O Bless the Lord My Soul . . .

I have been listening to the Godspell soundtrack because in my meditation this morning it started out with "O Bless the Lord My Soul" from psalms and in the fashion of my family, I haven't stopped singing since! I thought that if I put on the soundtrack it would get the song out of my head, but instead I have been singing all day. I normally share the building with one other office, but the man that is in that office is on vacation this week so no one knows I have been working and singing at the top of my lungs all day.

The coolest thing so far happened today. The WallStreet Journal called me and interviewed me for my event on New Year's Eve. It was a staff writer and she said she would let me know if our city makes the cut for the final story. COOL. Thank you Joi Preciphs for calling me!

I read the temptation of Christ last night before bed. I love this story because it is about Christ BY HIMSELF, so why do we know about it? I also like it because I have been a little crazy lately and it is nice to know that Christ experienced a little craziness too. To me that is all a temptation is about: a little bit of insanity.

I am also reading Million Little Pieces. It is pretty good. It is very familiar. I am about to read the dreaded dentist scene that everyone talks about. I put it down until tonight because I wasn't up for it last night.

I also watched the third and final Godfather. WOW. That was a great movie. GREAT. One of the ladies at my bible study a few weeks ago was appalled at my watching the Godfather series, but after that last one, I have to get the set. They make more sense as a set. I have never seen the third one. Now I understand why the Godfather is the YChing of manhood. I cried. I loved and I can still feel Andy Garcia's eyes in love. Man. He is gorgeous. beautiful. I will probably watch When a Man Loves a Woman next. He just is such a good man in love. And Pacino. Goodness. His grief was so aparent and rippling. I am so impressed. I wish I could watch it again, but I made myself send it back to Netflix and am just going to have to buy it.

Just Sing It



Our family is just strange. There is no other way to explain it. Some people define it as special. I don't care either way, I like it.

Our Christmas dinner was great. My other cousins came over to Mom's house. This time the party was for 11 and two halves (twins in the womb), which still takes a lot of preparation. The difference was that the cousins came in and it was as though no one had missed the entire year of not seeing each other. There was a familarity that makes family. . .well, family. There was girl talk between the girls and ping pong between the boys. Then there were the adults and they do whatever it is that adults do. Cook? Talk? Who knows. Then once everyone was unloaded it was straight to dinner, not forgetting the blessing. The time honored tradition on this side of the family is to sing the blessing. Every person on this side of the family reads music. Every person has something to do with music in their lives today. Some of us lead the music, some of us play the music, some of us study the music, some of us sing the music and some of us hire the music (me). So we are musicians and we sing our blessing. Joy to the World the Lord has Come!!! & The Doxology. Amen, let's eat. No reason for saying anything, just pray/sing and eat. I think my Dad should start a musician's church. No preaching, only singing and reading of the text. What a way to honor God. Just sing it. (Sounds like a slogan) Then we eat. Then we eat some more. Then we start singing again. Then we sing some more. Musicians. No point in talking to them. . . Just sing it.

Luke 2
The Birth of Jesus 1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register. 4So 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. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and 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. The Shepherds and the Angels 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, 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." 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Jesus Presented in the Temple 21On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. 22When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"[b]), 24and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."[c] 25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss[d] your servant in peace. 30For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." 33The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." 36There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[e] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 39When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.


So this has been my past three nights worth of reading. Coincidence? NOT.

I do have lots of questions. For example, why is it that angels are not more talked about? It seems that angels are something affiliated with Christmas due to this section of the gospels. Mark/Peter didn't talk about angels. Matthew didn't talk about angels. So why is it that Luke talks about the celestial beings? How is it that he knows and the other two don't? It wasn't like Luke was one of the disciples? Luke is a doctor. Or at least I think he is a doctor. Why would a man of science (or at least I see physicians as scientists) talk about angels? I mean, that is the farthest thing from science. It is apparent that this is an oral history because of the way the book starts. Luke is talking to Theophilus. I'll call him Theo for short becaus his name is hard to type. Theo and Luke are sitting in front of a fire in the middle of . . . Rome? And Theo is asking, "So who is this Christ guy that Peter has set up this Catholic Church for?"
"Well, he is a healer and a miracle worker, but wait let me start from the beginning. It starts with Elizabeth." Luke starts. Then from nowhere, we have the gospel of Luke. Now, why would a physician believe in angels or in a Christ Child? He is a scientist. He is a believer in what can be treated not what cannot be seen.

