Past The Moon

Lovers Day Post Script

After a week of surprises and snow days, I just want to say here’s to My Valentine!

I love you way past the moon, WE!

Papa

I’ve been on hiatus from blogging for the winter But now that I’m back I want to hit you with a big one. As I like to put it, “Go big or go home!”

Over the past month, I’ve had something on my mind and I’m going to try and put it in words. I want to write about God as a Father. I haven’t written much about religion on my blog – not because it’s not important to me but it’s sometimes fairly difficult to verbalize – especially to the impersonal, faceless land of bloggerdom. But I’m going to try and if anyone reads this, I hope they have a chance to pause and consider their own understanding of God (existence, attributes, character, role, etc.) as I have had the chance to do the last few weeks.

This all started one morning when I was listening to NPR on the radio (as I often do) on my way to work. Only this time, I was struggling to see the road as my eyes welled up with water. I was listening to a detailed report about the death toll in Haiti and the destitute survivors left to fight for food and shelter. I heard about tens of thousands of bodies piled in the streets and chaos everywhere. I asked myself – where is God in all this?

That night, WE and I went on a date to the DSO. As if my morning wasn’t enough, we then experienced Franz Schmidt’s Symphony No. 4, otherwise known as “A Requiem for my Daughter.” Schmidt, a widower, wrote this haunting piece shortly after the death of his only daughter – who died unexpectedly giving birth to a grandchild. Almost as a metaphor for life, the piece starts how it ends with the mourning cry of the trumpet. In between, there’s 40 minutes of beautiful orchestra – nonetheless heavy, including a more upbeat funeral march in the middle.

I don’t necessarily blame anyone who may at some time wonder if there is a God. And if so, why so much pain and suffering? What could be so great about life for the innocent child who just lost his mother and father? Surely, if God exists, what I’m experiencing now must be punishment because an all-powerful Being could have stopped this from happening, right? And if God loved me, wouldn’t He have made some way to stop this?

Last Saturday, I attended a baptism of a 16-year-old girl I know. She had decided that she wanted to enter the waters of baptism and thus, be associated with the name of Christ promising to her unseen God a life different that the one she had lead up until then. I asked myself – what made her want such a drastic change and commitment? Could this be one of the most proud and happy moments a Father in Heaven could have for his trusting child? After the ceremony as the guests waited for her to finish changing into dry clothes, we listened to an audio clip about Jesus Christ. It covered the ministry, final week, and resurrection. I found online a portion of the clip that seemed to be etched in my mind as I listened:

In that most burdensome moment of all human history, with blood appearing at every pore and an anguished cry upon His lips, Christ sought Him whom He had always sought–His Father. “Abba,” He cried, “Papa,” or from the lips of a younger child, “Daddy.”

This is such a personal moment it almost seems a sacrilege to cite it. A Son in unrelieved pain, a Father His only true source of strength, both of them staying the course, making it through the night–together.

I  remember my mission president kneeling in prayer with me and offering up to God his desires in Bulgarian. President Johnson rarely used the formal word for Father – rather he preferred to say  ’татко’ – meaning ‘Papa’ especially mid-sentence when he seemed to be pleading more than just asking.

I came to the conclusion that some children trust their parents and some parents trust their children. This trust allows for the relationship to withstand it’s fair share – and it’s trust, or faith, or hope, or whatever-you-want-to-call-it that allows us to make it through the night together.

Giving – Christmas 2009 Recap

The  best part of Christmas day is giving gifts and watching the recipient’s face light up when they open the gift. This year, I confess,  I had some hits and misses.

I especially enjoyed watching my nephew open a small blue box containing a homemade memory card game and then seeing his huge grin when he found the pictures of himself and his momma.

I also enjoyed seeing the confusion on my brother’s face when he opened a hand-carved secret hollow book – hardcover The Divinci Code. It was definitely the unexpected I was going for.

I didn’t do so hot on a not-so-practical electronic for my hubby (figures since he’s already scoped out and knows all the electronics he could ever want and not want) - but I did win big with the 7-year CD I bought (which I somehow managed to secretly hide in our oh-so-transparent online finances) as funding for a trip for two to the olympic summer games in Rio.

WE and I failed miserably in our attempt to light up my FIL’s face with an overnighted box of Braum’s Black Walnut ice cream…but we did manage to pull off a much more useful gift he might not have expected.

I didn’t actually watch my visiting teachees open their 2-in-1 brooch/pendant, but I do hope it was a little bit of feminine bling to light up their wardrobes.

Lastly, WE and I hosted dinner for twelve on Monday with all the trimmings, fixings, and full treatment. It was also a very fun way to say “I love you” to my family who traveled all the way to Wylie to visit us.

So that’s my Christmas recap – what was the best gift you gave this year for Christmas???

Joy

Working with the youth has been one of my favorite things at church this year! It’s really incredible just to watch them – how they interact, how they carry themselves, and how they grow. And they have such enthusiasm for life!  I’m excited for what next year will bring.

