Today's Sabbath

It has been a while since I last blogged. I've been a bit pre-occupied lately with a couple of other things that kept me from it. But even my pre-occupations have not kept me from recognizing that one week from today, Shane will be done with his seminary schoolwork. Every test will be taken, every paper and project turned in. Each book will be closed and the assignments on each syllabus checked off. We don't remember how it feels, this not having one of us in school. But we are looking forward to it. I anticipate one week from today being a Sabbath for Shane in the truest sense of the word. Six more days...and on the seventh he will rest.

We celebrated Thanksgiving here with friends again this year. Last year was the same. With finals coming the week right after the Thanksgiving holiday, it is too busy of a time to travel. So we relaxed with friends, ate a feast, and played with our boys. Julie put up similar pictures, too, showing us having gone from this...

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To this...

...in just 12 months.

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Silas and I stayed home from church this morning. He has a runny nose and cough so we thought it best to keep him away from the nursery. We had a nice, quiet morning. We worshipped by watching our church's live video stream online. Silas clapped after every song and seemed to enjoy the sermon as a new addition to snack time. I was thoroughly challenged and refreshed by Dr. Moore's thoughts on the Gospel and missions.

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We then put out my favorite of our nativity sets. We talked about how Jesus was born in a barn (Silas appropriately added moo-ing and neigh-ing when I set out the animals). I told him how the angels came and sang, sending the shepherds to see the Christ-child. Then we talked about how later on, the wise men followed a bright star (we looked at the star on top of the tree) because they believed the Messiah had come and they wanted to see him. Silas asked "what's that?" pointing to the gifts the wise men held. I explained them, as well as each part again and again as he asked. I kept praying for him to "get it" someday. This is the most wonderful of gifts: the Son of God became one of us...

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The past few years I have placed one ornament right at my eye level in the front of the tree. It is a bright red ball that says "He came to be one of us." At each naptime and bedtime this weekend I've sang to Silas the words of a song that resonate deep within. "Immanuel...His Name is called Immanuel...God with us..." It is one of the most precious promises I cling to. He is with us.

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Our tree is a virtual melting pot of cultures. My mother gives us ornaments each year from countries where they visit and work, my mother-in-law gives us a new one each year, and we get other ones randomly, too, just like everybody else. From the Philippines to Laos and Cambodia. From Illinois to "Somebody in Texas loves you". From Missouri to Germany, every ornament is a memory and a reminder that we are loved by our families.

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Silas has done great with the decorations so far. I set out several new Christmas toys for him to play with. And all the ornaments in his reach are non-breakable. He is loving all the new shiny things to carry around.

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Well, I know this post was fairly wordy, but who knows when I'll be up for blogging again?