11 RED

"Though the winter is long, even richer a harvest it brings..." Will never be able to publish this post in anything official of course, because they are not my words. However, I enjoyed making some art with it and wanted to share with you - as this song has impacted my life over and over, in many seasons. Lyrics - Benjamin William Hastings Photo and type layout - me (Shot in February '23 snowshoeing in Rocky Mountain National Park) Feel free to save, share or print this graphic, should be pretty decent resolution. (Best to click or tap first to bring up full resolution, then right click or press and hold to save.) Can't say it any better than he can. Absolutely LOVE the creativity and flow of these lyrics, when I listen to this I experience the truth of the incarnation and Jesus' consistent, remaining presence, in an unexplainable way! Check out the song for yourself and get drawn into the depth of peace THIS season was meant for... Apple Music https://music.apple...

“And God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness... God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:4, 1:31 NIV) “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work…” (Philippians 1:6 NLT) It’s the first day of December and my daughter and I are coming back from an errand. There’s a few ways to get everywhere around this slower-paced edge of our city, and I’m often given to just take the path of least resistance, basing my turns on the green lights I get. As we make our way through one green-lit turning lane in particular, we’re treated with a view to the right of a beautiful Christmas tree lot, one that has been there every season since we first made the move from Tennessee to Greensboro. There’s always been something comforting about it to me, the way it is laid out, warm and inviting, large, trees arranged evenly and the extra details like higher quality buckets, ground cloths and (wait...WHO AM I T...

"  Every minute, every hour, every day... to be real. " Jesus' arrival was permanent, not a holiday visit. "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us." - John 1:14 NIV (This one begins with the end in mind, written January 2023.) It's Epiphany, January 6, and as such technically the first day of the next season of the Christian calendar, "common time" it's often referred as. From Christmas Day until last night, the 5th, there were 12 days that in many previous generations marked a short season of rest, family nearness, generosity and reflection.  Our culture has over some generations now adjusted to a different rhythm that treats the month (or 6-8 weeks, or the days since school started for the fall) as the "season" in which we spread the cheer, prepare, buy, host, party, etc etc etc to the point that Christmas Day is an arrival point and many are ready for a break or a return to some kind of routine before December ends (o...

[A December Journal Entry] [Written: 12/15/22] “ LISTEN.” CHRISTMASTIME IS HERE Do you feel the moment? We’re in the real deal, the home stretch, the fullness of the Christmas holiday seems to be setting in upon us softly like a quiet but heavy snow. Ok haha, maybe not to THAT degree of seasonal symbolism, but it occurred to me tonight that for many this is where we enter into (or where we may seem to find ourselves kind of unexpectedly in) the landing phase of our trajectory toward Christmas Day and the ways we plan to celebrate in the days/weeks/etc following. Feels like IT, “the TIME”, is here. I mean, am I right? The last day of school is upon us, you’re about to pull up at the annual Christmas party you look forward to (or don’t), you’re seeing relieved young adults show up all around the community, returning from the various colleges they had scattered to.  The signs are here. I promise there is a palpable buzz to it all, actually a joy to it, if you’ll look and listen for it...

From Darkness to Light ... "In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." - John 1:4-5 NIV "In the pitch dark, cold night, I see a twinkle, a light in the distance. It neither discourages or dissuades my path forward, rather it inspires and draws me. It's enough to lift my spirits, for as long as I don't take it for granted. The more my eyes become accustomed to the dark around me, the more similar and spectacular twinkles I see. Why is it that a scene predominantly dark can radiate more hope than despair? It defies logic that the thing we notice is the light, when it seems overwhelmingly outnumbered by the dark. But here these beacons bring light to my spirit and a new buoyancy to my soul. For, as it is written, 'The light shined in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.' Light dispels dark. Not the other way around. You can see it right here: in this simp...