Happy Anniversary, Blog!

Happy Anniversary, The Thanksgiving Project!!

A year ago today, I wrote my first entries on The Thanksgiving Project. At the time, we had just moved to Vegas. I was adjusting to life as an unemployed pastor, which has most definitely not been an easy transition, and I was preparing to get back into the swing of graduate school. Life was quickly moving in very different directions. Knowing so much change was approaching, it was important for me to fight a melancholy spirit and remember to be grateful for the circumstances of each day, even the little things, and thus, this blog took shape. While life at times dominated and postings were not daily, having an attitude of gratitude was a priority in my life.

With its cornucopia of blessings, 2010 was a monumental year in my life, and now as I look back upon 2011, I can see the blessings are just as plentiful as in the previous year.

Looking back, the highlights include:

• Five trips to Haiti, including a month-long stay
• Three semesters of Seminary
• Three trips to Arkansas for Solar Under The Sun training and meetings
• Two trips to Tennessee for Living Waters for the World meetings
• One new job 
• Numerous visits from fantastic friends and family
• And a partridge in a pear tree

The blog itself has been a great part of everyday (or almost everyday) life, and what amazed me even more were that people actually read the blog! In fact, while most of my readers do come from the US, a shout-out to those in Russia & Malaysia who are also faithful readers! Perhaps you'd like to catch up on reading? These were the top ten posts viewed over the past year:

• Happy Birthday, Michael, September 1
• Family Date Night, June 24
• Happy Fathers' Day, June 19
• Haiti Trip, March 6
• Bucket List, July 23
• Grandmother Names, October 8
• 50 Day Song Challenge, May 2
• Birthdays, December 4
• Carrie Delisio, February 16
• Prayer Partners, February 20

And so, Happy Anniversary Thanksgiving Project! The upcoming year is sure to be just as exciting with a multitude of blessings & bloggings. The year will start with a bang when two precious gals from northern Virginia, Allison & Diana, will visit us the first week in January, and quickly thereafter two trips to Haiti will be upon us! The challenge will be to live life with a bit of gumption, enjoying life in the moment and living each passing second with joy and thanksgiving without being caught up in the balderdash and whirlwind of travel and work.

Grace & peace be with each of you, and many thanks to you for joining me along this journey.

Carolina Basketball Museum

Logo signed by UNC Basketball Alumni present at the opening of the Carolina Basketball Museum.

Thanksgiving of the Day: Time with Dad 

Of the many great memories of my life, time with my dad ranks high on the list. We have incredible adventures, from nighttime road trips to Tahoe & Reno, to sunset watching in CA, to meeting up for baseball games and basketball games all over the country.

The weekend before Christmas, we met in Chapel Hill for a bit of bonding time...as it just so happened UNC was playing Appalachian State. Either way, I knew I'd be happy with the outcome!

On Saturday, we went to the "new" Carolina Basketball Museum. The museum was built to honor the 100 year anniversary of North Carolina Basketball success. It's been open now for over a year, maybe two, but neither of us had had the opportunity to explore the halls of greatness.

Those of you who know me well know that I could not care less about museums. I race through them, barely taking notice of a word written nor pausing long enough to see the cases. However, this was different. It lived up to every expectation possible with displays cases, videos, signed memorabilia, championship trophies and rings, special displays for Dean Smith, Michael Jordan, and Tyler Hansbrough. In a word, it was heavenly.

The floor was the former basketball court, as seen below. Spots on the floor marked famous shots in UNC basketball history - a three-pointer drained for a buzzer beater versus Duke, etc. Jerseys lined the cases, along with sneakers, MVP trophies, a letter to Michael Jordan from Duke's Coach K. I couldn't get enough of it! AND following our museum tour, there was still a basketball game to attend. This will go down as one of the best days in 2011, if not life in general, and what made it even better was to spend it with my dad. I am so thankful for these opportunities and our mutual love of the Tar Heels!

This room at the end holds the national championship trophies and rings. 

Christmas Eve

Luke 2:1-20

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So 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. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When 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.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Merry Christmas Eve to our Friends and Family!

At the dinner table this evening, we took a page out of the Thanksgiving Project and each gave thanks for the things in our lives. While girls and automatic weapons were listed, so were our friends, family, health and joy. I, especially, had much to be grateful for with the best husband in the world, two amazing sons, a family who supports me, a job that continues to inspire me, good health, and reaching the halfway mark in my masters program.

The boys also presented me with a birthday cake, as we celebrated my and Jesus' birthdays this evening before going to the traditional Christmas Eve Service. Carols and candlelight will fill the sanctuary as we are reminded of the reason for celebrating this peaceful, joyous holiday. It's my most favorite event of the Advent season, something I truly look forward to every year.

And thus, I bid you farewell, and leave you with a quote from the Who's in Whoville:

Christmastime will always be, just as long as we have we.

One Solitary Life

My friend, Carl, posted this yesterday on his blog. This is one of my most favorite poems to read at Christmas and Easter, reminding me of the profound effect one solitary life can have on this world and its people. Read. Enjoy. Ponder. Ask yourself this - if we are to follow the example of Christ, what are you doing with your one solitary life? What is God calling you to do? What do you need to do to obey that call? We only have this one solitary life. Follow Him. Learn from Him. Be with Him!

