Last night, I received word that my final living great grandparent passed away. She will be missed but not forgotten. My mom always told me she was one of the strongest women she ever knew. A regular "Annie Oakley." And her quilts made with loving care continue keep us warm on cold, winter nights.
Gratitude 295
On Sunday morning, the last Sunday of Advent, I had been hired to sing at a Lutheran church service...in the ghetto. Oh, dear. (I was slightly frightened for my life...yes, I am being overly melodramatic, but truthfully, it was not the most "ideal" surrounding location for the church to be positioned...) The three pages of music I had to sing, in short, were awfully written and boring. Nonetheless, there are just some times in life when you have to sing "crap." (I feel bad saying that about a religious piece, but it's true. I love the text...The Song of Mary...but it's setting was tragically mundane.) To get to my point and beyond the properties of this piece of music, however, I witnessed something incredible at that church. There was a complete sense of community within the congregation; something you don't see much of anywhere these days. It's usually just people going through the motions and drive-by hellos. Not there, though. Each person in the congregation displayed a willingness to help, kindness, and sincere caring about how everyone is and what each is doing. (The "Sign of Peace," alone, took about five minutes because everyone in the entire place was hugging everyone else and shaking hands!) What a special thing! And to witness at Christmastime! :)
It is just three days till Christmas...off to PA home tomorrow! :)
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