Potluck Ponderings

If you would have even tried to tell me what events would unfold in 2008, I would have shook my head and refused to believe. Not possible for so many soul stirring events to occur in one year! Not possible for so many I know to suffer so much! Not possible for my own path to include twists, turns and doubling back on itself! Not possible to have so much peace in the midst of so much chaos! There have been moments I thought I would fold from the weight of the pain...my own and that of others...implode from the pressure of decisions and a search for clarity...For me, this has been a year of cracked foundations...a roller coaster ride of lessons that are still being learned in full...growth occurring in places I saw no need for change and enormous fallout resulting from unavoidable conflict. Humbleness...sadness...chaos...confusion...brokeness...loss of control... Yet...This year has not left me hopeless or defeated. This year has left me no longer suprised by sin...the depth of my own or...

Emily is trying to help Nate discover the baby Jesus story and understand (sort of) that gifts were for him under the tree because the wise men gave gifts to Jesus. Emily tried to reinforce that Christmas is more about giving than getting...and that it's a celebration of Jesus' birthday... This one time that left me in stitches...in the backseat of the car, they were having a discussion while we were out finishing up Christmas shopping in Tennessee: E: an angel came and told Joseph that Mary was gonna have a baby and that he had to marry Mary (she really liked saying that) and that they had to name him Jesus. So, Christmas is to celebrate Happy Birthday for Jesus N: No, it's my birday ...I wan pesents ... E: No, Nate...we'll get presents but it's Jesus' birthday...he had to come to earth to die for our sins. N: It's my birday ...I want a piderman bike.... E: well, you might get a bike, but it's for Jesus' birthday. N: No, it's my birday ...