Now something strange that I have not seen in the other gospels (Other than the whole history of God's Son) is the songs of the people. Zarcharias has a song he sings when John is born. Mary has the Magnificat. Then this Simeon comes along and he has something to say. The strangest part of Simeon's praise in my Bible is that all of the "thee's" and "thou's" were left in the text. It's like someone just got tired of trying to correct the KJV and left that part the same. Wacko. It is interesting to hear the blessings of Simeon and such. It reminds me of David's psalms. We learn about King David in another book, but his psalms were recorded. It is as though the significance of praise is incorporated into this gospel. There are not praises, blessings or psalms of any kind in the other gospels. WHY? Is it because the other writers found it unimportant? Or because they were too busy keeping up with Christ as they traveled the countryside spreading miracles? OR is this just God's way of covering all his bases?

Why are there only four gospels? Why aren't there twelve? Or more? I have been told that these books were chosen to be a part of the Bible because they had weight and authority. I guess the other tales were too overly fabricated. Or not well written or missing parts.

Who is Anna? Why is she signifigant to the story? Generally speaking when a woman shows up in the Bible at all she has some umph. Like Queen Ester or Ruth. This woman was a prophettess. She is an old woman who is hanging out worshiping God. Why is she mentioned?

Yeah, I have lots of questions. Did I mention that I got to pet a squirrel a couple of days ago? Random I know, but it was cool. Kind of like the story of Christ's birth being read at Christmas.

Set the table, set the table, set the table. . .

Vaccuum, vaccuum, what next. . .

Dress, primp, curl. . .

Hello, hello, hello

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas. . .

How are you? OH...Hello, hello, hello. . .

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas. . .

Is everyone here? Yes, no, oh. . .

Hello, hello, hello. . .

Just in time for the prayer. . .

Prayer: Thanks be to God in the highest for it is in his Son's birth that we gather in celebration. Bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies. Amen

Mmmm . . .so, how are you? Oh, wait, homemade macaroni and cheese. . . mmmmm

Mmmm. . .so sorry, how are you? oh wait, ham. . .mmmmmmm

Mmmm. . .once more, how are you? oh! I gotta have that, pecan pie. . .mmmmm

Pictures. . .look over here, look over here, wait over there..

Snap, snap, snap

Presents, this is for you and

This is for you

This is for you

This is for you, did you get yours yet?

Well, this is for you.

Good bye, good bye, good bye. . .

Bye, bye, bye. . .

It was good to see you. . .

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas. . .

Clear that table, clear this table, clear the other table. . .

Wash, wash, wash. . .dry, dry, dry. .

put this hear, put that there, no wait over there. . .

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........................

There is an art to throwing a dinner party. My parents have perfected it. My mother is a matriarch for our family. When she calls in the brothers, they all show up. There are no wives that are similar to speak of in our family. Mostly the wives all understand that she is the matriarch and that when she says, I am having a party, they stand next to the brother. However, my mother has four brothers and they all have two wives and generally have children by both wives. It is amazing really. The second wives are the ones that attend at Mama's functions, however there is an occassion or two when the firsts show up too and that makes for many, many people. There are going to be thirty people at my parents house tonight. Thirty people. It is not easy preparing a house, a meal, gifts, something to keep the little children out of trouble and a smile on your face the whole time. I only know of one other woman who understands the strain, she has eight children. I can't imagine her family holiday events. My guess is that it is similar to what my parents have done except everyday of the year. There is another woman in my community, now that I think of it, who has thirteen children. My understanding is that dinner at her house is like a machine. Discipline. No questions asked. Do your job, get going. I can't imagine. I am sure she is a matriarch too. It is an art. Keeping a family together. I don't know if I will ever have that challenge in my life. I am sure I will be up to the task if asked. Being a part of such a good family, I am well prepared. I was reading about Mary last night. She is a matriarch. She was so important her prescence made John the Baptist kick inside Elizabeth. Pretty cool. I wonder if my Mom ever made other babies kick. I think babies know when a good Mama is near. They kick in the womb. The stop crying when they get picked up. I guess it is not so much party throwing is the art, rather family tying is the art. Motherhood. My mother has different names if you talk to different people. To me and my brother she is mom. To her brothers she is Sissy. To her mother she is Lloyd. To my father she is Sue-sue. To her professionals comrades she is Rachel. She is a strong woman to be able to do what she is doing tonight. All of the silver is in the right spot. The Christmas tree is up. The candles are lit. The baby Jesus is on one mantle and the Dickens homes are on the other. The meal is cooked. The family is on their way. I feel like we should light luminaries to guide the way. All that is left is the people. They will be here soon. There is the first phone call for the one that is on their way. Soon.


Soon.


Soon.

The babies are coming. The family is coming. Christmas is here.

