12/22/12

Winter Wonderland


After a few days of fog and high humidity


The moisture on the trees yielded to the freezing temperatures
 

and turned our little North Dakota town into a wintry wonderland
 
 
It was three days of magic for this West Texas Cowgirl
 
 
The stillness and silence drew me into my fur lined boots
 

and out the door to get up close and personal with this new adventure
 

While my Southern friends were battling sandstorms 
and dodging tumble weeds,
I walked in the park
 

And I walked in the dark
 

Then a gentle breeze blew by
 

and gently sent the ice crystals to join their snow cousins on the ground
and just like that...
 
the magic was over.
 
What a wonderfilled experience for me.
 

"He is the one who sends snow like wool and scatters frost like ashes."
(Psalm 147:16)
 

 
 
 
 
 

12/16/12

Christmas Cantata



When I sang in my first School Christmas Program, my Mama was relieved that I chewed gum and didn't actually sing the loudly misunderstood words on the wrong notes.  After that she gave me years of piano lessons and was probably thrilled when I made it to Acapella Choir in High School.  But that was all long ago.  A really long time ago...

Back in Texas, I have worshipped with a Non-Denominational mixed ethnic group of passionate people for 15 or 20 years.   We don't worry much about pitch and sometimes we clap to three different beats. It would drive a music teacher crazy!  But we make a joyful noise to the Lord and sing to Him with all we have.

 So now, here I am in North Dakota, singing in the Christmas Cantata. I mean - reading music and everything! Glenda, the choir director has probably hoped I'd chew gum or maybe lip sync for this majestic performance with this beautifully harmonious Lutheran choir,


 I've stretched my brain trying to remember my music theory from years past.  I've counted the half notes, and the quarter notes, and the dotted notes while I tried my best to stay on the right notes.



 And I haven't for the life of me, found those high notes.  In fact, I'm not sure I'm a soprano at all - maybe not an alto either!

But the Christmas blessing for me is that the constant practicing has made me think about what the words mean as I have gone about the rhythm of my days.  The melodies stuck in my head speak the harmony of the whole nativity story.

 Infant Holy

 
Infant Lowly

 
 For His Bed a Cattle Stall

 
 Angels Singing

 
Noels Ringing

 
Tidings Bringing

 
 Christ the Babe is Lord of All


Christ the Babe is Lord of All


The cantata is over, but I'm not ready for the music to stop swirling in my head.  I want to keep hearing Gloria Jubilante Deo and My Soul, My Soul...Magnifies the Lord.

And maybe, just maybe - it doesn't matter one little quarter note whether I'm in the key of F or C,

 
or whether I B flat, or lip sync, or chew gum.
 
As long as
My Soul Magnifies the Lord!
 
I pray this Christmas Season finds you
with His Song
in your heart
an His light in your eyes.
 
 
Merry Christmas!
 
(many thanks to Angie from Georgia for snapping away with my camera
while I was making a joyful noise!)




12/12/12

12/12/12




Today is the last triple digit date of the century.
I just can't let it get by without pondering and commenting on it,
because that may be the only significant thing
I do today!
 
The first thing I got when I googled (love that word) 12/12/12
was the mathematical answer of (12/12)/12
(12 divided by 12 divided by 12)
which is 0.08333333333
 
 
Then I typed in 12-12-12
and my answer was -12
(12 minus 12 minus 12)
 

That's about as nerdy as I get - googling math equations!
 
I think of things like:
 
12 year old grandson
Size 12 shoe
12 inches of snow
12 foot ceiling
Dining table that seats 12
12 inches in a foot
12 months in a year
12 step program
Loop 12 in Dallas
12 noon
12 midnight
12 working hours in my man's day
12 days of Christmas
12 drummers drumming
 
 
Then there's 12 in the Bible:
 
12 pillars erected at Mt Sinai
12 patriarchs
12 sons of Jacob
12 tribes of Israel
12 stones on the priests' breastplate
12 spies sent to Canaan
12 pillars erected in the Promised Land
12 year old Jesus questioned religious scholars
12 apostles
12 legions of angels could have been called by Jesus
12 gates of pearl in New Jerusalem
12 angels guarding the gates
12 foundations of precious stones
12 kinds of fruit on the Tree of Life
 
  According to some biblical scholars,
 the number 12 signifies governmental perfection.

So on this 12th day of December 2012
I pray perfect order and perfection in your life!

(and 12 drummers drumming!)

 
 
 
 
 


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