For certain ones of us who have chosen Christian as our religious designation and, in their own interpretation for others, the theme of belonging somewhere gets a little muddy. My point of view thinks Eden was the only determined place until the situation got sticky and Adam and Eve went forth. Years later Abraham was sent to a land he knew not of and settling in took adjustments. A drought and survival involved moving a whole nation to Egypt until they had to move on again later. A slight religious connection was involved in the Mayflower landing in 1620 on soil that was already inhabited by a native race of people. That shipload fought and reorganized their space over 100 years till they had a new country that supposedly was theirs. My Kelly relatives fled the potato famine in the 1700’s to work their way down the east coast of that new county to be dirt farmers in Florida and grant me the right to claim citizenship.

Instead of dealing with a person in a headline today, these are individuals who made their own path to be citizens who impacted my life. One is a gracious young woman whom I taught in 7th grade when her mother had a green card. She herself is an impressive teacher, yet she wrote of applying for citizenship and the strain of waiting at that time, “that the form was filled out correctly and for someone to talk to her who saw her as a person.” A man who has cut my hair for 25 years and is the age of my elder son . His mother was a Vietnamese widow and he was #5 of 10 children she managed to send forth to become Americans before all here sent back for her. Over 80 members of that family gather from airline pilots to store owners. What would I do without my man of all trades whose grandmother brought him into Texas “to amount to something,” He learned English in a Barbara Bush school in the Heights, has raised two fine daughters with college educations, and dropped everything to come put grab bars in my bathroom when I brought an ailing husband home from the hospital.

As part of my education I learned the story of the Statue of Liberty rising against the skyline on Ellis Island. I have ridden a boat out and felt the relief of arriving and what might be possible from that moment on. I know the poem. Now, does that torch need to hold a handkerchief to wipe tears from her eyes? I go back to Eden. Yes, I am here with documentation of approved residence now, yet this space is not my final dwelling place. Two validations are true. In my faith, I sing a song, “I am a stranger here within a foreign land.” Second, while here, I am admonished to remember these words. They are a part of my journey.

When a foreigner lives with you in your land, don’t take advantage of him. Treat the foreigner the same as a native. Love him like one of your own. Remember that you were once foreigners in Egypt.

Leviticus 17:34 The Message

Don’t be disappointed. No freeze drama. Those of you who know where this originates know that Texas along with almost half America has just come through an unprecedented spell of cold weather with all the upsets and problems that go along with extreme low temperatures. If we sat in a circle in my living room, conversation would sound like a can you top this sharing of stories. Animals missed daily walks, pipes froze or water was cut off and not available, yards resembled real snow banks or approximated fake ones because of the coverings of white protection cloth. Maybe the most upsetting tales were leaving on a trip to have the plane be grounded in a strange place for two days. You may have been able to disembark, but your suitcase stayed on the runway. However, breathtaking and maybe expensive as those narratives are, I want to remember a different set of stories.

The support in the days of 9/11 was Mr. Rogers in his sweater quoting his mother, “Look for the helpers. There are always helpers.” With the first whiff of climate change, various groups from the utility companies to charity organizations sent suggestions from preparation (Pets, Protection, and People) to a list of free shelters if that was a needed option. I had one last social occasion on my calendar and a fellow attendee offered to transport. My family in town was the first to check on me with a son-in-law getting extra bonus points for coming to wrap faucets and to turn off a garage shower which had burst and flooded the last big freeze. A daughter helped with groceries on hand and promised to even bring a 4-wheel drive over icy road to rescue if electricity failed. Neighbors on either side called to check on my plans along with a friend half a subdivision away. I do a Zoom lunch with older friends. Wednesday last week every one had a back up offer in place, just in case. Forever gratitude has been held for years for the strangers who opened their house to rescue a branch of our family leaving Colorado late one night trying to outrun a storm.

By the time this is read, I hope you have weathered the storm, regrouped, and have taken time to offer thanks for warm bodies that helped the first of the week. They were part of God’s gift of survival promised in verses ahead of time. Someone may even be remembering your name with thanksgiving. “Two are better than one….for if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow.” Ecclesiastes 4:9 -10. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Psalm 133:1,”Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” 1Peter 4:9.

Biblical blessing through it all, to have heard or to have said. “You OK? Can I help?”