It happened again today. 26-30-29. . . There is ice everywhere. When I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. Tree are down. Powerlines are ripped out of their sockets. Crazy. Cornelia was out of power for 24 hours and parts of it are still struggling. Clarkesville was out for about 5 hours. There are some serious benefits to living next to the electric company. Demorest is still out. They went out about 4 am yesterday morning and still nothing. Lack of power is our dilemma. The schools are closed, which I can see why because of the trees and power. Demorest Elementary and the Demorest Sixth Grade academy are out of luck. I felt like I was driving in though a war zone on the way to work. A battle between the ice and the trees. A thought that crossed my mind was that God was pruning the trees. It looks like it hurts. The size of the limbs that have fallen is unbelievable. Some whole trees are going to be permanently bent over towards the ground. The maples and some of the oaks were not even finished shedding their leaves so the ice is highlighted in reds and oranges. It definitely tells me that as much as we operate on this planet as humans, we are still subject to the powerfully created nature. We can tear down as many trees, we can build tons of roads, we can crank out plenty of polluted air, in the end. . .nature will win out. God does that. Creation of keeping the humans in check.

In other news, Luke is storytelling. I say storytelling because he sounds like someone just telling a story. He mentioned in the very begining someon named Theophilus. The book is written like that is who he is talking to, not that he is writing it. I find it interesting that Luke knows Christ's history. I don't remember Matthew or Mark/Peter talking about any angels. None. Not to mention giving them names. Gabriel is quite a figure. I found humor in that when Gabe first started talking to Mary, she looked at him like he was crazy. It wasn't until he said "do not be afraid" that she realized that maybe this guy was an angel and maybe he was talking to her. Powerful phrase, "Do not be afraid." It changes things completely. I can imagine some random angel showing up on my door step and proclaiming "YOU ARE FAVORED BY GOD, GREETINGS!" I would return with,"GREAT, I AM CALLING THE POLICE." My thoughts would be along the lines of I wonder what planet this guy lives on. Even after Gabe has explained what is going to happen, Mary is still uneventful in her return, "if you say so bud." (I am paraphrasing.) Do not be afraid. It takes the sting out of what's happening. The strange and unfamiliar are not so awful. Do not be afraid.

Well I won't be afraid on my travels to Peachtree City. I will share Christmas glee and excitement of family and love of life.

On my way to work, I pass three bank clocks that include the temperature. I drive from the north end of the county to the south end. Generally speaking, the south end of the county is warmer than the north end of the county by about five degrees. Also there is the sun factor that it hits the guages at different times and so some are all warmed up. The one last one I pass can sometimes be as much as nine or ten degrees warmer and it makes me laugh. This morning. I started at 30 degrees in Clarkesville. The second bank in Clarkesville was at 32 degrees. Typical, typical. I stopped at the light in Cornelia and it was 27 degrees. . . 27? What?

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

In your house I long to be
Room by room patiently
I'll wait for you there
Like a stone I'll wait for you there
Alone

Nothing like a little Audioslave first thing in the morning. I don't know what got into me, but screaming loud crazy music was my theme this morning. Normally, I listen to the end of the Morning Edition on NPR, but this morning, nope. I was raring to go somewhere. Mostly, I wanted to run, but I had to go to work, so I listened to my running music. I get interesting looks when I play this cd. Mostly, people look at me funny when I say things like, yeah, I used to sit on the coffee shop porch and smoke cigarettes....YOU SMOKED? AAAAHHH.....the Horror. My girlfriend Megan says that I am a hippie in conservative clothing. She says it is my facade for the world. I like it. No camping for me thank you, but if you want to hug trees, go for it. People go good grief when they hear my screaming music. There is something to it that is empowering. It is better than Rocky music. I guess it has a lot to do with me. I am a generally angry person who is wrapped with opinions and judgements of myself and everyone else, which goes over in this world like a lead balloon. The music gives me an avenue (well music and excercise) to release all of that and just stop thinking. STOP THINKING THOUGHTS . . .

ERERERERGEGGGGGG.........run......scream.....ache.......

Yeah, time for ME to go to the gym. Expulsion of energy. POW.

Happy Birthday to Mom
Happy Birthday to Mom
Happy Bithday dear MOOOOOOOOMMMMM
Happy Birthday to Mom!

Mom is old yesterday. I just needed to tell the world.

Well I am ramping up for the New Year's Eve event I am planning. I have so much time on my hands, I think this will be a good one. The more preparation there is the better the event is. I ran out of posters I have done so much work!

My weekend was long. Sometimes I feel like I don't get a weekend. On Saturday I helped out at the flower shop and at the gourmet food shop, as a result, I am tired and unfocused today. I am just going to have to start saying no to thing. I am not all that great at saying no, but I am going to have to say it. IT...

