Okay, we're light on the politics here for a little while. It's too close to the sacred celebration of Christmas, and most people are completely tuned out anyway. Last night, the older Virtus girl (still nearly 2 months shy of her 3rd birthday) gave us a remarkably clear and *almost completely accurate rendition of "Away in a Manger"--the first verse lyrics with a little melody, anyway. Little things like that show the spirit of Christmas is growing in our household. So much to be thankful for (yes, we ARE rich), and many extra blessings beside. Fancy presents are nice (but overrated--if I see one more of those annoying Lexus commercials, I think I'll scream), though there aren't as many of them this year. Baked goodies I can rarely … [Read more...]
What I’m Thankful for #4: Spiritual Mentors
This is one in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced are not necessarily in any particular order. I hope the series is of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic takes a dive. When you're young and foolish - well, you're young and foolish. The spiritual influence of my parents (the topic of a future thankfulness post) was real, but wouldn't suffice by itself. I am thankful for the influence of non-family spiritual mentors during my teenage, college, and young adult years. I can … [Read more...]
What I’m Thankful for #3: Modern Medicine
This is one in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced are not necessarily in any particular order. I hope the series is of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic takes a dive. I love to study history, which makes me all the more grateful to live in the times we do. No epoch in human history has been without its share of troubles of various kinds - and ours is no exception - but I feel profoundly blessed by the advent and continual development of modern medicine. Why? Because … [Read more...]
What I’m Thankful For #2: Freedom of Worship
This is one in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced are not necessarily in any particular order. I hope the series is of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic takes a dive. Human beings are hard-wired to worship. What we choose to worship is a day-by-day, moment-by-moment decision. There's an ongoing battle in human hearts for whom or what will receive our worship. Ultimately, no human government or other authority can dictate or regulate this most fundamental form of … [Read more...]