I had been sorting a collection of comic strips on oxymorons, combining two words that really don’t fit together, ala jumbo shrimp. Then my reading had “an extraordinary day,” a descriptive for more than you expected. I mulled for a moment. Is extraordinary more than just adding a prefix to what comes morning to evening and creates extra ordinary. Extra ordinary means to me that all turns out as planned. Breakfast is prepared, carpool loaded, and a shopping list is already made out. No surprises, no disasters, just an even flow of what you expected. Change the accent to extraordinary and it becomes, “I never knew that was waiting in the wings!”

Once I paid attention, I saw what comes to pass can change the whole tone of the day. Sunday I made my usual journey to an 11:00 church meeting. The ordinaries of my day are very slow at the beginnings of the mornings, and I was feeling a little more less capable than usual. Slowly walking down a corridor, I heard a cheery voice call my name. It was the helper who cleans bathrooms. “I hope you’re staying warm this cold day.” Amazingly, as I answered back, I was able to pick up my step with more purpose. Monday, my daughter and I made a regular trip we schedule to do bloodwork, except it was MLK Day and labs were closed. By some fluke we could get in the parking lot and no barricades would raise to let us out. This was not ordinary at all until security on guard came with a key and smiled as he waved us through. Unplanned, astonishing, remarkable moments.

The word not only describes what happens, but also what we make of it. Re-reading my journal from May 3, 1999, is a list of some things I usually do, yet they must have been extra for reviewing that day. Centered in a page was a label: Extraordinarily Ordinary. To dig holes for plants.To make the bed on Saturday. To leave a clean sink for the next morning. To put the top on the myonaisse jar. To brush my short stubby hair. To fill my car with gas. To let me be a lark even if you’re an owl. These scatter silver dust on lead gray occasions. Wow! What dusted your ordinary day?

The Lord has done great things for us,
    and we are filled with joy. Psalm 123:6 NIV

Surely I knew of the history yet the specifics were never important to me. South Louisiana marches, or in this case, runs to its own drummer, and Mardi Gras filled the need for crowd gathering excitement. Back to what I did know. In a BC era Athens was in a war and needed re-enforcements. In place of no technology, a runner named Pheidippides made two inspiring runs to carry news. First one was 153 miles to Sparta to request help and then after Athens eked out a win, the second run was 26 miles to the Acropolis to announce loosely translated, “We are the winners!” before dropping dead. The second run over years has spread across nations to various cities to entice competitors in the 26.2 run. Athletes train and amass a list of when, where, and how long they have participated. As far as I know, none have breasted the final tape calling forth the last line of Browning’s commemorative poem by gasping, “Athens is saved,” and then dropping dead.

The Marathon is this week’s topic because transportation in Houston took modern GPS to survive Sunday’s traveling demands. Beginning at 4:00 am, a sequence of cones and barrels were laid out to close off cross intersections for the 26.2 miles of street running. If you lived on the east side or the far west of the city and needed only to travel farther in either of those directions, your life may have gone smoothly. Otherwise, you probably joined viewers to watch a total of 30,000 runners stream past for a half and a whole race. Supposedly, areas were to be opened up at a specified time, but either someone didn’t get the message or the walkie-talkies weren’t working. Noontime came before the circle became a route of travel again.

Non-athletic that I was and age I am now, the enticement of the race did not come near me. In the back of my mind, though, I am aware that before ever running, the commitment has to be to training. I check my Garmin watch during the day to make sure that number of steps toward 1 mile, a long way from 26.2, is increasing. After pneumonia last winter that’s progress, and I have a goal of strong round 2 miles by the end of 2026. Each part of our lives takes practice from legwork to deeds of kindness to wisdom in choices. We work to do well for ourselves and for those who line the way and cheer us on.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,….strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.

Hebrews 12:1, 12

A side benefit of teaching for me was being allowed to go on nature trips. Just knowing and seeing animals made me feel better. With a little trepidation, I have run two fingers down a snake someone else was holding. A hedgehog stretches out and then curls into a protective ball. Birds on display are nothing like robins hopping over my yard. A hawk curves his talons into the handler’s leather protected wrist and arches his head majestically. In Boston’s Museum of Natural Science, an owl perched motionless, staring straight ahead. Slowly, he moved his entire head to stare behind him, swiveled back and around past his other shoulder. No mice in sight. Each part of him was designed to be a night time hunter: eyes that adjusted to dim light, a head to move over spaces around him, and wings made for gliding silently in attack without a flap of warning.

