Snowshoeing.......Yesterday I went on a snowshoe trek all by myself here in our mountain village. Now for fellow southerners you may not know for sure what the contraptions we call snowshoes are. We strap these long things (not skis) to our boots and with two ski poles we trek into deep snow. Now I have been told that they help you "float" across the snow. I think that may be some obscure snowshoe terminology. What I did certainly did not feel like floating. The snowshoes did keep from sinking to the bottom of the 40 or so inches of snow that we have but I did not glide like some snow angel across the top of the snow as floating seemed to imply.

After a bit I got the hang of it and began a random journey through the evergreens, around about the area finding myself following cross country ski tracks down to the Old Mill Site Park. I found a rhythm that was comfortable (although quite the cardio workout.)The deep snow has touched everything. The cold brisk air was full of the smell of the heavy laden evergreens. I could feel and hear my heart working in the silence of nature. It was exhilarating!

I found myself at the edge of a bank to the Crystal River being careful not to step too close because of the depth of the snow, it was hard to tell where the edge was. It was certainly not my intent to fall into the icy waters below! I stood there bundled up in layers of snow clothing, in the most awkward looking contraptions on my feet and listened.

I heard the running river. It had begun to snow again. There was not a sound of any humans around. I looked up to the mountain ridge called Raspberry Ridge. I breathed in the cold cold air. I breathed in God! My heart and soul cried out to Him in praise and wonder. I began to sing a heart song. It was a song of praise that has never been written. It was a melody that has never been played. And I am sure that if any living soul had heard it they would have been glad for those two facts. But I knew in that moment that God was pleased with my song because it was of the Holy Spirit; my spirit through the Holy Spirit was praising my Lord and the Father!

Jon preached today on Heaven meeting earth. It was about the scripture when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the "river." The Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove and a voice from Heaven said "this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." While snowshoeing yesterday I stopped, stood still long enough, was quiet long enough to allow Heaven to meet earth in my earthen vessel. I pray that I will continue to pause to breath in the breath that God is always waiting to breath into me.

"....the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Genesis 2: 7

Christmas Eve in Marble........I have always loved Christmas Eve. It has always been that day when Christmas is so very close but not quite time for the presents from Santa. Christmas Eve evenings as a child brought presents from grandparents. And as many of you from Clement may relate, as a child I would beg my parents to take me by Miss Eva Belle's house to see if her Santa made it on the roof. Many of you know what I am talking about.

As an adult Christmas Eve has always been a very spiritual day for me; a day in which I could concentrate even more on the true meaning of Christmas just before the hustle of Christmas day. This year in Marble I felt like I was living in a Christmas Card. It snowed all day long and well into the night. Every spruce tree, every fir tree, and every pine tree decorated with layers of snow became a Christmas tree. Snow is a silent event, falling quietly touching everything and cleansing with its whiteness. So it seemed to me as if all of nature in Marble was singing "Silent Night."

I was giving a drama presentation called "Mary's Mother" in the Christmas Eve service. So I had to wait in the pastor's office while the people gathered. Our historical church was magnificently dressed in its Christmas ware. Candles were lit, the tree was lit and everything sang of " O Holy Night." As I was sitting in the office praying and contemplating about what I had to share with the congregation, I could only hear the people gathering and only hear the songs being sung. What I could see was only out of the office window. It was night and the snow was still falling but the lights from the church shining on the snow revealed a different world from its daylight counterpart. Christmas carols, choir specials, special solo, not seen but heard, and the snow still falling; truly it was a "Silent Night, Holy Night."

Then I stepped out to give the drama presentation. Our little church was full. I told the Christmas story from the view point of Mary's mother. I shared the prophecies of His birth, the angel's announcement, the belief and faith of a young virgin, the doubts and then belief of a righteous man who would take the virgin Mary as his wife. I ended with the reading of the birth and the shepherds' wonder and praise at all that they "had seen and heard." Then I announced, "Joy to the World, the Lord IS come, Joy to the world! The congregation responded by singing out that great carol proclaiming "Joy to the World!"

Christmas Eve for me in Marble with all its beauty, with its snow, with the faithful celebrating together His birth was truly "on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests."

Prayers......Today in light of the horrendous loss of innocent lives in Newtown, CT I offer my prayers for everyone affected by this act of violence. I know that there is no comfort for those who have lost loved ones especially during this time of year. But dear Father I pray that they will feel the comfort and presence of the Holy Spirit in the midst of their despair. May with passing of much time their tears of remembering their loved ones will be turned into smiles of remembering. Only You, Heavenly Father can do this. Amen

Tomorrow we will light the candle of joy for advent (the waiting for the coming of the baby Jesus as well as waiting for His second coming). I thought about joy and thought that against so much violence, it seemed hard to grasp. But then I remembered that this joy is not the immediate emotion attached to any certain circumstance. Instead it is an eternal joy that "is" because Jesus was born on this earth in humanity and walked among us. "This will be a sign to you; the virgin will give birth to a son and He will be called Immanuel, God with us." So in the midst of our despair we have a Savior who knows deep sorrow. But because He walked this tattered earth in the clothes of tattered humanity, He brought to the earth the eternal joy; that is Jesus was, Jesus is, and Jesus will be. And because of the plan that He was obedient to, we have the hope of a reunion day with all those followers who have gone before us. In that day the Word promises us He will wipe away all tears and take away our pain and in that day we will be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.

Immanuel, God with us, we pray together as your people for hope and comfort for all those who are mourning not only in Newtown but throughout our world during this season of Christmas.

