When this theme came up this week, I pondered what is the most peaceful time of this year. Last night, we had a candlelight service. It was serene seeing all the candles across the sanctuary. Amazing how something as dangerous as fire can seem so peaceful when it is a tiny flame.
I hope in the frenzy of this holiday season, you will find some peace. It’s late on Christmas day, and I’m feeling it. It’s either peace or fatigue. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference!
Kevin
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
‘Round yon virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mildSleep in heavenly peace
Reverend Joseph Mohr
Sleep in heavenly peace
Anybody who thought it was a silent night has never been in a barn. We tend to think of the peaceful, quiet nativity scenes like this coloring page I drew.
We gloss over the nativity story so many times and have romantic notions of what it may have been like. But if it was like any of the barns I’ve been in, there was nothing romantic about it.
What a way to enter the world. What a sacrifice to make!
Merry Christmas!
In the comments for “IF: Help,” Katie tagged me and asked me for five things people don’t know about me. So here it goes…
- The April before I was born, my mother and father narrowly escaped the 1965 Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak. They were at home when it occurred. Neighbors on each side of them were killed.
- My great-great-great grandmother was an Iroquois Native American-Mohawk tribe.
- I have yet to meet a food I don’t like. Even though I’m from Indiana, I’m not a meat and potatoes kind of guy. I’ll try anything once.
- As a teen, I wrote a letter to Charles Schulz. I secretly hoped he would need an assistant and would see through my feeble attempt at hero worship and hire me. Alas, twasn’t meant to be!
- Last year, I ran the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. I plan to run it again this year and train for a full marathon this autumn.
That’s all the news that isn’t about me.
Kevin
God works in mysterious ways. I have found it funny He would use shepherds to begin the birth announcements. But He always has a way of making things interesting. Merry Christmas.
This time of year has been a little crazy. Surely you can understand, right? I’ve been wanting to do an illustration for this week’s Illustration Friday theme. I’ve settled for something right out of my sketchbook. Here it is in its unedited form. Well, okay, I did erase the acne from Santa’s forehead. Other than that, this is right out of the sketchbook.
I was thinking what poor Santa would do if he had mechanical trouble on Christmas Eve. What if that old sleigh has seen one Christmas Eve too many?