So, yeah…it’s Christmas…

So to be honest this week has been a curious one for me. I really don’t have much to do at work. We wrapped up youth group on Sunday night and are now in the winter lull, which I hope ends when January and youth group time runs around. (But I am not sure that it will. Maybe more on that some other time.)

So, I have been thinking, praying, reading and writing. I thought I would share some randomness today with the blog world.

1. Back in the mid-1990s I discovered Andrew Peterson. At the time I spent an obscene amount of money on CDs, especially of those of the indie Christian acoustic variety. Andrew wrote a great song about Rich Mullins (“Three Days Before Autumn”) and has been writing amazing stuff ever since.

I have helped put on 3 Andrew shows, though he likely doesn’t remember me. One, I helped when the booking for an Augusta show went bad and we convinced Trinity on the Hill UMC to host it. Two, I brought Andrew and the family to Waycross, GA a year or so later. It was a joint youth group thing that Andrew probably shouldn’t have played but he did and I loved every minute of it.

Lastly, I was serving at a church near Atlanta when our senior pastor was activated and sent to Iraq as a reserves chaplain. One of the things that he said helped him make it through was Andrew’s music. So, as a homecoming gift of sorts, I helped bring Andrew to our church. Again, an amazing show.

All of that to say, I dig Andrew Peterson and while I don’t listen to him a ton, when I do it is always worthwhile. Right now, his Christmas album “Behold the Lamb” is streaming off his website. Worth a listen and purchase if you have that ability. The website is www.andrew-peterson.com

2. One of my favorite Christmas movie- Die Hard. For real. Also, Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas. For some reason, this movie makes me think of growing up on South Street, huddled around the gas heater and watching it on TV with a cup of hot chocolate. Life was simpler for me then…

3. All I want for Christmas: guidance and wisdom. I seem to need a lot of both of those right now. So if you got extra send it my way. Or ask the Giver of good things to help me out. That and I need some basketball shoes.

4. I got a Tennessee tag on my car now. What a long strange trip that was. And the tag office I went to was in the nicest mall in town. I felt like an impostor being there. You can get your $5000 diamond necklace and your car tag in the same place. Bizarre place this Nashville is…

Tomorrow- I will post the note that I am sending out to the church families on Christmas Day. Something I wrote for the local paper when I was a high school senior that was so well received that there were letters to the editor praising it. I am not sure that I think it is that good, but we will post it here anyways. It is a Christmas warm fuzzy...