sally. She writes:

"Imagine a complex, multi-cultural society that annually holds an elaborate winter festival, one that lasts not simply a few days, but several weeks. This great festival celebrates the birth of the Lord and Saviour of the world, the prince of peace, a man who is divine. People mark the festival with great abundance- feasting, drinking and gift giving....." (Richard Horsley- The Liberation of Christmas)

The passage goes on, recounting the decorations that are hung, and the songs and dances that accompany the festival, how the economy booms and philanthropic acts abound....

But this is not Christmas- this is a Roman festival in celebration of the Emperor....This is the world that Jesus was born into! The world where the early Christians would ask "Who is your Saviour the Emperor or Christ?"

And yet our shops and stores and often our lives are caught up in a world that looks very much like the one of ancient Rome, where we worship at the shrine of consumerism....

Advent on the other hand calls us into the darkness, a time of quiet preparation, a time of waiting, and re-discovering the wonder of the knowledge that God is with us. Advent's call is to simplicity and not abundance, a time when we wait for glorious light of God to come again...

Christ is with us at this time of advent, in the darkness, and Christ is coming with his light- not the light of the shopping centre, but the light of love and truth and beauty.

What do you long for this advent? What are your hopes and dreams for the future? What is your prayer today?
In the vein of simplicity I ask you to list five advent longings....

The picture came from One Exposure and the thoughts were inspired by a sermon in Iona's book Candles and Conifers

Here are five of my longings this Advent:

1. Simplicity of faith. Faith that is void of shoulds, coulds, woulds...just is.

2. Moments for memories. We do not remember hours of preparation or days of waiting. We remember the single moment. Watch for the moment(s). Let the rest go by.

3. Openness. When it is so easy to find ugliness, let me see beauty in others. Open my mind and my life to more.

4. Connectedness. I feel like I have become more disconnected. From God, my family, my church family, the world in general. I want to find ways to reach out and connect.

5. Quiet healing. For me. For others. For the world.