Regardless of your age, find a copy of Jane Yolen’sOwl Moon. The time has come for a young girl to go out with her dad on a cold night to find an owl. Her dad stops at times to make a hooting call with no response. Her brothers have told her sometimes there is an owl; sometimes not. You have to be quiet and you have to be brave. When the call is eventually answered and the owl glides in silently to settle on a branch and stare at them, she remembers a final word. When you go owling, you need hope. I have read this to eighth graders to have them sit in silence at the end.

The only Biblical injunction about owls is they live mostly solitary in wild places. and they are not good to eat. At times in my life, I feel an affinity for owls. Three is about their largest grouping, yet the identifying term is a Parliament, representing wisdom as they may gather to discuss important matters. Darkness does not thwart them. It is an element that does not hedge them in. They accomplish what they set out to do without a lot of noise or upheaval. Along with everything else from lilies of the field to birds of the air, God knows what they need and cares for them. I could go for that!

Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!

Luke 12:24

After babe in the manger most of us have moved on and today’s story is lightly noted in a carol until January 6 and a day called Epiphany. Yet, twenty- one verses in Matthew tell all that is known and it is a section that is not left to your interpretation; only scholars and experts try to provide answers to questions that crop up. And, the characters are the ones that young boys most want to be in the Christmas pageant: a KING! Why be a barefoot shepherd with a crook when you can dress in an elegant robe, wear a crown, and carry an expensive gift!

Since the narrative is somewhat of a mystery, let’s look at plot and characters. Herod is ruler in Jerusalem and doesn’t want to be challenged. Some Magi – may be kings, representative of kings, astrologers- arrive one or two years later after following a heavenly sign portending the birth of a Jewish king. This is not what Herod wants to hear. His researchers reveal a prophecy, and Herod cunningly sends visitors to the possible child. So these “from the east” find a family, a toddler, give rich gifts, (you can look up what they symbolize on your own) and go on their way. Historically, we know Herod did have a blood bath of killing children under two to hedge his bets. The family flees to Egypt to complete a prophecy and are “called out of Egypt” to go back up to Nazareth . That’s it; skip to John the Baptist and the baptism of a grown man.

This is what sticks with me. Without understanding the whole story, one of the main thoughts is unconnected people make a journey. Again scholars say that in Matthew, a gospel written mainly to Jewish people, these characters represent the Gentiles, the outsiders, who are still offered the opportunity to worship The King if they put forth the effort. Even in these days, I want to look for a sign in my heavens, gather what can be my gifts, ask in the right places, and come to worship. Maybe someone will notice what I do and say, “In 2026, a woman came from the east, bearing gifts…”

January 1 – Happy New Year January 6 – Cause an Epiphany

I’m not counting on a group of you bounding out of bed this morning to check a Thursday offering. I thought of just wishing a generic Merry Christmas and moving on. Yet, December 25 for a variety of reasons needs more than that. At the moment, this is what we’ve been waiting for. Depending on your family dynamics, some planning and expense was necessary for all of you to be together. Who was sleeping where and who claimed the title of head chef. Some of you may have made a specific order for a gift. If you trusted who the suggestion was made to, you feel confident that request will be granted. Others still have children who feel a little magic is involved in what has their name on a package. I’m pretty sure no ponies were under the tree, but a bicycle may be in a neighbor’s garage or the surprise offering may bring forth a smile and “This is just what I wanted!”

One truth is sure. However many Christmases have been in your life, each has had its own twist. I tried writing a summary for my family one year. My daddy putting on his boots, picking up a saw, and taking me to the woods to cut down a tree. Older strings of light that if one went out the whole string followed. Packing the trunk of a car to go to a grandparent’s house or having Santa Claus on site and then packing to move on. One memorable year, 4/5 of us were at the ranch while a daughter, having caught the flu, spent the day in a friend’s bedroom. Even now, to celebrate early one year because that’s when we were all together.

Then what I hope is a part of tinsel, packaging, and extravagant meals: it is a Child’s birth day. Do your own research on the progression in choosing a date to bring to completion a promise of the ages. Yet, around the globe as time changes, people make their day His day. Maybe the noting is ahead of time with a candle lit Eve service, something amazing is coming again. Maybe after the excitement of tearing open paper and eating a hot cinnamon roll, quiet descends. A child nestles a new toy and climbs onto a familiar lap. Pages rustle and a voice begins the story.

