STOPPING

At this time when we are filling every minute with purchasing, wrapping, decorating, cooking, visiting and generally celebrating there are few events that cause us to stop. Today, however, I had one of those events. My brother-in-law, Glen died this morning. Even though I knew he was very sick and it was expected that he wouldn’t live throughout the season it still is hard.

Glen was very different from most people you meet. He liked his hair long and his mustache wide and bushy. He was brilliant when it came to building and fixing. I’m sure it will take Teri, my sister, the next 5 years to decide what to do with his antique cars, trucks, farm equipment and assorted gadgets.

Glen loved Teri. They have been married since the early 1970’s. During these years they have always been together. They raised 3 children. Teri helped run Glen’s garage and tow truck business. Together they built the home the live in. Teri has helped Glen work on his loved classic cars and motorcycles. Glen helped Teri with her bread and breakfast.

Saturday Glen will be laid to rest in his family cemetery in Wales, Utah. Kent and I will be there. We will visit with family and do our best to give comfort to Teri and our niece and nephews. Then on Sunday at 6:00 AM we will head back to St. Louis for the activities here with our friends and family.

WHERE AM I GOING

I hear people describe their lives as a living hell. They see no way out even though I might suggest a way out. I believe people stay in hell because they know the names of the streets or to put it another way they are afraid of change. An analogy could be used of traveling along a highway to get home. I recognize the street signs and land marks. If I want to get to my destination and not continue downtown then I need to turn off the highway. The same is true of the direction we are going with our lives. If we don’t like where we are or where we are going then we need to turn off the road we are on.

WHO STARTED CHRISTMAS?

Just a thought:
"This morning I heard a story on the radio of a woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable, and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.

"She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

"Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the elevator. She pushed her way in and dragged her two kids in with her, and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot."

"From the back of the elevator everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't worry, we already crucified Him."

Christmas

It’s Christmas time. The question I am being asked by my children is “who are we going to be a secret Santa to?” This has become a tradition in our family. We have done it differently over the years. Sometimes it is giving our children money and having them report back to us what they had done. For the past couple of years we have known of families who needed help and we have given to them.

Today I had a handyman in our home. People always talk. He talked about his teenage children and how hard it was at Christmas because work is limited at this time of year. This year he has taken his niece and nephew into his family. They are 1 and 3, the ages of my grandchildren. I took two gifts from the many gifts I had purchased and gave them to the handyman for his youngest family members. He started to cry. Sometimes we don’t realize how we can bless people’s lives.