Harvey's Little Acre........ Memories are a tricky thing these days for my father. It is so frustrating for him as he tries to reach some memory only to have it missing or difficult to retrieve. I have been asking many questions to pull what I can from him and discovered a little jewel that both he and Mother could recall.

It brought images of the movie Grease into my mind. Daddy said that he had a blue convertible. Mother dated him for a time while he had the car. He told me of a place between Dunn and Benson that all the young people went to hang out on the weekend. He said a little "parking" would take place (both parents were quick to qualify that "parking" in those days meant just a little innocent kissing), a lot of talking and joking around, and in general just a good time to be had by all. This was in the 50s. So can't you just see it? Poodle skirts, pony tails, saddle oxfords, penny loafers, greased back hair and all. Then Mother remembered the name. "It was Harvey's Little Acre, wasn't it, Brewer? I saw my Daddy's eyes light up as he responded, "yeah,that's it!"

I saw it all in my head just like some teenaged 50s movie and marveled at the precious moment recaptured from a fleeting past!

Woohoo!!!!! Went cross-country skiing for the first time in my life today. Just went off the porch and out into the road. I only fell three times! Hey! the skis are very narrow so don't laugh unless you have done it before. Besides which I was able to get up on my own two of the times and only needed Jon to help me up one of the times! Getting up on your own is sort of important. It was a little difficult but I had a blast! It's official! I am a true Marblite because I have the skis on the front porch along with the snow shovel! Life is good!

Memories........I have often tried to figure out how to hold on to a memory as if I could bottle it up and open it at any time so that it would flood my mind in such a way that it was never lost. Okay, so most of you who know me well know that I come up with some "unusual" ideas. But truly I have thought of this many times. Perhaps with the recent knowledge of how memories can completely disappear, I have revisited this idea. And perhaps because of this God is speaking to me in a different way. Live, child breathing in the moment. Live, child perhaps today is the last moments of any day you have.

The first of December we hosted the annual Marble Christmas ornament exchange. We had a raging snowstorm all day and the phone rang constantly asking if it was still on or not. I told everyone I would be there to greet anyone who came. I set the fellowship hall up for the people to come. Some of the ladies who came early to help looked skeptical at my preparations. But 25 of the 35 who responded that they would come showed up in the still raging snow. But more than that it was the laughter and noise of conversation and the stealing of ornaments and the taste of food that made the event. God was in the laughter and in the joy and yes in the snow. To be aware of that is better than holding forever the memory, isn't it?

December 15th we had the after-church treats in the parsonage. Every decoration was up and all the Christmas dishes out. The food awaited. Then 30 some people filed through our small but open home. There were oohs and ahhs over this certain decoration or that. Again the sounds of God's people filling our home. There were private conversations going on in different areas of people caring for the needs of others. God was in our midst, in our hearts celebrating with us. To be aware of that is better than holding forever the memory, isn't it?

Christmas Eve I again presented the character of Mary's Mother during our evening candlelight service. I had lived with her as I developed her for two months, memorizing scripture after scripture. That evening as I stepped out to present her, I felt the power of the Holy Spirit fill me giving the character meaning far beyond what she had started out. Then the lighting of the candles during Silent Night reminded us that Light had come in the midst of darkness. God was with us, Emanuel fulfilled. To be aware of that is better than holding forever the memory, isn't it?

I ask you the question, "Isn't it?" I am now well aware that memories can slip away from a mind forever. But God is!!!!!! So perhaps living each moment whether the moment is a good moment or a devastating moment is more important for our lives, realizing that God is in every moment, never forsaking us even when our minds can no longer hold even the simplest of memories.......To be aware of that is better than holding forever the memories, isn't it?

Peace and sorrow..........Yesterday I had the honor and blessing to sit with a friend here in Marble. It was no ordinary time. My friend's husband went to be with his Maker in the early hours of the morning. I drove my jeep up the snowy road and parked at the top of her drive. As I walked down to her house the sun was shining weakly through the clouds. She had two trees with decorations on them along the drive. It was crisp and cold. There was no noise at all, only silence. My walk to her door was somber but extremely peaceful. It was as if all of God's peace blanketed the house. So I felt sorrow and experienced peace intertwined together becoming a part of my heart.

We sat together just us two. Her tall Christmas tree proclaimed the season and the Christmas music filled the background around us. There were snowflakes dancing outside her picture windows and a fire roaring in her fireplace. At times there were tears and at other times just shared memories. I felt so blessed to share the quiet with her. Yes even in the sorrow there was peace. There are simply no other words to express what I experienced sitting with my friend........Peace and sorrow.

"Therefore the Lord will give you a sign. The virgin will give birth to a son and he will be called Immanuel.....(God with us.) the prophet Isaiah

Bits and pieces.....It is often the bits and pieces of life that happen in the course of living that enrich and make life the gift that it is. Living in the middle of the mountains surrounded by wilderness those bits and pieces can be unique......