And it came to pass in those days……….. and on this day, and in days to come. Amen!

Hold on to that thought that we’d like to end up with Love. I could call up Hope because that is the only way to face an unknown, and I could slap in Joy because a little background music moves the day along. Then But, Yet, However – whatever conjunction you want to use, is this a time of Peace? Is that even a possibility? By the time I have waken up my brain with NYTimes Connections, at least seven comments on a list from seven deadly sins and few upsetting happenings are waiting my perusing.

Here’s my work toward a better attitude list. In the movie Green Pastures of 1936, the African American pastor reviewing the Bible for a group of children says at one point, “It looks like everything nailed down is coming loose!” He ends with a not right crucifixion and a so right resurrection. Takes a while to get there. Then a rather long quote gifted from a friend. Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

And the next step is a Bible verse; there is always a Bible verse. The first calming two for me are from Psalms. 131:2 – I am calm and quiet like a baby with its mother. I am at peace. That leads to Psalm 133:1 How wonderful it is when brothers live together in harmony. I can look at the December word Peace because as Paul told the Romans about Abraham: He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said. And this was the message He sent by angels to welcome a baby.

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Luke 2:1

I don’t remember the word being used, but the nearest activity to making Advent happen in December as part of my childhood Christmas was attending the late service at the Episcopal church. My mother was an Episcopalian and a nominal Baptist because she felt families should worship together. In the Baptist tradition we had stories from Matthew and Luke and sang very traditional carols. When the four Sunday celebration was introduced, I first did it at school (allowed then) with the symbol of a wreath and greenery and candles and an order of progression from promise to kings. I looked up a current approved order and found that Hope is usually first and Love last and the middle can be whatever mixture of Faith, Joy, and Peace is chosen. Joy doesn’t begin until the 14 in my church. I am sliding into it early because I have a story to tell.

A friend took me this past week to a symphony concert at the Rice University music hall. The stage was filled 112 talented performers. (I counted names in the program). The main piece was Prokofiev’s Suite from Cinderella. The program notes were very detailed about each section of the orchestra featured as the story unfolded. Several times mention was made of brass instruments providing emphasis for some scene. Though I could hear the tuba, they and various horns were blocked visually by rows of strings. At the end of Act III the prince journeys to Cinderella’s house and begins the sequence of trying on the lost shoe. The brass became louder and more defined and then, at the height, the percussionist rang his cymbals and held up two golden orbs whose vibrations sustained the triumph of the moment. I watched people on the row ahead of me. Faces broke into smiles and heads turned toward a seat mate. Music led to JOY!

For me, the next step on a perfect journey is knowing the joy that awaits. Even in a temporal life, moments of joy are the cherry on the sundae, if that’s what you like. A perfect souffle, a new home, a promotion, an unexpected reconnection with a friend. Sometime exuberant; sometimes as quiet as a child tiptoeing to a new baby and carefully extending a finger. That’s what good news brings whenever it happens – JOY! It took angels’ music to declare the ultimate reason to everyone. This is the way I learned it, Advent or not!

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.(KJV)

Luke 2:10

Maybe the word juxtaposition could be the introduction. All of us have little threads of being we don’t brag about in public. While I am not a mathematician, I do have a slight ripple of arithmetic and logic that comes to the fore only in geometry. especially forms that curve. Hence, creating Venn diagrams is a delight. The simplest definition is that those overlapping circles define a subset. Amidst disparity, some things are alike.

Just think. Choose any three items from your closet. Would your even best friend want them handed over? Walk into a party and delight in people you are pleased to see. Yet are the choices on the dessert table what you would choose to serve? You and a co-worker have to complete a project together and one sees a vision and another the problems. There is an inner circle where what is alike holds moments together. “Not that color, but you and I both love that style sweater.” ” I hate one bite tidbits; I only came because we always have the most interesting conversations.” “At the last moment, we were great at lobbing our idea back and forth for the presentation.”

I live in a neighborhood, a city, a state, a world. Each place holds those I know. A child at the Little Free Library, the checker at Kroger, a niece in Austin, a son’s friend in England. Part of any of our lives makes its own circle without them as does theirs without ours. Then, at this time of year, two subsets appear. A smaller less important one for Christmas, and for four weeks designated as Advent, we create a larger intersection based on the beginning of a liturgical year that matters to us. Everything this Venn contains leads us through a story to a baby promised in this verse. We share the waiting together.

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6