One Solitary Life

He was born in an obscure village
The child of a peasant woman
He grew up in another obscure village
Where he worked in a carpenter shop
Until he was thirty

He never wrote a book
He never held an office
He never went to college
He never visited a big city
He never travelled more than two hundred miles
From the place where he was born
He did none of the things
Usually associated with greatness
He had no credentials but himself

He was only thirty three

His friends ran away
One of them denied him
He was turned over to his enemies
And went through the mockery of a trial
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves
While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing
The only property he had on earth

When he was dead
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend

Nineteen centuries have come and gone
And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race
And the leader of mankind's progress
All the armies that have ever marched
All the navies that have ever sailed
All the parliaments that have ever sat
All the kings that ever reigned put together
Have not affected the life of mankind on earth
As powerfully as that one solitary life 

This essay was adapted from a sermon by Dr James Allan Francis in “The Real Jesus and Other Sermons.”

LEGOS

I love Legos... You know, the pieces you put together and build magnificent toys out of! As a kid, I owned about 114,603,302 Lego pieces and kept them neatly in a little suitcase!

During a late-night Target run, we ran across the Legos Advent Calendar. What a perfect idea! Each day, you open a door and it gives you pieces. By the 24th day, we'll have all of the pieces needed to build a "Lego City." It's pretty fantastic; however, I'd like to encourage Legos to make a "nativity scene" Advent calendar next year! Just seems more appropriate!

So today I am thankful for Legos, the joy they bring me while thinking back to childhood, and the joy they continue to bring me through a Lego Advent Calendar. Even more, after watching the video below, how could you not be in the Christmas spirit?

Linus

On a very long list of great movies, Charlie Brown Christmas is my all-time favorite Christmas flick.

Every year during the hustle and bustle, the shopping and the decorating, the greed and the stress, Linus calls us all to take a minute, relax and remember was Christmas is truly about.

So today, I am thankful for Linus and his simple monologue to bring us back to the heart of Christmas.

Dembangers

I love exclamation points. They seem to emphasize points, communicate excitement, and simply make reading more delightful! As you may have noticed from many of my posts, I am a little exclamation point happy! Some even choose to poke fun due to the over-usage... In my chatting with another friend this week, he referred to the punctuation mark as an exclamation MARK. I've already differentiated a question mark from an exclamation point.

This started an entire conversation with my best friend, Jay, when I asked, "So is it an exclamation point or an exclamation mark?" Here is his answer...

The exclamation mark, exclamation point, or bang, or "dembanger" is a punctuation mark usually used after an interjection or exclamation to indicate strong feelings or high volume (shouting) -  Google

I wonder if it is possible to do my whole job, or anyone’s whole job, with just Google. Anytime there is a question, just Google until you get the answer.

That would make a great reality TV show. Someone is at work; a question comes up, then he gets voted off the show unless he can Google the right answer … from the top of a speeding train ! 

!

And so, I am thankful for dembangers, and yes, from now on, they will be referred to solely as dembangers. I'm also thankful for my best friend, Jay, and my former youth pastor, Carl, and their natural affinity for dembangers, as well. 

Mother Teresa

Sometimes you simply need a little Mother Teresa in your life... This is a beautifully written piece attributed to her:


People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

Birthdays

Remember Charles Dickens' book, A Tale of Two Cities? The best line, and most quoted, of the book is "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." In looking back at the last week, it has been the best of times, the best of times!

So how about a top ten list of the best of times, the best of times?

In the spirit of David Letterman, the following are the top ten reasons this birthday was THE best birthday week:

10) By divine intervention, I was able to finish a week's worth of school in two days in order to relax and celebrate the rest of the week!

9) Thankfully, I have flexibility in my work schedule to spend quality time with friends and family who joined me in celebration!

8) UNC put on a GREAT show against Kentucky, despite ultimately losing. As ESPN tweeted after the game, "Dear UNC & Kentucky, can we do this again in March?" Yes, please...as long as UNC wins.

7) Tim Tebow led the Denver Broncos to another miraculous win with fourth quarter heroics. I love this epic Tebow quote, "I dealt with the uncertainty the way that I've always tried to: I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds my future. That's what gives me hope and peace and it is what I lean on."

6) One of my favorite families in Virginia, the Blocks, sent an awesome Hoops & YoYo card to make me laugh and included a beautiful family picture to make me miss them even more.

5) My best friend, Jay, sent me a fantastic card. (Hyperboles are the best thing EVER!)

4) I received 213 birthday wishes on Facebook, another 12 shout-outs on Twitter and one blog, and numerous phone calls from dear friends across the world. How incredibly blessed I feel to have so much love surrounding me. Wow.

3) Michael is finally completely moved in to our house!

2) Following this exciting week, the house emptied out with the boys going on a road trip, and I have been showered with quiet and relaxation!

1) At a quarter to midnight before my birthday, I was standing in front of the Bellagio fountains while Andrea Bocelli's Time To Say Goodbye choreographed the dancing water bursting to the sky. As my older son Clint said, I got to celebrate my birthday in Vegas! Wow.

In fact, I could probably make a top twenty list of things I am thankful for this birthday week. Ultimately, the thanksgiving comes in the form of great friends, a great family, and the opportunity to celebrate another year of life. Not a minute goes by I am not thankful for all of the blessings bestowed upon my life. Often I sit back, shake my head, and wonder how I got so lucky?