Let it Snow!

Everything is falling into place for Christmas this year – shopping is mostly done, the house is getting cleaned as we speak, WE and I are watching EVERY Christmas Special known to man, and then after Christmas we’ll have a house full of family to entertain! I splurged and bought some table linens to match our wedding china that we haven’t used yet – so we’re excited to give everyone the full treatment too. I’ve been stealing Christmas recipes/ideas off my old roommate’s blog and my friend in the YW presidency that makes a killer gingerbread cookie. (I haven’t told WE this yet but I decided that I’m going to be in charge of all the desserts and he can do all the meals!) We’ve already done all of our special musical numbers and concerts. Everyone is gone at work so I can finally get some quiet time to finish all the little this’ and thats. I posted my e-Christmas card this week. I’ve lost a pound a week for the last three weeks (hey, gotta prepare for those gluttonous holidays you know!) We are going to a Dallas Stars game this after noon (vs Detroit) with some friends.

AND

now all I really want for Christmas is SNOW!

First Christmas Letter

I decided to send an e-letter for Christmas this year. I love the holidays because it means giving, spending time with family, and good food. This is our first Christmas together and we’ll be spending it at home – loving every minute of it! You all already know what we did this year so I’m not going to give an annual state of the union or anything. But I did want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and greetings from Texas!

If I had sent cards in the mail, they would have had this picture on the front (thanks to the talented Miss Weadon!)

And on the inside there would have been a cheesy but cute pic of my hubby and me:

And then I’d say bring on the new year!

and

God bless,

A2 and WE

Cheer II

The photos (*Disclaimer: I’m NOT turning into my mother – although it very much appears that way by these photos of house decor)

I’m only doing this for A4 and A3 anyway. Hopefully most of you will get to see everything in person the week after Christmas

Also, thanks to my MIL for the beautiful nativity set. We love it!

Cooking

WE says that I can’t lie anymore about that fact that I can’t cook.

But let me set the record straight.

Anyone can cook (especially when you have a recipe!) but it’s the fact that this took me TWO hours to make. (And I didn’t even make the bread – I refused and made WE do it since I’ve burned it all of the last 3 times tried)

Seriously, who has time for that?!?

When it comes to music or sports, I have timing. I can work it. Three seconds in the lane. Got it. Dribble and run at the same time. Got it. Sing for three measures and rest for one beat. Got it. Jump up for the header and knock the ball down to the corner of the net. Well I used to have that – maybe not so much anymore.

But this! Getting the timing right is NOT as easy.

I’m just sayin’

Christmas Cheer

Well, WE and I officially have the Christmas Cheer!

We finished putting up the outside lights last night (Ha, I got up on the roof but got too scared to finish all but one section so we had to go get the Ricks’ extension ladder – weak sauce! I know. But hey, it was cold and windy too). Aside from being out in the freezing cold alot this weekend (two late night co-ed softball games and an Evening Song Christmas concert at the West Village Mall downtown) we also watched our first Christmas Special. This was the cherry on top for WE since he has such fond memories of watching Specials as a kid.

I also stayed up late last night making my Christmas gift for my picked name on my side of the family. (TLS – if you are reading – your gift is in the mail and should arrive this week!) My family decides to keep the name-picking a surprise – so I can’t tell who it is for. But it’s definitely the little things that make Christmas so much fun.

For instance, I decided to put up both of our Christmas trees this year (WE and I both brought one into the marriage). The nicer tree is in the front room with all the super pretty red and gold ornaments. The Charlie-Brown-ish tree we put up in the family room. But the best part was pulling out my Christmas ornament box that Mom had saved all those years and putting them all on that tree. It’s a first and I had a fun time laughing at all the Little Mermaid, Fievel Goes West, Precious Moments, and Primary Popsicle stick ornaments that somehow have lasted. My favorite was a rotating ornament with a little mouse dunking a basketball. =)

I also made WE try some of my favorite herbal tea from Bulgaria last night. Just the smell reminds me of my winter spent there and brings floods of good memories. I don’t think WE appreciated it as much as I did – but when you add a spoon and a half of sugar and a slice of lemon to the tea – the flavor is absolutely perrrrfect! (PS. Celestial Seasonings comes no where close to this stuff and in fact – I don’t think that we even have the fruity herb in the tea here in the U.S. – or at least not that I know of. )

So I say bring on the cheer. There’s plenty of good to go around and it’s always fun to celebrate the most Good of all – that is the life and mission of Jesus Christ.

Here’s a fabulous rendition of “The Shepherd’s Carol” that I just LOVE. “Our love, our hearts, ourselves – we give to your Son.”

Dubai and Barry

Today marks Barry White’s 65th year. Can’t get enough of your love, baby!

Also, Dubai World has crashed. Interesting. One domino to another.

What is next?

(P.S. This reminds me that for my next exotic vacation – I chose Abu Dhabi)