Holy Ground, This?

So, there probably weren't pigs (especially these) in Bethlehem...

Cattle (lowing?)...
It was here, with the goats, that we really began to notice that this was a stable. For me, it was when I noticed the strings on the hem of my son's garmet dragging in the muck.
Don't step there, little one...

Just thinking a little bit about holy ground and stables.

A while back I was thinking about messy (forced into it, actually). I wasn't very happy about it then, and I was reminded of it the other day, this day that we went to the zoo, when things seemed messy for a while. I was reminded that messy has somehow become Holy ground. It was a song that reminded me. I'll copy the words at the end.

The song reminded me of Moses and a bush. Moses out herding his father-in-law's sheep (what's with God and shepherds? A lot I guess), sees a bush that's burning, but not burning up. It turns out God is there--"take off your shoes, Moses!" I wonder what the ground actually looked like that he was standing on--it was sheep territory, Moses' life was pretty messy, The Israelites' were in a mess--Slavery, crushed in spirit, all that.

The song and the season (last time this particular song turned up in my world, it was snowing) reminded me also of this baby, born in a stable, in an overcrowded town. I didn't want my son, wearing shoes, standing in that stuff (remember those photos at the beginning?) in a well-maintained and uncrowded zoo barnyard. Born there? No thank you. Was I watching where I stepped? Yes! But Jesus, He went there. He, not regarding equality with God a thing to be grasped, humbled himself. Took on messy. The messiest.

Holy Ground, this.

Be still, for the presence of the Lord,

the Holy One is here.

Come, bow before Him now,

with reverence and fear.

In Him no sin is found,

we stand on holy ground.

Be still, for the presence of the Lord,

the Holy One is here.

Be still, for the glory of the Lord,

is shining all around.

He burns with holy fire,

with splendor He is crowned.

How awesome is the sight,

our radiant King of Light!

Be still, for the glory of the Lord,

is shining all around.

Be still, for the power of the Lord,

is moving in this place.

He comes to cleanse and heal,

to minister His grace.

No work too hard for Him,

in faith receive from Him.

Be still, for the power of the Lord,

is moving in this place.

"Be Still For the Presence of the Lord"

words and music by David Evans (1957-)

Christmas before Thanksgiving

I really just wanted to post this youtube video that the piano teacher sent (as encouragement to Young Adventurer, who has started working on his Christmas music--before Thanksgiving), because it's funny, and it's guys singing, and it's Christmasy, and it's not Thanksgiving. But then I was thinking that actually Christmas did come before Thanksgiving, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Anyway, here's that video:

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

It's Christmas! A few years ago, we divided the story of the arrival of a Saviour into 11 parts (that's how many pieces were in that particular nativity set) printed it out on cards, tied the cards to the figures of Mary and Joseph and the wise men and the sheep and the donkey, etc. and put the figures in everyones' stockings. Christmas morning we took turns putting the figures into the stable as we read the parts of the story. Now we just take turns reading the parts of the story, and skip the rest. More about that in a minute. This is still my favorite nativity set. My mom made it when Venom was very little. It's taken a beating--various kids have chewed the wise mens' crowns off and I have reglued them more than once. The barn I found for it isn't quite tall enough for the angel to stand up...
So anyway, this year the kids handed out the parts and gave me Mary. What jumped off the page this year as I read my part? Something the angel says to Mary: "for nothing is impossible with God" and after that, what Elizabeth says when she greets Mary, "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished."
After that, we made a molehill out of the mountain of presents under the tree. Did anyone else get special slippers like this? And you thought the Snuggie was the thing this year! Silly you! Why sit with your arms sticking out a Snuggie when you could be sliding around the house in these?

Danjo the Magnificent got his very own GPS (when Venom saw it she exclaimed, "He needs one of those!), but the GPS is lost. It can't find it's satellites anywhere. If it can't figure out where it is, I'm not sure how it will help Danjo figure out where he is. He got some other stuff too, and that stuff works great, so he's still happy. And I'm sure the GPS will find itself eventually, or it will go back to Stuffmart.

The kids got lots of gifts. Hats, hoodies, the Crayola Crayon Maker (think Easy Bake Oven-- but no one has to eat the results), art supplies, and Young Adventurer got some very awesome colored pencils that look like sticks from a special grandma. And we got our kids guns. Because kids should get guns for Christmas. And because armed and dangerous is a good photo opportunity for the Sidewalk Driver.

From left to right: "I have a plan", "I have you in my sights", and "you should not have said that"

"Keep the change, you filthy animal!"

And then there's Adventurer Two, who really needs a new name, and really thinks she's Rose Tyler: "Do you like my gun(s)?"
They are planning an ARC Heist. Better read fast, Booyor...

Enough of little kids with guns.

All the food I cooked was very yummy. We all agreed. I wish I had baked an apple pie instead of buying one, then it would have been yummy too.

Last, and causing many laughs in just the first few pages, is Andrew Peterson's On The Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. Gave it to the kids as something for me to read aloud to them, because they still like that, even though they can read for themselves. Andrew Peterson is a singer/songwriter--same guy as in the youtube videos from yesterday's blog post. He's also an author. This book is one of two (so far?) and we'll let you know how we like it as it goes on. A little quote:

"But other than the cruel Fangs and the constant threat of death and torture, there wasn't much to fear in Skree. Except..."

If I can pronounce everything, and follow all the crazy names, it could be very fun.

Goodnight, and Merry Christmas!