Advent.....Christmas moments. Advent is the waiting for the coming of the Baby Jesus and the waiting for His second coming. I love Advent. Today was the second Sunday of Advent and our church looks more and more like Christmas each Sunday. Today we lit the second candle of Advent which was the candle of peace. Jon preached on John the Baptist and the peace of God "which passes all understanding."

I have found that the peace that the angels spoke of to the shepherds so long ago, "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.....And the angel was accompanied by a multitude of Heavenly Host praising God and saying peace on earth and goodwill to mankind," often comes to me in little moments. Yesterday after participating in "Christmas in Marble," I sat down with a cup of coffee and three homemade chocolate chip cookies. The Christmas music was playing. Suddenly I was aware of a Heavenly Host within me. The taste of the coffee, the warmth of the cup within my hands, the melting of the chocolate chips in my mouth, the sound of the    music, the quiet of the house and there the Holy Spirit filled my being and Christmas was.

We have had very little snow so far this year. We are in desperate need of snow to restore our moisture. Last night it arrived silently. This morning I was up at dawn shoveling snow off the decks. The church gazebo still had the Christmas lights on and the snow was reflecting the light. It was magical. I looked around at the giant spruce trees and saw them wearing their mantle of snow with such grace and dignity. How could anyone doubt the presence of God with such majesty all around. I was filled with the breath of God and Christmas was.

This world is in such strife with so many experiencing the violence of war. It is easy to forget the peace that God offers us. It is a peace that exists within our hearts even in the midst of war. It is that peace that His son gives "not as the world gives," even in the midst of sickness and sorrow. It is there for us in moments to remind us that we are not alone. It comes to me often in little moments that are unexpected. Yet each time the fullness of it brings tears of joy.

As the sun dropped behind the mountains this afternoon and the Spruce tree that Jon put lights on just outside the church came on and its branches held proudly the snow, I breathed in the cold crisp air and Christmas was.....

A new sound....When you reach the age that I am, and I am not really saying what that is, you do not realize that there may be new sounds out there that you have never before heard. I know that is a sort of arrogant assumption to believe that there are no new sounds out in God's great world to hear. But to be honest with you before today I had never thought about it.

After a great worship service in our Marble Community Church, Jon and I took our yellow lab, Starbuck (yes that is her name and yes I do like coffee very very much), for a walk down to Beaver Lake. It was a relatively warm day and the surrounding mountains with their blankets of snow were magnificent! There was a gentle refreshing breeze and that is what created the sound. Beaver Lake has a very thin fragile cover of ice on it which is cracked in many places. The breeze stirred the thin ice and this most unusual sound was created. I stopped in my tracks and looked around for what was causing the sound. Jon, being from South Dakota and much use to frozen country, explained to me, a southerner, what the sound was.

I was so amazed that I got as low to the lake as I could on its very edge perched on a rock and listened. It was a sort of music in its own way. There was no traffic (after all it is winter in Marble) and no other distracting human made noises so that I could clearly hear this mysterious sound from nature. It was not so different from the "still small voice" that the scripture speaks of. My excitement was that I had heard a new sound, one that I had never heard before. How many new sounds are out there to be heard if only we stop to listen!

It is my prayer that I will have "ears that hear" and "eyes that see." It is my prayer that I can hear and be excited by the still small voice that is so willing to speak to a soul that is ready to listen. It is my prayer that I will always be ready to listen even if that voice speaks in a way that I have never before heard!

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10
"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him....." Psalm 37:7

Another Year....Jon and I have been at the Marble Church for a little over a year. October 11 was our first year anniversary. The first year was a time for us to determine if God truly wanted us here and to give the church a chance to see if they truly wanted us as well. It goes both ways you know. Well the church officially offered us a chance to continue to serve them.

Jon recently asked me, "What have you liked most about being here in this remote location for the past year?" After all living between two wilderness areas is a bit different than what we have experienced in the past. I gave the question some thought. Then it came to me. I responded,"It's like I was seeing all things new and for the first time in quite a while like you would as a child!" From the little white historical church and the lovely people inside to the breathtaking scenery all around us.

Seeing my first full moon at 8000 feet; I remember twirling around in the middle of the dirt road in front of my house like a little girl. Did I say I was in my pjs? Hiking in the back country; we would hike into an open Alpine meadow with majestic peaks all around and I would break out singing "The Sound of Music." Feeling the intensity of the sun against the bright clear blue skies of this altitude reflecting off the crystalin snow, was invigorating! Then you know how I felt about our bears; photographing them in my night gown in the early morning, screaming at Little Bear through the door to get off the deck. Yes I have seen things and done things through fresh eyes, through childlike eyes.

I seem to remember as Jon has preached many times that our Lord said that we must become like little children to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Perhaps as I have experienced these new sights and sounds my soul has reached back to touch the child spirit deep within. I certainly pray so. Can I hold on to the newness? Can I keep at bay the tendency of life to often paint our daily lives in less vibrancy? I certainly pray so. I want to have the kind of childlike heart that runs, dances, and lives the Kingdom of Heaven! I certainly pray it will be so!

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." II Corinthians 5:17

 

Marble Community Church

Dear Father in Heaven, I pray for all your creation suffering from the horrendous storm. You know where all of your people are and what they need at this time. May they feel your mercy, your comfort, and your grace. May you help the workers who are trying to restore power. May you guide those who are still rescuing those in trouble. Be with all the first responders as they see the devastation and as they work long hours to make things better for all those who have been impacted. In Jesus name I pray.