Jtwenty7

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Christmas Decorations

We've begun the decorating process for Christmas. I already feel behind this season!! Last year, we decorated the day before Thanksgiving, but we were out of town this year, so it still isn't finished. It seems like everyone around me is already done - real tree and all.

I think you lose all concept of time once you're out of school. At least I do. There's no summer break or fall break, let alone that nice long Christmas vacation and Spring Break. How else do you mark time? There's really little differentiation from one season to the next, especially when you're not getting snow.

Anyway, it's November 30th, and I already feel like December is almost over. The calendar is packed and we're still trying to jam more in! But, it's my absolute most favorite time of year. It brings back memories of my freshman year of college with fake snow sprayed on the dorm window and that sweet feeling of finishing your first college finals and getting to go home...getting married...Christmas concerts... And then the memories from way back, growing up: dust-busting pine needles (funny that's the first thing that comes to mind), watering the tree, setting up the train and giving my people without arms rides around the living room, my grandparents' incredible light display, opening presents on Christmas morning. Oh, and Johnny Mathis. I love Johnny Mathis Christmas music. I heard one of his songs on the radio during my lunch break today and all of a sudden, I was in pajamas with my family.

Okay, I'm back. I had to go grab the CD...now "The Sounds of Christmas" is playing..."laughing sounds of girls and boys, playing with their Christmas toys..."

I gave crummy gifts when I was little. I think I gave about ten glue guns one year. I even have a picture somewhere of my sister smiling while she proudly displays her new craft tool. If I'm not mistaken, that was the year I did all of my shopping at Joann Fabrics. I also got a friend one of those wooden things that hooks on your doorknob and little balls hit strings and make some sort of an excuse for a musical noise when you open the door. They weren't as cool as the gifts other kids were giving, but at least I bought them all with my own money. Fifty cents a week doesn't buy a ton, but it's the thought that counts, right? Try telling that to a fellow eleven-year-old!

I like unpacking the decorations every year. Opening some of them up is like finding a ten in the pocket of your winter coat the first time you put it on for the season. Over the course of eleven months, you forget the treasures that are stowed away. We have some good decorations that we got as wedding presents. My favorite decoration is a little plastic Christmas tree on a white pedastal that my Grandma gave me when I was little. There's a switch that turns on about seven big red lights. It's only a few inches tall, but a vivid memory from growing up. I think I always left it at her house and it was my special decoration there for when I came to visit. The lights don't work now and it stays at my house because she's not here anymore...it's pretty special to pull that out every year. One of those other treasures that I pulled out are a set of Santa salt and pepper shakers, with a hand-written "s" and "p" on the respective hats. They used to go on my other grandparents' table when the family came over for the big Christmas celebration.

That said, I better get back to decorating. Hopefully you're pulling a few tens out of your pocket as you decorate this year, too...

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Southern Living

Ah, the great South...where Yankees stick out like a sore thumb and the War Between the States will never end.

The other night in youth group, we were sitting around talking about some thunder we had heard earlier in the week. Josh, one of the guys in the group, said, "whenever I hear thunder, I think that it's God reenacting the civil war."

Priceless.

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

The Omega and Alpha

I'm an ending kind of person. Yesterday I started book number seven in a series that I've been reading. I was going to start it the night before, but I was too busy reading parts of book eight and the end of book seven. I needed a sneak peek to see how things were going to go.

This is how I've read most books during my life. If I'm at a boring part, I want to know how much longer until it gets good. If the people in love are apart, I want to know when and how they're going to be reunited. If someone is sick, I need to know if they're going to make it. If it's stupid, I want to know if it's going to stay that way all the way through.

I didn't like "Wedding Planner" until after I had seen it from start to finish. I was too worried that Steve was going to marry Fran instead of Mary and Mary was going to marry the freak just to make her dad happy. Once I knew it was all going to work out, I bought it.

Even my favorite Seinfeld was backwards. It started the show at the end and finished at the beginning. Kramer's sucker kept getting bigger and bigger...

Have you ever been asked if you were a journey or a destination person? I'm destination all the way. I spend the entire journey looking forward to the destination. I look forward to it so much that it's almost disappointing by the time I get there.

I once took a class with John Eldredge and he said that his wife was the same way and that reading the end of the book first is actually quite biblical. We all know the end result, yet there's just enough mystery to make you want to read the inbetween part.

So, your God may be the Alpha and Omega...mine is the Omega and the Alpha.

Saturday, November 13, 2004

Methodists Anonymous

Hi. My name is Joy. I'm a Methodist.

(Group: Hi, Joy.)

It all started a little over a year ago with the move across country to a new church. So, I guess I'm Methodist by default. I really had to join.

I've been a lot of denominations in my day, but this is my first attempt at Methodism. I've been (in order of appearance) Baptist, Evangelical Free, United Brethren, Church of God (Anderson, to clarify), non-denominational, Lutheran and now this. But, if you only want to count memberships (which is all that counts down here), I've only officially been Baptist, Evangelical Free and Methodist. And if you want to get down to basics, the Baptist church turned into Evangelical Free, so that's really only one membership...so, I've been Evangelical Free and Methodist. In my gut, I'm still Evangelical Free. That's where my heart is.

This group is really helpful! Let's keep processing...

Methodist has a bad connotation where I come from. I actually know for a fact that there were many prayer groups formed on my behalf the moment my mother started telling people in my hometown that my husband and I were joining a Methodist church. I had lost my faith! Methodist there means that you go because it's the place to be (other than the Catholic church), you're liberal, and your faith is something that goes skin deep on Sunday morning for about an hour and a half.

But the church that we joined here was going to be different from that!! A little over a year later, we find that we were almost entirely wrong. Our church is the place to be. The people that come are the popular, rich ones. Our church isn't liberal, but the denomination as a whole leans that direction. And our faith goes skin deep for exactly one hour and five minutes so that we can beat the Presbyterians to the best lunch spots. We've got methods and we're great at practicing them.

And somehow, I've been able to afford the membership fee for this country club. Somehow, I've been accepted as one of theirs. But it's only by default. If your husband gets a job at the country club, membership is one of the free perks. And you can forget trying to remodel or redesign the membership roster. It's impossible because it's not part of standard method procedures.

But you can tear at the wallpaper here and there. Just a little in this corner and a little in that one. Not everyone will notice, but some people will...and they'll like the new colors and design. But sooner or later, your heart's desire for a place that likes your design will cause you to move forward.

For now...My name is Joy and I'm a Methodist...by default.

Friday, November 12, 2004

Beginnings

Well, here goes my first attempt at a blog. I guess that's what I get for staying home alone a few too many hours tonight. I'm not usually the first person in line when there's an opportunity for time alone. I've gotten used to life surrounded by people and commitments that pull me in different directions.

But right now I am five minutes away from a new day with my windows open and crickets chirping (the whole crickets in November thing is a little strange, I must say. Where I come from, they would be frozen five feet under this time of year, but they add nice atmosphere, just the same).

So, getting back on track...

I love fall. The trees outside have changed to yellows and oranges. As my good friend Aspen said, it's a great time for thinking and remembering. Fall always makes me think of college. The colors are the absolute best around our campus, not to mention that great Midwest chill in the air.

I gave up a concert to stay home tonight. I would normally do anything to get to a concert. I guess that shows how much I just needed some time away from it all.

It's been nice...and a good time for beginnings.