On our way to Colorado Springs for Thanksgiving driving out our County Road 3, we saw two of Marble's own walking. The temp outside was 13 degrees. Our Tacoma truck was packed with everything including our yellow lab, Starbuck. We stopped to offer them a ride even though Starbuck filled the back seat. They opted to accept the ride and climbed in the back with the dog who then proceeded to climb into the front seat sitting on me and stretching across the console to put her head on Jon. Thus we rode that way all the way to Carbondale. The kicker was that if we had passed them by, they would have known that it was the pastor because everyone in Marble knows our truck. We had a great ride to Carbondale. Bits and Pieces......

Shortly after returning to Marble we had our first "BIG" snowstorm. Of course Jon was in Grand Junction for an overnighter. It started snowing in the night. Now the key to keeping up with large snowstorms is keeping the snow shoveled. I already had my pajamas on. So I figured they were like long johns, so I through my snowpants over them and shoveled the decks twice for a total of nine inches in my pjs. The next morning I woke up to another foot on the deck. Out to shovel I went. However I had on something other than my pajamas. I shoveled a total of two feet of snow in 24 hours. Bits and pieces.....in the wilderness!



Yesterday Jon and I went to the local galleries, the school, and helped out at the church for the event called Christmas in Marble. We entered one gallery and it was magical! They had it decorated lovely and the Christmas music was playing and they had treats. Jon and I had a dance right in the gallery to the Christmas music. Good thing the owners were our parishioners and enjoyed our delight in the moment. Then we walked out. The snow was so beautiful and the white Aspen trees with their dark eyes along the trunk were singing their own silent Christmas carol. I breathed in the cold brisk air and thought, God how wonderful you are! Bits and pieces.......

Last night I looked out the window to see headlights from an unmoving vehicle. I told Jon that I thought someone was stuck. He went outside to see if he could be of help. Sure enough one of our own legendary "mountain men" had gotten stuck in a snow bank. The neighbor's wife and friend was shoveling snow from the wheels and the neighbor was trying to position his truck to pull our stuck friend out. As this was happening, our very own "mountain man" asked Jon if he could just call him Preacher. Jon said sure. The man then responded,"We have been talking about you and we have decided that we like you. We have decided that you are good, Preacher and we like having you here." These things are not said lightly in Marble! Bits and pieces......in the town of Marble.

So bits and pieces of life are all around us to add that richness to our souls! It is my prayer that even when things are just a little tough in my personal life and there may be sorrow in my heart, that I will always be open to the bits and pieces that I am convinced are God's way of letting us know He is with us and within us. "Emanuel, God with us!"

Okay, maybe I do have a tendency to "wander" off........
So yesterday I took Starbuck for a walk and was just going to stop below Daniel's Hill. That was going to be my turnaround point. But I just had this urge to trek up Daniel's Hill. So off Starbuck and I "wandered" and began the uphill climb. I briefly considered that Jon did not know that we were going up there but I reasoned that Daniel's Hill was local and thus was just like walking by Beaver Lake. That was my reasoning at any rate. I suppose that was debatable.

The thing about wandering up Daniel's Hill in the winter is that everything changes the higher you go. As you go up, you pick up more snow. The only human sounds are the ones you make. The sounds you do hear outside of yourself are nature's. There were birds chattering and the noise of the running creek. There was Starbuck frolicking and rolling in the snow. I felt the tensions of life roll away.

Daniel's Hill required cardio effort. So as we climbed I got into my zone as I call it. I was breathing deeply, my heart rate picked up to feed all the working muscles. My stride was that comfortable slow steady long pull. I was caught up in the rhythm of the effort required. I had songs in my head but could not sing them due to the effort of continuing the journey. I heard the old old carol "I wonder as I wander out under the sky..." I let it flow through my mind and echo in my heart. Again it became one of those transcending moments where eternity and the finite meet.

Once at the top, light snowflakes began to dance through the air. A large spruce whose branches were heavy with snow caught my attention. At its very top sat one lone bird. I lifted my face to the sky to feel the snow flurries and to breathe in the fresh air. Standing still my breathing and heart rate slowed to normal. I began to sing "O Come O Come Emanuel." There was only God to hear and He did not care if I was off-key. As I sang, the Holy Spirit began to sing through me and the song transcended the earthly moment to become a heavenly one. Starbuck sat quietly by. And in that moment I was glad that I had wandered off.......

"Rejoice, Rejoice, Emanuel. O come to thee O Israel."

And then there was peace......Yesterday I was sitting in the recliner reading a book and listening to Christmas music (yes, Christmas music). Oh by the way, I was sitting in front of one of my Christmas trees as well. Yes I am one of those people. I digress......As the familiar song was playing Jon was in the kitchen and would occasionally quietly hum along with the song. We both sing a little off key and that would mean that we tend to hum off key as well. I stopped reading and just smiled. It was such a sweet thing, a spontaneous thing; the music and my husband humming here and there. I took in a deep breath of the sweetness. I was aware of the Holy Spirit's presence as the Holy Spirit lives within us both. And then there was peace.

Life is full of moments of peace. And I love it when it just sneaks up on me like that moment yesterday. I am convinced that those moments of awareness are moments where eternity meets us within our finite world reminding us of the "home" to come. I know that those moments come to sustain us and remind us of the "Peace Giver." It reminds us that we are not alone and that truly we are just passing through this world.

"My peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Jesus Christ

And then there was peace.......