I finished Mark/Peter. Yeah, so the great commission says (in the second ending of Mark) that I can handle snakes if I believe. Let me go try that one. Also, I should be able to speak in tongues. . .I speak Spanish, does that count? In the third ending of Mark/Peter (which is not even listed in the online link I have), Peter was told about the commission. Hmm...I found it interesting that the first ending of Mark stops at "Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid." I think I would be pretty afraid too. Here I am a WOMAN in the middle of a time when women mean nothing and I am the one who finds out there is no Jesus in the tomb, just some creepy guy saying Christ has risen. I say creepy because it doesn't say angel, it says a young man dressed in a white robe. Pretty creepy. If I had some young man in a white robe hanging out in the grave yard saying things that made no sense, I would be afraid. I mean, who hangs out in graves other than the dead? Creepy. Of course, if the women said nothing to anyone, why do we even know they were there? Someone talked. What it does tell me is that women play a significant role in the ministry of Christ. Women have just as much a bearing as men do. Other wise, men would be doing everything. Mostly, they just got to be called disciples or apostles, but we are the one who discover. Yep, he likes us better. Can you blame him? We are cute. Yes I am being coy, but I am trying to draw a valid point that is that women count. We are not here to cook and clean and let the men step on us. We are here to be disciples too. We can step up to the plate and be a part of our lives. I think I was supposed to be born earlier when I could burn my bra. Although, I like my bra. I think it would have been fun being in the different women's awakenings. I say that plurally because there were at least two that I can think of right off the top of my head and I am only accounting for this country so there are some that are out there for which I don't know. Okay, I am off to find a rattler...

Well, I had to return my grown up car back into the rental place. It was a 2006 Nissan Maxima. That was sad. It was such a nice vehicle. It was as long and wide as a boat. I felt like I was driving the car I learned on: 1988 Caprice Classic. Boats. Although I would classify the Nissan as a yacht. Luxury reasons. I think I want a grown up car. Well, at least I have the grown up job now I might be able to get a grown up car. Although, I need to find one I can park in a parking spot instead of a boating dock. Surely there are luxury vehicles that are not that big or come with their own drivers.

I have just finished watching the first two Godfathers. Those are great movies. I mean great movies. I have never seen the third one, however it is in queue for my Netflix. Somehow they didn't come together. Next is Labryrinth. I hope it is not as bad as Willow was. I went to bible study and let it slip that I had just finished the second Godfather and one of the women looked right at me and said, "well you probably need a good bible study!" It made me laugh.

Don't Should on it....that was the joke at Bible study. No shoulding...say it, it is funnier. We were talking about expectations.

It is taking everything I have not to buy things. You know how normally you just say, hmm. that looks good, I think I'll take it, oh and it is ten bucks, great! Except this year I have given a Christmas list. It has been since I was owe, twelve since I wrote a Christmas list, but I did because I am so tired of people asking me what I want. I always no what I want, I am a selfish and self centered person. I ALWAYS know what I want. Now it is taking everything I have not to buy what I want...erg. But Christmas will be great.

Today is the Christmas Tree Lighting!!! Hurray!!

I hope people show. I have been planning this thing for a month and no luck on carolers so there will be music piped through a p.a. that will be interesting. There will be Santa and a bonfire and lots of joys and goodies in for the people. I feel like my life gets set on fire with each event. There is something about a performance that is so exhilirating. It is an adreniline rush.

Coolness in my world yesterday, I won my first chess game ever. I had no idea I was smart enough to win a chess game, but I did! Also, my buddie Alan called me last night and we talked until the middle of the night. It is nice to hear from friends. Especially when they are far away and do things like fight in wars. He is officially de-activated. He will go get some kind of training in Arizona in January and then re-activate once he is done. The nice thing is that he will be here for a while. (Well, he will be in Alabama for a while, but at least he is stateside instead of Puerto Rico or Iraq or Afghanistan, which he has been in all three in the past year!) I am geared up with all this adrineline to play my brother in chess, although that make take all the steam out of me because he would beat me!

Well, I was in the paper. Yes. It is the back of my head. Woohoo! The article was nice enough, the photo was ridiculous. My girlfriend at the flower shop was upset because it bumped her stuff off of the front page to no coverage at all. Oh well. I didn't really have anything to do with any of it other than what I am supposed to do. I was lucky to be on the front page. Hurray! Rae has a real job!! I went to a meeting today explaining what I am doing as a BHT Manager and the question raised was how many hours am I working in a week. ALOT. I officially can relate to my parents and to the women entrepreneurs (what a weird word) I know. I have been praying the Jabez prayer for over a year now on a daily basis. If this is the blessing, I love it!